The Hoss USMCEver since the first knuckle draggin cave man sharpened a stick on a rock and shoved it another man who stole his woman, men have thought about armor. The purpose of armor is to defeat an attack on your person. You can’t use armor to kill someone unless you pull out your plate and beat someone to death with it. So being that armor is a defensive tool, how often is a minute man in a defensive role? The first minute men were farmers, shop keepers, and just regular guys. Their job was to assemble quickly and move fast. Advanced Body Armor Video
Now because we are talking about a light infantry that can move fast then we would normally avoid anything heavy. A bunch of guys with rifles and basic chest rig load out can move pretty fast, but they are limited in the scope of the mission they can complete. But in today’s world of never ending wars, we have quite a few companies cropping up making innovations in body armor. Much of the body armor we see today is cheaper, lighter, and tougher than the past. Having body armor is also become much more main stream. And going home with a few broken ribs is a lot better than a hole the size of Rhode Island in your chest. All that being said, body armor is still going to slow you down somewhat and limit your range of motion. Plus body armor doesn’t always mean you are going to walk away from a high velocity bullet strike. You may very well have your heart dripping out your anus if you take a fast moving large caliber round to the chest. Innovative Body Armor Video Lightweight Kit Video
Personally I run body armor in most of my kits for any situation. I may be a little chunky around the middle, but even a fat kid like me can still hump the hills in full kit. Bitching about weight is for little girls, not men. That being said it would behoove you to lighten your kit as much as possible while maintaining your high level of capability. The bottom line is, you need to get fit and stay fit as a minute man if you wear body armor or not. Physical fitness is paramount when you are talking about moving to contact or out maneuvering an enemy unit. My Old Personal Body Armor Video
So do you need body armor as a minute man? Of course you don’t, but as I stated there are many good options in armor that you may want to consider if you thinking you can handle the weight.