It was not available to civilians without a special permit provided by the BADTFL. The United States Armed Forces were the principal operator of the entire family of combat armors before the Great War, although some were provided to law enforcement agencies.
A wide variety of such armor can be found throughout the wastelands, ranging from the early iterations developed by the United States Army to the cutting-edge riot gear that came into use prior to the Great War. A diverse family of personal body armor with varying degrees of sophistication, providing balanced protection against both energy and ballistic damage.