An Cosantóir

20 NAVAL SERVICE VARIANT DPM to the wearer, from an impact on an item beneath the body armour should be designed out as far as is practicable. Similarly, in response to the sounding of the ship's fire alarm, designated people are moving. They act as if each alarm is the 'one', and they maintain their readiness through constant practice. Two of those responding to the initial alarm will proceed directly to locations where self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) sets are on stand-by, which they don and proceed to the indicated scene. These are the attack BA, and the primary part of their protection is the clothing they are wearing. While GDR provides reasonably adequate protection against the risk of flash and heat, the new NS VPDM will be even better. Should the attack BA or any other member of the standing sea emergency party (SSEP) meet fire and flame in the darkness below, they'll be protected from the potentially terrible consequences of melting clothing onto skin. These sailors are the ships first line of defence; they might put out a minor fire, or they just might be able to slow it down long enough to give their shipmates a fighting chance to assemble as damage control and firefighting parties. These have seven minutes before they will be ready to move. The front line must hold fast, and this new uniform will reinforce their ability to do so. Policy in action. A recruiting pitch in an all-girls school was met with this simple question from a potential recruit; "Would we have to wear boys' clothes?". This is a powerful vignette that highlights a connection that needs to be made between policy, and action to achieve the Defence Forces commitment to improved female participation in the services through improved recruitment and retention. With GDR the answer was yes, but this need not have been the case. The tension here is the desire for simplified logistics supply chains, especially in a small Naval Service, which does introduce a desire for a single uniform, but first it must fit well on every potential sailor. Accepting the need for a uniform system that fits all wearers was not hard; meeting that need took a lot of consideration and re-imagining of the status quo. The Woodland Green Operational DPM clothing was introduced at a time when there were very few women in the operational units trialling the potential new uniforms. Changes over the decades since have been the basis of discussion, and small- scale individual trials. There had been a female cut shirt in the Operational DPM uniform but currently the shirt is considered unisex. When trialled formally by the Naval Service this shirt was found to be too loose on all female trial participants, and a statistically significant number of the males. Rather than identifying a shirt as male or female pattern the trial data drove a solution that arrived at a number of fits. This was achieved on a gender-neutral basis where there are slim and regular shirts, all with vents at the hips, rather than male/ female shirts. Now the wearer can select the shirt that best fits at the point of initial issue, when they are being sized. There is only a single design of trouser which has adjustable leg and waist length. The only gender specific garments are the maternity shirt, undershirt, and trouser. A view below decks. The working environment of a modern naval warship, bristling with powerful armaments and 21st century technology, is complex. Out here, far from sight, over the horizon, you must be ready at all times to counter whatever threat the ocean, NS Subdued Rank Markings NSV DPM Smock Front CW Rank NSV DPM Smock First Trial Sample worn by D_ORD Staff

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