Niki Tsongas

Clearly-drawn front lines have become a thing of the past due to complex locations with ubiquitous enemy threats.

Body armor is meant to fit snug to the body to stop shrapnel and absorb a bullet's impact. Armor designed for a boxier male frame does not fit properly on the overwhelming majority of females, who have a very different stature and body type than their male counterparts.

People say, 'What if your name was Niki Smith?' Well, if Niki Smith lived the life I've lived, it would have great bearing.

We should not be making near-term decisions with long-term consequences without robustly debating these questions and fully considering the substantial and unpredictable risks of these actions.

There are wives who are very involved with their husbands' offices and really take their responsibility seriously in terms of issues and things like that. I was never very comfortable with being part of that.

Lightened body armor, which the military has made progress on, would mean increased safety and reduced risk for soldiers like the sergeant and the colonel.