Vest drive gets in gear Humvees may already be 'up-armored'
OCALA - Law enforcement agencies from around Florida contributed Wednesday to a campaign spearheaded by Marion County Sheriff Ed Dean to collect used bullet-proof vests that Army Reserve troops in Iraq could use to pad Humvees against enemy fire.
Dean sent out an appeal for the vests after receiving a letter from 1st Sgt. Fred Chisholm, a member of the 351st Military Police Company. Chisholm, a Marion County deputy when not on military duty, asked Dean to send the Kevlar vests to help protect soldiers traveling in Humvee military vehicles.
The vests, while still usable, were slated to be retired from service because they were outside the manufacturer's five-year warranty period
Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Jacksonville, said such armor wasn't included in the Bush administration's $87 billion spending request for the Iraq war, nor in a $25 billion supplemental request.
"They didn't request the armor for the Humvees," she said. "We should not send our men and women into harm's way without the proper equipment that they need."
"The first sergeant had some ingenuity, like soldiers have had for generations, and they're trying to get some more protection,"