Posted on 01/15/2006 9:33:25 AM PST by Bobibutu
My son just returned from Iraq last week.
Among his baggage were some items unfamiliar to me. Turned out to be armor. I'll have to inquire about that protective gear that he had in his stuff. I was looking at it and it was quite light and sturdy. Nothing was said about shortages and I think that this is simply more BS that the media is using in order to disrupt the cause.
"..Hmm. So, according to Lt. Col. Maginnis (Ret.), Pinnacle Armor's SOV Flexible Body Armor/Dragon Skin isn't proven enough through science and, according to "Army Scientists", one needs to "be careful" with Dragon Skin because, again, according to "Army Scientists", "it's good for a knife fight, but we don't want to take it to Iraq because of the ballistic issues." Really. Folks, this one's about to get REALLY interesting. We're interested to see if Lt. Col. Maginnis and his "Army Scientists" can actually back up his statement. Defense Review is particularly interested in seeing their data regarding the "ballistic issues" Lt. Col. Maginnis (Ret.) mentioned.
Lt. Col. Maginnis' (Ret.) statements were challenged by Lt. Col. Roger Charles (Ret.) (Pinnacle Armor SOV/Dragon Skin flexible body armor proponent), who said "[on Pinnacle Armor Dragon Skin body armor] This will not only will take that hit but will take multiple hits and the ceramic plate used in interceptor, one of the complaints from the troops in the field was that too often after one round impact, then you had a bunch of gravel basically inside the pouch.". Lt. Col. Charles (Ret.) went on to say, "[on Dragon Skin] There was an unsolicited letter from an American contractor over there who was shot eight times in the back wearing one of these that he purchased for his own use. And he did not know he had been shot until he got back and took it off and saw the bullet perforations in the canvas cover. There was no soft tissue damage so it's proven in the field that it can take multiple hits and still provide protection."
It's Lt. Col. Charles' (Ret.) opinion that the reason the U.S. Army has chosen to outfit U.S. troops with Interceptor body armor over Pinnacle Armor SOV flexible body armor/Dragon Skin is that the U.S. Army suffers from "not invented here" syndrome. "The basic reason, as hard as this may be for your audience to understand, is not invented here: Bureaucratic turf protection because the Army people that were charged with providing this ten, fifteen years ago had a program -- it produced something beginning in 1998 I believe, 1999. But it wasn't this - and they didn't want to use this because they did not claim invention of it." Lt. Col. Charles (Ret.) continues, "We were told by several independent consultants who work for the Pentagon that cannot be named because of fear of losing their jobs that this was probably the best available body armor. It's what they would take to Baghdad. They do not have any financial ties with Pinnacle Armor. We're not saying it's the best. We're saying it ought to get a fair test." .."
Evening Radis,
Congrats on your son's safe return home for Iraq.
I am glad those young men and women have the body armor for their use.
We had the old flak jackets back in my time.
I am sure this is some dem operative(s) working to undermine our great military.
I read on the FR the other day where Ted"Jabba The Gut" kennedy, once signed up four years in the US Army.
Papa joe pulled some stings and got the contract reduced to two years. Somehow "Fatboy-OldsMoSub Pilot" only served sixteen months of his enlistment.
I would like to see his 180 form a long with "peanut butter&jelly sandwich skerry's" and "code-pink murtha" as well.
Glad you son made it home safely and thanks for his service to our great country "America The Beautiful."
Sincerely,
NSNR-THM
LOL!
"This story is fake and forged, but accurate."
I report - you decide! ":^)
"What officer would ever issue an order that states an insurance policy would not be paid?"
One who does not know what he is talking about. I have attended briefings were officers repeated stories of soldiers being denied SGLI benefits because they were not wearing helmets or other noncompliance with SOPs at the time of death or were involved in a DUI death. It did not sound correct to me. I reviewed the statute which authorizes the SGLI program and learned that just about the only way that you can be disqualified for SGLI payments is if you are executed for a criminal offense, unrelated to your military duties, by a lawfully constituted domestic or foreign court.
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.