The truth under it all

FORT DIX, N.J. - One of many questions I asked women was what type of sock, underwear, bra, etc., they found most comfortable while deployed. It was a question that most found hard to answer.

My alter ego, the mousy Jewish reporter, prefers Body by Victoria. However, I'm almost positive that Victoria has never been to a war zone. And at nearly $40 each I wasn't the one to take her there.

One thing all the women agreed on is that any clothes that I took with me had to be sturdy. On most Forward Operating Bases contractors are in charge of doing our laundry, and they weren't going to get out the Woolite and hand wash my delicates.

So, I had a mission: to find a bra that was comfortable, sturdy and cost effective.

First I tried a sports bra from Walmart. It was cotton, its cups were formed and sturdy, the bottom band was made of elastic and easy to pull on over my head. However, the cotton bra would become water logged under my body armor and leave a raw red ring around my rib cage. And I couldn't wear it for more than 8 hours. I know this wouldn't usually be an issue for most women, but female soldiers are not most women. We live and work in extreme conditions often wearing our boots, uniforms and gear for 15 or more hours. They also didn't wear well, after several washes and wears the elastic and fabric stretched out.

I decided to try a sports bra from Target next. It was similar in it was a pullover bra. Let's face it; the bra hooks stab and hurt when you're wearing nearly 100 lbs of body armor and equipment at times.

The two Champion brand bras, one with built in cups, are made of more than 80 percent polyester or nylon and around 10 percent spandex material so it would stay relatively dry against my skin. And I could wear this bra for more than 24 hours before it started to irritate my skin. I found a winner.

Ironically it was similar to the sports bra, Kaos - 90 percent tactile nylon and 10 percent spandex - the Army is now issuing women when they deploy. The problem is the Army only issues us 2 bras.

The underwear was a little harder. See, I'm not a fan. I can't tell you why. It was never discussed in my family, but I never remember wearing underwear as a child. Over the years, usually brought on by communal living, I've tried on and off to start but usually by the middle of the day I'm hiding in a bathroom somewhere trying to free myself from these medieval and uncomfortable torture devices.

In basic, my newly ACU-clad uber-self tried boxer shorts and didn't like those either. The more feminine were either dental floss or would be by the end of the day. Yes, even the infamous granny panties didn't like me. I came to the conclusion that underwear was just not built for my body.

The cotton ones didn't work for the obvious reasons. Who wants to sit around in soggy underpants? First I tried a pair that I found at Walgreens of all places. They were 100 percent nylon, thin and fairly comfortable. It was like wearing a nylon stocking and stayed in place. However, the material wasn't good for my skin, and I ended up with a heat rash - not so comfortable or attractive.

I had almost given up when I found some Under Armour underwear in the PX. I tried the boy shorts and the panty styles. Both are made out of wicking material: 92 percent nylon and 8 percent elastic. I could barely feel them; that says a lot for someone who has almost never worn underwear. The boy shorts are a little more comfortable, and the great thing was I could finally cut out the built-in underwear in my PT shorts and wear them.

I've never pretended to understand the Army. In my experience, the Army usually goes with the most illogical choice. And issuing soldiers wool socks for the desert - not particularly logical. But hey, I tried several of the wicking-material style socks.

The Thorlos anti-fatigue brand was 82 percent Thor-Lon© Acrylic, 9 percent nylon, 5 percent spandex, and 4 percent X-Static. At first the socks are comfortable, but as the day goes on and the temperature rises, my feet start to sweat. The thick tan socks are not exactly comfortable when mixed with suede boots and heat. At $10.95 a pair they should massage my feet and give me a pedicure.

I found a pair of generic ACU-sea foam green boot socks at Military Clothing Sales, 82.5 percent cotton, 10 percent nylon and 5 percent spandex and 2.5 percent nylon, which I really liked, and you couldn’t beat the price of 3 for $5.

However, my father found the best socks. The socks look like men's black dress socks and are mostly cotton with a small percentage of Nylon and Spandex. They are thinner than the ACU-green socks and allow my feet some breathing room. And you can’t beat the price - free courtesy of the Daddy.

So, if you are deploying you now have an idea of what to buy or ask for in the mail. Let me know what brands have worked for you.