Posted on 06/19/2004 5:59:31 PM PDT by Cannoneer No. 4
PITTSFIELD -- Employees of a firm that produces body armor for American soldiers are doing important work in defense of the country, U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy said during a visit to the company yesterday.
Kennedy, a leading Democratic critic of the war in Iraq, visited Protech Armored Products, which in the last year has grown substantially to fill $40 million in orders from the Pentagon for protective armor plates used by soldiers as inserts. He stayed for more than an hour, meeting privately with company officials, touring the plant and then addressing employees.
"It's an honor to be here, at a company that is in the vanguard of leading this nation in terms of this new technology. That's happening in Pittsfield, Massachusetts," he said.
"... The skilled workers who are taking on this challenge and performing so admirably, they deserve a pat on the back because of the hard work they are involved in. Because of their precision and skill and knowledge and dedication and commitment, we know that our servicemen and women are better protected."
The visit was punctuated by the presentation of a killed-in-action bracelet to Kennedy by the parents of Army Pfc. John D. Hart of Bedford, who died in Iraq in October 2003 while riding in an unarmored Humvee. Hart's death led to a successful campaign by his father, Brian, to force the Army to step up its procurement of armored vehicles.
Protech Armored Products, a subsidiary of Armor Holdings Inc. of Jacksonville, Fla., manufactures bullet-resistant vests, shields and helmets and fabricates guard houses and armored vehicles. It has two facilities in Pittsfield, on East and Commercial streets, that employ 139 people.
John Bird, the company's president and general manager, said the business has become stronger since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Military products now account for about 70 percent of production, with law enforcement representing most of the balance.
A Protech product that is in demand is armored guard houses for nuclear power plants. One such reinforced structure was on display in the company's East Street yard.
"They are being driven to upgrade their perimeter security," Bird said of nuclear installations. "That's been a strong business segment for us."
Protech has Pentagon contracts to provide a total of 85,000 armor plates under the Small Arms Protective Insert (SAPI) program. The SAPI plates are manufactured for use with the Kevlar-lined "Interceptor" vest.
As a result of the military contracts, Protech has hired about 80 employees since last August and plans to hire 20 more. The company is vying for other contracts that potentially will require hundreds of thousands of additional armor plates.
Kennedy, whose plane was delayed by mechanical problems in Aberdeen, Md., arrived at the company in a minivan driven by Fairview Hospital President Eugene A. Dellea, a longtime Kennedy family confidant. The senator was greeted by company officials, Mayor James M. Ruberto and his wife, Ellen, Brian and Alma Hart and a phalanx of local reporters.
The press corps was kept waiting while Kennedy met in a closed-door session with officials. Then, with Bird at his side, he toured the facility, sampling ballistic seat blankets and SAPI plates laid out on display. At a machine that cuts material used for the plates, he passed Trevor Jordan, who was wearing a black T-shirt with an image of President George W. Bush. The shirt read: "Not My President."
Jordan said he donned the shirt especially for Kennedy's visit.
The senator moved outside, where George Stringer, Armor Holdings Inc. vice president of ground systems, displayed an "up-armored" Humvee retrofitted by the company.
Kennedy was called aside by Brian Hart, who presented him with a stainless steel, engraved bracelet reading: "PFC John Daniel Hart, Army, 10-18-03, Iraq, KIA."
His voice quivering with emotion, Hart recalled how Kennedy had met with the family during his son's funeral at Arlington National Cemetery, and had listened to their concerns about better armoring vehicles.
"You spent a half an hour with us with the entire funeral procession waiting outside to let us tell you what we knew," he told the senator. "You said you would look into it. Sure enough, I think to Alma's and my surprise, you raised this issue at the November Armed Services Committee hearing. Now, some six or eight months later, $800 million is being directed at this."
Kennedy, obviously touched by the gesture, thanked the couple. "They have suffered as much as any parents can suffer, losing their son, and they have focused their grief on trying to protect other young people," he said.
Addressing the press corps later, Kennedy was unrepentant in his criticism of the Bush administration's prosecution of the conflict in Iraq.
"I didn't support the war. I think it was the wrong war at the wrong time for the wrong reason," he said.
"One of the areas where I think the Defense Department failed to a very significant extent is providing ... personal protection for servicemen and women. This last week, for example, on the floor of the United States Senate, we were debating adding $484 million for small 'nukes,' to reopen the nuclear arms race, where we should have been investing for a long period of time in terms of body armor and reinforcing the Humvees and the trucks for our servicemen and women. I think [the administration] had the wrong priority."
This article needs a barf alert
Did anyone drown?
There is no way I can believe he listened or acted because he cared. He saw a political opportunity to undercut Bush and did it.
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Young Sen. TED KENNEDY in Vietnam-1965
http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_set1.htm (Photos)
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Wait a minute! I thought we were being told that the military was doing such a good job in Iraq because Bubba made it possible. Now, we are hearing that they are ill-equipped. We know that W didn't cut the budget.
Blubber is a unique type of body armor.
Have I missed something? Didn't Kennedy vote against the funds for this war and supplying our troops? A defense contractor that is making big bucks because we have a President that is willing to defend the US, is kissing up to a dem who would put him out of business in a heartbeat. Was there some cosmic accident when I wasn't looking?
Uriah Heep.
IIRC isn't this one of the places where Kennedy is going to drop off his 5,000 or so illegal workers? Or am I mistaken?
And I am sure that Sen. Kennedy will use supporting this company for piggy-backing his pork bills.
Is this a condom factory????????????
ping
Sorry about the above post. Should have read the article, except anything this crud has to do with I try to avoid.
Its a very strange world.
According to OSHA rules, these were provided for visitors along with the usual hard-hats
DISTRUBING IMAGE ALERT!
Does the silver thing in the swimmer's right hand vibrate? Mary Jo Kopechne's heat seeking missle. and he still is there.
Too bad they didn't present him with a armor plated flask for his scotch breaks.
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