Female Fort Bliss Soldiers Among Hundreds Testing Better Fitting Uniforms

They are our men and women in uniform, but what happens if that uniform doesn’t fit just right?

“It’s a little difficult when you’re as tiny as me to find something that fits,” Fort Bliss soldier Cpl. Jennifer Taylor said. “I’m way smaller than the average man or woman.”

Several soldiers spent Monday morning shopping in vain for a uniform to fit their small frames. Taylor said pulling and tugging can make combat life difficult and dangerous.

“When I’m trying to hold my weapon, or my rucksack, I have to work extra hard to do it because everything fits so big,” Taylor said.

Seven hundred female soldiers are testing a new combat uniform for women with shorter sleeves and with kneepads in the right place for their generally shorter legs.

“That’ll be awesome because then I can have something for me that fits,” Spl. Maria Needham, also a soldier at Fort Bliss, said.

Female soldiers are about 20 percent more likely than their male counterparts to report musculoskeletal disorders, and some experts said poorly fitting uniforms could be a factor.

“I’m excited. I’m ready to hit the clothing sale,” Taylor said. “It’s going to be nice to have something that will actually fit me now.”