This armoured vest saved a soldier's life in 2003.This body armour was worn by a Junior Non-Commissioned officer of the 1st Battalion The Black Watch during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The bullet struck the KEVLAR plate that protects a man's vital organs and saved his life, though he did sustain a wound to his arm. Protection has always been uppermost in the mind of a soldier; different types of armour have been used in the past. Twenty-first century technology allows the modern combat soldier a degree of protection from blast and high-velocity ammunition, not attainable even 15 years ago. There is a cost to wearing body armour - the weight slows a soldier down, can restrict his movement.
The Black Watch's experience in Iraq has been brought to audiences in many parts of the world through Gregory Burke's 2007 play Black Watch for the National Theatre of Scotland, based on testimony from ordinary soldiers.
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