It’s pretty safe to say that if you are a Marine, you have worn through or owned at least one tactop plate carrier vest or other piece of tactical gear in your lifetime. If you were not in the service, then you have at least seen pictures or videos of some of our USMC and USN warriors donning vests in the line of duty. In one scene they are even using them as suicide vests! I just thought it was kind of funny when Marines would wear body armor and think it was comical or even cool. Now then, if you are a formersoldie, or know one who was in the Marines, or the Navy, then you probably know just how important they are, and how much they mean to our troops.
You see, most of our guys in the Marines and the Navy, and some units in the Army have been issued MLEx/MOLLEX armor for their vests and other protective gear. Some of our guys wear vests with a hard plate carrier and some with soft armor. What is the difference? Well, the hard plates carry the maximum amount of armor possible and are generally made of the most durable material around. Soft armor vests are generally made of cloth, and while they will protect you somewhat better than a hard plate carrier vest, they will not be as sturdy as the hard plates, and will tear more easily.
Of course, there are different types of vests, and there are different designs. Some are even more compact and handier than others. For example, there are vests that look just like bags, and can store other things inside like a backpack! That’s one of the cool things about tactical body armor – you can be sure that whatever you need for your day, you will find it! I hope that answers the question, “What is a taco plate carrier?”