KEVLAR HISTORY Over the years, DuPont™ Kevlar® has evolved from an experiment in a DuPont research laboratory into the life-protection material of choice for U.S. military and law enforcement personnel. Body armor, helmets and vehicular armor made with Kevlar® brand fiber helped protect law enforcement officers and military personnel serving in Somalia and Bosnia, and continue to help protect personnel serving in Afghanistan and Iraq against fatalities and life-threatening injuries. 1965 Stephanie Kwolek, a DuPont research scientist, develops Kevlar® by spinning fiber from liquid crystalline solutions. 1970 DuPont research scientist Herb Blades develops the revolutionary air gap spinning process, which enables large-scale production of Kevlar® brand fiber. 1971 DuPont begins producing Kevlar® in large quantities in Richmond, VA. 1975 First field trial of body armor made with DuPont™ Kevlar® conducted with police officers and sponsored by the National Institute of Justice. 1975 First officer inducted into the IACP/DuPont™ Kevlar Survivors' Club® 1978 DuPont™ Kevlar® adopted by the U.S. Army for use in flak jackets and PASGT helmets . 1981 The U.S. Military specifies that protective apparel be worn by its personnel; most of this protective apparel contains Kevlar®. 1982 The U.S. Military makes its first major purchase of the PASGT Vest , which provides extraordinary protection against fragments. 1985 The U.S. Military purchases the PASGT Helmet , at the time the best armor available for protection against fragmentation, heat and flame. 1987 The U.S. Military places a major order for the CVC Vest because it offers superior ballistic protection from spall and fragmentation and does not melt or support combustion in air. 1988 The U.S. Military purchases a large number of CVC Helmets . 1991 In the Gulf War, most U.S. combat soldiers wore a helmet made of DuPont™ Kevlar®. The PASGT Vests worn by the military played a critical role in reducing the number of...