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U.S. Air Force members of the 407th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron take down a tent structure that had previously been used within their compound at Ali Air Base, Sept. 30. The squadron has been downsizing and consolidating materials and equipment to send to U.S. war fighters in Afghanistan. Photo by Airman 1st Class Scott Saldukas, 407th Air Expeditionary Group. ALI BASE — The 407th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron here is preparing for the drawdown of U.S. forces by inventorying materials and equipment for possible use elsewhere. Soon after arriving in June, the 407th ECES completed an inventory of all items...

THE 207 faces of our Afghanistan dead are stark reminders of the bloody war we are fighting. Each represents a sacrifice made for democracy and freedom in the name of Britain. Yet, to its shame, our Government doesn't seem to want to face up to the fact we are in the middle of a savage conflict. Our leaders are pretending the war isn't happening. Today, The Sun asks the Government and Gordon Brown: Where is your leadership? As the hearses carrying our heroes are saluted in silent Wiltshire streets, Mr Brown and his ministers are missing in action. There is...

Paris - The top pilots' union at Air France demanded on Wednesday that European airspeed monitors be replaced by US-made models across the airline's fleet after a new malfunction was reported this month. An Airbus 320 equipped with new speed probes made by European electronics giant Thales was flying from Rome to Paris on July 13 when the sensors, known as pitot tubes, broke down, Air France said late on Tuesday.

January 26, 2009 Note: The following text is a quote: http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2009/January/09-nsd-064.html Former Oak Ridge Complex Employee Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Disclosure of Restricted Atomic Energy Data WASHINGTON – Roy Lynn Oakley, 67, a resident of Harriman, Tenn., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Knoxville, to count one of an indictment charging him with unlawful disclosure of Restricted Data under the Atomic Energy Act, in violation of 42 U.S.C., Section 2274(b). The guilty plea was announced today by Matthew G. Olsen, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and James R. Dedrick, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of...

KNOXVILLE, TN—On Thursday, June 18, 2009, in U.S. District Court in Knoxville,Tenn., U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan, Jr., sentenced Roy Lynn Oakley, 67, of Harriman, Tenn., to six years in prison for trying to sell parts of uranium enrichment equipment that he had stolen from a U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) facility in Oak Ridge. Oakley had illegally taken this equipment while employed at a building formerly known as the K-25 plant. The K-25 building, now known as the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP), was operated by DOE as a facility to produce highly enriched uranium used in the...

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2009 – Equipment critical to both domestic and warfighting missions and aircraft essential to guarding the nation’s air sovereignty remain areas of concern for the National Guard. Army Maj. Gen. Raymond W. Carpenter, acting deputy director of the Army National Guard, and Air Force Lt. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt III, director of the Air National Guard, prepare to testify before the House Armed Services Committee’s air and land forces subcommittee, May 5, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. That was the message Air Force Lt. Gen. Harry...

BAGHDAD, April 21, 2009 – Clearing rubble at the northern end of the Baghdad International Airport runway, soldiers of the 277th Engineer Company leveled the ground to expand the safety distance zone. Army Pfc. Eric Salinas, left, explains controls and maneuvers in the cab of a bulldozer to his Iraqi army counterpart through an interpreter on Victory Base Complex in Baghdad, April 16, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Howard Alperin  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. But in addition to working on the project, the soldiers also imparted their skills and knowledge as heavy-equipment operators to their 6th...

An Iraqi student dances with an Iraqi flag during graduation from a Heavy Equipment Operator's Course funded by the Coalition at the Adl Sports Center in Kadamiyah, March 5. Photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Burrell, Multi-National Division – Baghdad. BAGHDAD — There was a large celebration March 5 at the Adl Sports Center in Kadamiyah, where 150 Iraqi students graduated from a Heavy Equipment Operator's Course that began Dec. 4. These students are the first to graduate from the course, said the contracting officer representative for the project, 1st Lt. Justin Casey.  “They learned to operate dump trucks, street sweepers,...

On the face of it a layer of orange jelly may not sound the best way to protect a soldier's head from high velocity bullets and shrapnel.But the British Army's standard-issue combat helmet is set to be upgraded with a liner made from gooey miracle gel, which responds to a sudden impact by locking instantly into a solid form - absorbing huge amounts of energy harmlessly.A UK-based technology company was today celebrating a £100,000 contract from the Ministry of Defence to develop its D3O shock-absorbing gel to help save the lives of British troops fighting on the frontline in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2009 – Army officials are creating a new way to field force-protection products, such as mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, to speed their delivery to deployed soldiers in Iraq. Army Pfc. Joshua Hunter, a quick reaction force gunner with the 10th Mountain Division, speaks with a mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle driver during training at Camp Victory, Iraq, Jan. 1, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Amber Emery  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. As equipment comes available, it’s shipped to Iraq immediately and tested to see how it incorporates with the mission, officials said. The “fieldings” are geared...

In the event there may be those who’ve fallen into a deep stupor from listening to too much anti-war rhetoric in this political season, allow me to mention just a few unpleasant realities. The American people now find themselves under attack by the most numerous and the most brutal enemy that any civilized nation has ever faced – the only enemy ever to seriously threaten the lives of every man, woman, and child in America. The enemy we face today does not wear a uniform, he does not represent a nation state, he moves freely from country to country, he...

Arms & The Manpower by: Amanda Busse, January 25, 2008 Analysts predict that equipment shortages in the military may become a source for debate in the upcoming 2008 Presidential election. As America enters its fifth year in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is a growing need to replace “worn out” equipment, according to Brad Curran, Senior Industry Analyst for Frost and Sullivan. Both the need for new equipment and calls to expand the number of military personnel have led to increased projected spending in the Department of Defense budget for 2008. Analysts at Frost and Sullivan assert that spending is expected...

BAGHDAD — Iraqi Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Jasim Jaffar, participated in an event Dec. 30 to distribute soccer equipment donated by the Colorado Rush Soccer Club of Littleton, Colo. The equipment's distribution to about 100 grateful young Iraqis took place in Zawar Park in Baghdad. Mr. Phil Reeker, Counselor for Public Affairs, represented the United States Embassy in Baghdad, and Col. Guy Beougher represented Multi-National Force - Iraq. According to Minister Jaffar, the soccer equipment has thus far been distributed to the Iraqi Legal Union in Baghdad, as well as to youths in the neighborhoods of Al Umal,...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2007 – Highly experienced Afghan pilots soon will take to the skies in newly acquired aircraft as part of a concerted effort to accelerate progress of Afghanistan’s nascent air corps, a coalition commander said today. Air Force mentor Master Sgt. Michael Stoller (second from right) works with members of the Afghan National Army Air Corps at the Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan. Stoller is a vehicle maintenance craftsman and is deployed from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Photo by Master Sgt. Jim Varhegyi, USAF  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “When you look at the country...

World-class equipment and top-rate logistics are playing a vital part in helping British troops bring stability to some of the most hostile parts of Afghanistan. Report by Jason Impey. For those troops on the front-line in Afghanistan equipment and logistics play a vital part in helping them achieve their mission as they take the fight into the Taliban's heartland in order to help rebuild a nation's shattered infrastructure. Supporting more than 7,700 troops from all three Services as well as thousands of vehicles and machines is an immense task and conditions in the southern Afghan deserts in and around Helmand...

WASHINGTON, April 11, 2007 – The National Guard force is second to none in terms of the quality of its people, but severe equipment shortfalls are keeping it from being fully ready, the chief of the National Guard Bureau told Congress today. Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum urged the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee to support the fiscal 2008 National Guard budget requests to ensure the Guard can continue serving as the country’s “21st century Minutemen and -women.” Guard forces deployed overseas are “superbly equipped and superbly trained, … and we want for nothing,” Blum told the subcommittee. But...

WASHINGTON, April 7, 2007 – One of our greatest blessings as Americans is that we have brave citizens who step forward to defend us, President Bush said during his weekly radio address today. “Every man or woman who wears our nation’s uniform is a volunteer, a patriot who has made the noble decision to serve a cause larger than self,” Bush said the day before Easter. “This weekend, many of our service men and women are celebrating the holidays far from home.” Noting that men and women in uniform deserve the gratitude of every American, Bush stressed military members...

New equipment for troops in Afghanistan By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent and George Jones Last Updated: 1:18am GMT 27/02/2007 The British force in Afghanistan is to be substantially reinforced with armour and artillery as commanders prepare themselves for a major Taliban offensive, it was announced yesterday. But other Nato countries have come in for severe criticism after failing to provide a second battle group at a time when the country's security hangs in the balance. Warrior armoured fighting vehicles are to be sent to Afghanistan The British reinforcements will include, for the first time in Afghanistan, Warrior armoured vehicles and...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2007 – The combination of available money and around-the-clock work is enabling the Army to increase the pace of refurbishment of equipment that’s damaged or worn out from service in Afghanistan and Iraq, senior military leaders testified before a joint U.S. House committee on Capitol Hill yesterday. Gen. Benjamin Griffin, commander of U.S. Army Materiel Command, shows Army Secretary Francis Harvey a metal vehicle track that was to soon have new rubber tread applied to it at Red River Army Depot, in Texarkana, Texas, on Jan. 25, 2006. Army equipment that’s been worn or damaged during...

Boosting U.S. troop levels in Iraq by 21,500 would create major logistical hurdles for the Army and Marine Corps, which are short thousands of vehicles, armor kits and other equipment needed to supply the extra forces, U.S. officials said. The increase would also further degrade the readiness of U.S.-based ground forces, hampering their ability to respond quickly, fully trained and well equipped in the case of other military contingencies around the world and increasing the risk of U.S. casualties, according to Army and Marine Corps leaders. "The response would be slower than we might like, we would not have all...

Emergency stockpiles in Israel meant for storing US army equipment in Middle East opened in Israel's favor during last Lebanon war WASHINGTON - The American Congress gave Israel financial and security encouragement when the Senate and the House of Representatives gave their approval to double the emergency equipment the United States stores in Israeli stockpiles. Within the next two years the Americans will fill the military emergency stockpiles in Israel with double the equipment they now hold. In addition, the US will allow Israel to use the remainder of the US's monetary guarantees given to them that have not been...

TOKYO, Aug. 25 — Five executives of the Mitutoyo Corporation, a precision instruments maker, were arrested today on suspicion of illegally exporting equipment to Malaysia that could be used in making nuclear weapons. Japanese television broadcast video images of police raiding the company’s headquarters in the city of Kawasaki. A spokesman for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police said the president of the company, Kazusaku Tezuka, 67, and four other executives were taken into custody. The case turns on what the police said were shipments of advanced measuring devices that were sent to an unspecified recipient in Malaysia in late 2001 without...

METULLA, Israel - Israeli soldiers returning from the war in Lebanon say the army was slow to rescue wounded comrades and suffered from a lack of supplies so dire that they had to drink water from the canteens of dead Hezbollah guerrillas. "We fought for nothing. We cleared houses that will be reoccupied in no time," said Ilia Marshak, a 22-year-old infantryman who spent a week in Lebanon. Marshak said his unit was hindered by a lack of information, poor training and untested equipment. In one instance, Israeli troops occupying two houses inadvertently fired at each other because of poor...

WASHINGTON, August 2, 2006 – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld disputed recent assertions today that the Army is declining in readiness due to equipment shortfalls. “The truth, as anyone in the Army leadership will tell you, is that the Army today is vastly better than it was two, four, six or eight years ago,” Rumsfeld told Pentagon reporters at a news briefing. “It has much more equipment, much better equipment, and it’s better trained and more experienced,” he said. “It is a better Army.” All units deployed to Iraq meet one of the top two readiness levels, “C1” or “C2,”...

Excavating equipment stands ready to be received by Iraqi essential services employees at Forward Operating Base Prosperity Sunday. Story and photo by Pfc. Jason Dangel4th Brigade Combat Team,4th Infantry Division BAGHDAD — The 4th Infantry Division’s Infrastructure Coordination Element, donated about $2 million worth of excavating and clean-up equipment to essential services departments from the Rasheed and Karradah Districts in Baghdad Sunday. The equipment, purchased from funds seized from former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, will now be used to help restore quality of life for citizens in these Baghdad districts. Each district received a backhoe/loader, a pickup truck, and a...

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2006 – A group of golf enthusiasts plans to donate golf clubs, balls, tees, mats and other golf equipment to servicemembers at Camp Taji, a military base in Iraq. U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Abdul Mercado inside his living quarters at Camp Taji, Iraq. Soon Mercado and others at his base will have golf equipment donated by Golfers 4 Freedom. Courtesy photo    U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Abdul Mercado, 36, of 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery, has been playing for 13 years. For the past eight months he has been deployed to Camp Taji and hasn't been...

/begin my translation"Ten Iranian Missile Engineers Visited N. Korea" (Sankei reports)  U.S. Sec. of State and Japanese Foreign Minister, "N. Korean missile issue should be resolved through dialogues." (Tokyo = Yonhap News) Shin Ji-hong correspondent = Ten Iranian missile engineers recently visited N. Korea, and the purpose of their visit is apparently to join the launch preparation for the long-range Taepodong-2 missile, according to Sankei Shimbun (of N. Korea) quoting U.S. government figures and military sources on N. Korea. According to the sources, the (Iranian) delegation to N. Korea are made up of senior engineers for missile development at Iranian Revolutionary Guards, and they went into N. Korea via Beijing. Their immediate mission could...

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2006 – To successfully prosecute the war against terrorism, the U.S. military needs additional funds to maintain its equipment, the Army chief of staff told Congress yesterday. "To prevail in the long struggle we are now engaged, we must maintain our readiness by resetting those who have deployed through a disciplined, orderly reconstitution of combat power," Army Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker said before the House Armed Services Committee. "Our soldiers' effectiveness depends upon a national commitment to recruit, train, equip and support them properly." Equipment "reset" actions include repair and replacement of worn hardware. "In simplest terms,...

This truck represents the 8,567 new trucks the Afghan National Police recieved recently. The vehicles will be dispersed to Afghan National Police stations throughout Afghanistan. (Insert) Afghan National Police officers pose for a photo with one of the new trucks donated to the Afghan Minister of Interior. Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan photos by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class William Townsend Afghan National Police Receive New Equipment The Afghan National Police also recently received new uniforms, ammunition, and new weapons of all types including rocket propelled grenade launchers to Kalishnikov machine guns. By Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan KABUL, Afghanistan,...

6/27/2006 - ALI BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- Firefighters here have received nearly $10,000 in donated equipment that will improve the Airmen's comfort and protection, thanks to the help of several nonprofit organizations, families and friends. Firefighters received the ballistic liner suspension system, an upgrade to the Kevlar helmet. "Most of today's Kevlar helmets were designed to protect soldiers from gunfire and flying debris," said Tech. Sgt. Paul Jacques, 407th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, who served as the point of contact for the donation. "These upgrades make a good helmet significantly better." Additional benefits include making the helmet more comfortable and...

BALAD, Iraq — The U.S. military has begun sending thousands of battered Humvees and other war-torn equipment home as more Iraqi units join the fight against insurgents and American units scheduled for Iraq duty have their orders canceled. In the last four months, the Army has tagged 7,000 Humvees and 17,000 other pieces of equipment to be shipped to the United States to be rebuilt. They then will be distributed among active and reserve units at home, or possibly returned to equip Iraqi security forces. The military said the shipments will result in a reduction in the amount of U.S....

BUHRIZ, Iraq (May 1, 2006) – Capt. John McFarlin owes his life to the Army Combat Helmet. While McFarlin’s unit recently responded to attacks on an Iraqi police station in Buhriz, he was hit in the helmet with a shot from an AK-47. “I was suppressed for a moment and then I got back up" and returned fire, said McFarlin of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Band of Brothers’ Military Transition Team who oversees the 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division. A day after the attack, McFarlin was still sporting the damaged helmet. He...

Iraqi police officers using a forklift to move forensic processing equipment received from the 988th Military Police Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, to help the Iraqi police track down criminals and terrorists involved in crimes. U.S. Army photo by 988th Military Police Company CSI: Iraq Iraqi Police Receive Forensic Equipment By U.S. Army Pfc. Edgar Reyes2nd Brigade Combat Team4th Infantry Division FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq, April 13, 2006 — The 988th Military Police Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, delivered new forensic equipment to the Iraqi Criminal Investigative Service crime lab March 25....

U.S. soldiers at Camp Taji, Iraq, move excess vehicles, or stay-behinds, to a commercial transportation company, which will transport them to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. The vehicles will be repaired, refitted and redistributed to Reserve and National Guard units in the United States. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Brent Hunt Raider Brigade Turns In Excess Equipment Because the equipment is no longer used, maintaining the equipment toArmy standards requires valuable resources that could be used in the fight. By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Brent Hunt 1st Brigade Combat Team 4th Infantry Division CAMP TAJI, Iraq, April 4, 2006 —...

f you're traveling one of the toughest bus routes on Earth you might want to be in a vehicle tough enough to take everything thrown at it. That bus is called a Rhino Runner and it's a cross between a local metro bus and a tank. One route the Rhino Runner runs is what’s called “Route Irish,” the local name for the highly dangerous road between the secure Green Zone in Baghdad and the Baghdad Airport. There were so many ambushes, Improvised Explosive Devices, and insurgent attacks on this route that only helicopters were used for some time and State...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2006 – The Defense Department announced today the revision of a memorandum on the policy and procedures for the reimbursement of privately purchased protective equipment for Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. The new memo, which was signed Feb. 10 by David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, incorporates the original guidance published on Oct. 4, 2005, expands the list of reimbursable equipment, and extends the eligible purchase period for reimbursement. The full reimbursable equipment list now includes: Complete ballistic vests; Most component parts of ballistic vests, including side-plate body armor;...

Iran plant 'has restarted its nuclear bomb-making equipment' By Con Coughlin, Defence and Security Editor, in Washington (Filed: 11/02/2006) Iran's controversial Natanz uranium processing plant has successfully restarted the sophisticated equipment that could enable it to produce material for nuclear warheads, according to reports received by Western intelligence. An aerial view of the Natanz plant In the past few days Iranian nuclear scientists have reportedly restarted four of the centrifuges required to produce weapons-grade uranium, and have begun feeding them with uranium hexafluoride (UF6) gas, a key component in the production of nuclear bombs. This crucial development follows Iran's decision...

CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (Feb. 10, 2006) -- Thousands of pounds of equipment travel from base to base on a daily basis in Iraq. This being home to the 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward), it is often the center of activity, processing gear to forward operating bases. Tracking all this equipment can be an arduous task, but with the help of the portable deployment radio frequency identification tag kit made by Savi Technologies Incorporated and the Marines of Marine Air-Ground Task Force Distribution Center, the of tracking these shipments is made a little easier. First Lieutenant Scott E. Beatty, an operations...

Survivors Praise Body, Vehicle Armor to House Subcommittee By Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2006 – Three soldiers just back from Iraq -- including two who credit personal and vehicle armor with saving their lives -- traveled to Capitol Hill today to tell Congress that when it comes to protecting troops, more isn't always better. "We're here to say we're pretty happy with what we have," Brig. Gen. Karl Horst, the 3rd Infantry Division's assistant division commander for maneuver, told the American Forces Press Service before appearing at today's House Armed Services Committee's Tactical Air and...

WASHINGTON - Hundreds of available trucks, boats, planes and federal officers were unused in search and rescue efforts immediately after Hurricane Katrina hit because FEMA failed to give them missions, new documents show. Additionally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency called off its search and rescue operations in Louisiana three days after the Aug. 29 storm because of security issues, according to an internal FEMA e-mail given to Senate investigators. The documents, released by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, are further evidence of lapses in FEMA's response to Katrina. They also detail breakdowns in carrying out the National...

IRAQ(Army News Service, Jan. 24, 2006) -- For many Soldiers, even the new Advanced Combat Helmet is a necessary evil; it can be cumbersome when in the dining facility trying to handle a tray of food and it causes headaches and tension in the neck when worn on lengthy missions. Sgt. Shawn Snyder of 3rd Infantry Division’s 2/7 Scout Platoon is one Soldier who will never complain about wearing his helmet again. With good reason … it saved his life. Snyder’s mission was to serve as a routine escort of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal detail to the forensics building in...

The mine roller offers soldiers protection against improvised explosive devices. It was built by mechanics from 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment at Forward Operating Base Lagman, Afghanistan. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Vincent Fusco Mine Roller Offers Protection for Troops With some old-fashioned ingenuity, unwanted equipment and creative minds, the U.S. soldiers created a unique machine to combat improvised explosive devices. By U.S. Army Pfc. Vincent Fusco 20th Public Affairs Detachment FORWARD OPERATING BASE LAGMAN, Afghanistan, Jan. 12, 2006 — A trailer pushed by a Humvee may look strange, but there's a reason why this cart is put...

FORT DETRICK, Md. (Army News Service, Jan. 10, 2006) – Crucial equipment to help wounded Soldiers in Iraq has been fielded over the past five months, thanks to a new system of communication between medical units in theater and experts here. Anticipating what materiel the Army's medical professionals need before they deploy is one of the missions of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. Now the command has a system in place that lets Army medical units tell the command what they need even after they've deployed. By tagging along as a medical expert on the Army Materiel...

KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 10, 2006 – A new piece of communications equipment is giving Afghan National Army units the capability to stay connected with each other and their operations centers regardless of the distance between them or the types of radios used. The Advanced Control Unit-Tactical, or ACU-T, is designed to serve as a bridge between divergent communications systems to allow communications between ANA units with incompatible radio systems. Produced by Raytheon, the unit is the newest addition to the ANA's communications inventory. Before the ACU-T, most ANA units used either VHF radios that have a maximum range of 40...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2006 – The Army will continue to improve body armor issued to soldiers, and will begin manufacturing side-panel inserts to the Interceptor ballistic armor, officials said here today. The side panels, which weigh 3 pounds, will be made of the same material as the small-arms protective inserts. Army Col. Thomas Spoehr is in charge of fielding body armor. He said the Interceptor body armor now issued to servicemembers protects against most of the threats they face in Iraq and Afghanistan today. "It's the best body armor in the world," Spoehr said. And the proof is in the...

By Will Dunham Fri Jan 6, 11:19 PM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Better body armor could have prevented or limited about 80 percent of fatal torso wounds suffered by Marines killed in Iraq, a report by U.S. military medical experts obtained on Friday said. The report, conducted for the Marine Corps by the Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner and not released to the public, examined the cases of Marines fatally wounded from the start of the war in March 2003 through June 2005, and found weaknesses in the torso protective gear. Bullets or shrapnel hit the Marines' shoulders,...

U.S. Army Sgt. Shawn Snyder displays the helmet that saved his life from a sniper in downtown Tikrit, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Mark Wojciechowski U.S. Army Sgt. Shawn Snyder Helmet Protects Soldier from Sniper Fire By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Mark Wojciechowski 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment FORWARD OPERATING BASE REMAGEN, TIKRIT, IRAQ, Jan. 6, 2006 — For many soldiers, the new Army combat helmet is a necessary evil. It can be cumbersome when in the dining facility trying to handle a tray of food and it causes headaches and tension in the neck when worn...

American troops in Iraq are discovering, through combat experience, that more changes are needed in the type of weapons they should carry. As the U.S. Army Special Forces have discovered, if you are well trained and know what you are doing, you should carry a pistol, in addition to your rifle. But not the official issue 9mm pistol, but something with a bit more stopping power. The Special Forces prefer a new model .45 caliber (11.43mm) pistol, although 10mm weapons are also popular. The reason for this is that you are most likely to be using the pistol indoors, where...

Local TV newsperson wants to favorable story on GIs who are purchasing own specialized quipment for duty in Iraq. Interested primarilly in weapons and weapon accessories (special sights, mags, flashlights, etc.) and self-protection equipment (vests, helmets, etc.) Particularly interested in anyone in Central Florida area who has made such purchases for self, friends, family....

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. (Dec. 1, 2005) -- Following the Corps’ recall of more than 10,000 protective vests in November, Marine Corps Systems Command officials are defending the decision to initially field them to leathernecks in combat. Headquarters Marine Corps ordered 10,342 Outer Tactical Vests pulled from the operating forces after media reports indicated some samples tested by the manufacturer and by the Army’s Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland failed to fully comply with ballistics standards. The Outer Tactical Vest, together with Small Arms Protective Inserts, composes the Interceptor Body Armor System, which has been credited with saving numerous...