Posted on 06/07/2004 2:21:41 PM PDT by AM2000
COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. - The Army's top supply commander said Monday that all American troops in Iraq (news - web sites) are now equipped with bullet-resistant vests, after a shortage that led many soldiers to pay for costly body armor themselves.
As late as March, some soldiers headed for Iraq were still buying their own body armor, despite assurances from the military that the equipment would be available before they were in harm's way.
Gen. Paul Kern, commander of the Army Material Command, said the shortage eased after manufacturers stepped up production of the lifesaving vests.
Kern spoke at a news conference where Honeywell Specialty Materials announced it would increase production of Spectra fiber, a key component of the vests. He said the vests had saved dozens of soldiers who were shot at close range.
Kern recalled that troops in Vietnam had to be ordered to wear cumbersome flak jackets. "You don't have to discipline them to put on protective gear today," he said. "They are looking for it."
Last October, it was reported that nearly one-quarter of American troops serving in Iraq did not have ceramic-plated body armor, which uses four-pound armor plates to stop bullets and shrapnel.
The vests can cost several thousand dollars each.
To add insult to injury the reserve and guard units were the last to get the vests.
Pathetic.
Not enough.
Are you sure? Maybe the amount is enough, it's just not being used efficiently. Given the fact that the monies are being handled by the government, I find that quite easy to believe.
IN MY OPINION!!!!!!!!!.......we cannot spend enough on the military. They protect this country. They deserve to be as safe as possible. WE deserve to be as safe as possible.
I'd love to see a whole lotta stupid pork spending STOPPED and transferred to the military.
No thanks to John Kerry.
Now lets get those Hummers up to speed with body armour as well.
I disagree. There is a level of funding beyond which even the military expenditures can begin to approach "pork" status. Military funding, like all government funding, should be subject to close scrutiny. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen and we end up with budgets laden with pork (military and civilian) which neglect important things like body armor for our troops.
The irony is that Kerry has been using the body armor issue against Bush.
I've been wondering for quite some time now, what were those flak jackets made of? What material provided protection?
I've seen them for sale in magazines for around $60. What is the intended protection level?
You can have Pork military spending too. I am sure there is plenty of that.
Does this mean that parents no longer have to steal the vests from military warehouses and DHL them to their kids?
Military expenditures as a percentage of GDP are almost at a post-WWII low. 3.9% I think vs. 15 % during the war. (They were slightly lower during the clinton mal-adminstration.)
A flak jacket will only stop shrapnel, like from a hand grenade. They are pretty much ineffective against bullets.
Very high-tech ceramics. They are more complex than you might think. They must be lightweight and sustain multiple impacts.
This is one company that makes body armor: Ceradyne
You are wrong. The troops have always had body armor available. It is only recently that they have had the latest, and most effective body armor available.
Do you realize when the Army switched from the steel helmet to the Kevlar helmet that the procurement took several years to acquire sufficient helmets for all soldiers to be issued the new and improved helmets? It is not just a question of money, but also the ability to manufacture the helmets that took so long for the switch to be completed.
Vests are made of layers of woven aramid fibers such as Spectra or Kevlar, these materials transmit the force of an impact to a much wider area and prevent penetration. The standard for the ability to stop bullets is called the NIJ (National Institute of Justice, IIRC) standard and vests are rated as to "Level", most police officers wear Level IIA or III, which will stop most (or virtually all, in the case of Level III) handgun bullets and shotgun pellets. More layers of fiber equals better protection, and more weight. That "four pounds" probably refers just to the ceramic plate, the whole vest is likely a lot heavier.
Military vests are Level III with front and back ceramic inserts that raise the level to Level IV, which will stop even "armor piercing" bullets. The ceramic plate has a plastic backing to keep fragments of the plate from penetrating the vest itself, the plate plus the vest is for all intents and purposes impervious to small arms fire, IF YOU HIT THE PLATE. The whole vest can't be ceramic, because of flexibility and weight problems, so there are gaps at the shoulders and under the arms.
The flak jackets from Vietnam were ballistic nylon and would help against grenade and artillery fragments, but were not resistant against rifle fire.
Second Chance is the company that developed the ballistic vest for police use, they have recorded something over 2,000 police officers whose lives have been saved by a vest, not only from bullet impacts but also in car accidents -- force is force, and force applied over a larger area is less force overall.
And to the pinhead wondering about why the government couldn't wave a magic wand and create a vest for everyone, no matter how much money the government throws at a problem, "the government" can't do much by itself. Dow Chemical has to make several thousand miles of Kevlar, another company weaves it, another company makes the vests and carrier, and yet another company makes the ceramic plates. These things take time.
Liberals are so posessed of magical thinking, it's sad really.
"Soldiers are now equipped with bullet-resistant vests, after a shortage that led many soldiers to pay for costly body armor themselves."
Absolutely pathetic! Heads should roll for this outrageous oversight!
Thank you very much, that one's been rattlin my brain. Couldn't find the info anywhere!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.