NYT: Army Sending Added Armor to Iraq Units

[DeepModem Mom]

Army Sending Added Armor to Iraq Units
By MICHAEL MOSS
Published: January 12, 2006


WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 - Army officials said Wednesday that they had decided to send additional body armor to Iraq to protect soldiers from insurgents' attacks.

The ceramic plates now worn by most members of the military shield just some of the upper body from bullets and shrapnel, and the Army said it would buy plates that would extend this protection to the sides of soldiers. The officials spoke after a closed session of the Senate Armed Services Committee, held after The New York Times reported last week that a Pentagon study had found that extra armor could have saved up to 80 percent of the marines who died in Iraq from upper body wounds.

In at least 74 of the 93 fatal wounds that were analyzed, bullets and shrapnel struck the marines' sides, shoulders or areas of the torso where the protective plates did not reach.

The Marine Corps, which commissioned the study in December 2004, began buying side plates in September for its 26,000 troops in Iraq. Army procurement officials said they began studying a similar move last summer after receiving requests from troops in Iraq, but were hampered by the need to supply a much larger force of 160,000 individuals.

The Army had begun supplying small quantities of side plates to soldiers much earlier in the war through its Rapid Equipping Force. Armor Works of Tempe, Ariz., which is making the plates for the marines, said it shipped 250 sets in November 2003....


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/12/national/12armor.html?hp

[driver8]

1. Well it's about fucking time!! They must be taking a lot of crap

for this for them to act this fast. Why don't they just wait another two and a half years to properly outfit the troops?

Someone please tell me when this nightmare will end.

[Kagemusha]

2. Did I not read just 4 hours ago that...

...the existing body armor was the best compromise between protection and mobility!?

[driver8]

3. I heard that on the radio a couple of hours ago, as well.

These idiots need to get their lies straight.

[DeepModem Mom]

16. Here's the DU discussion of that --

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2035820

[global1]

4. This Controversy Was Going To Hit *'Co & Rummy Straight In The....

eye. They had to do something fast to try and diffuse this. How would you like to be a parent of one of the Marines that died in Iraq knowing that they might have lived had this administration and the Pentagon provided them with the proper body armor?

What's the "noble cause" Mr.*?

[brer cat]

5. No "noble cause", no troop support, no compassion, just cya!

The neocon jerks have used and abused our young soldiers with no respect or regard just to propel their greed. When can we impeach them and send them the the Hague where they belong in leg irons?

[complain jane]

6. WTF It's about f*ing time

What a bunch of idiots

[swag]

7. Army Sending Added Armor to Iraq Units

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/12/national/12armor.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1137043674-075RoOcN2LGyVUnr/zZL7A

(via http://www.warandpiece.com)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 - Army officials said Wednesday that they had decided to send additional body armor to Iraq to protect soldiers from insurgents' attacks.

Pentagon Study Links Fatalities to Body Armor (January 7, 2006) The ceramic plates now worn by most members of the military shield just some of the upper body from bullets and shrapnel, and the Army said it would buy plates that would extend this protection to the sides of soldiers. The officials spoke after a closed session of the Senate Armed Services Committee, held after The New York Times reported last week that a Pentagon study had found that extra armor could have saved up to 80 percent of the marines who died in Iraq from upper body wounds.

In at least 74 of the 93 fatal wounds that were analyzed, bullets and shrapnel struck the marines' sides, shoulders or areas of the torso where the protective plates did not reach.

The Marine Corps, which commissioned the study in December 2004, began buying side plates in September for its 26,000 troops in Iraq. Army procurement officials said they began studying a similar move last summer after receiving requests from troops in Iraq, but were hampered by the need to supply a much larger force of 160,000 individuals.

[swag]

8. The most obvious comments:

Bush's DOD grudgingly begins to support the troops after 2,200 are dead and tens of thousands are critically wounded?

Why does Donald Rumsfeld still have a job?

Where has Congressional oversight been?

[babylonsister]

9. Hold on just a minute, buster. I thought, judging from our

esteemed dimson, it's been okay all along. :wtf: :-(

[antonialee839]

10. Sure, now that the cat's out of the bag, let's send some armor.

What a disgraceful bunch.

[TheGunslinger]

11. It was all Kerry's fault for voting for/against a bill that passed anyway.

[babylonsister]

12. You forgot to add your sarcasm sign. But I get it. nt

[AuntiBush]

13. It's About Damn Time!

[saigon68]

14. Sorry to say ---- the Bombs will just get BIGGER

The only way to save lives and legs is to get the "Hell Out"

Ceramic armor won't help you if you are 20 feet from a 2000 lb bomb.

[TheBaldyMan]

22. the body armour is to protect against small arms fire

recently a study was released highlighting 80% of thoracic wounds would have been reduced in severity if adequate body armour was availiable. (see post#7 for full details) btw I agree with you about the tactics of the Iraqis will change, the only solution is withdrawl.

[Earth_First]

15. Three years later?

When do they plan on having sufficient Arabic translators for each unit? 5 years? I recall reading recently the shortfall in Arabic translators at the unit level and the problems they are having with communication with local populations. One can only wonder how many innocent lives have been lost because American occupation forces cannot communicate with the local communities...

[swag]

17. Kicked, recommended.

[gulfcoastliberal]

18. $300 Billion to 1 Trillion for the war; still inadequate armor for troops

Well, we know all our money isn't going to the troops. How's Halliburtons stock today? Or Bechtel? Fucking war profiters.

[gratuitous]

19. Okay, we got the bombs, the flags, the tanks. Anything else?

We got all the bombs we can drop, little flags that the grateful Iraqis can wave as the troops go rumbling through town on tanks and Hummers. Lots and lots of bullets. Sweetheart contracts all signed with the "right" people {wink, wink}. A couple of steamer trunks suitable for stuffing with cash just prior to fleeing the country.

Can't help feeling there's something we've forgotten. Oh well, it can't be that important. Let's roll!

[merwin]

20. But the pentagon just yesterday said that they already had the best!

[TheBaldyMan]

21. 3 years late and a trillion dollars short n/t