Pentagon Had but Withheld Armor that Could Have Saved 80% of KIA in Iraq

[BurtWorm]

Had it since **2003**!! :grr:

<Note about my title added on edit for accuracy's sake: For "Had" read "Had available to it." For "Withheld" read "Chose not to procure." For "80% of KIA" read "80% of marines KIA.">

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/07/politics/07armor.html?ei=5094&en=6a69abccc77d978f&hp=&ex=1136696400&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print

Pentagon Study Links Fatalities to Light Armor

By MICHAEL MOSS

A secret Pentagon study has found that as many as 80 percent of the marines who have been killed in Iraq from wounds to the upper body could have survived if they had had extra body armor. Such armor has been available since 2003, but until recently the Pentagon has largely declined to supply it to troops despite calls from the field for additional protection, according to military officials.

The ceramic plates in vests now worn by the majority of troops in Iraq cover only some of the chest and back. In at least 74 of the 93 fatal wounds that were analyzed in the Pentagon study of marines from March 2003 through June 2005, bullets and shrapnel struck the marines' shoulders, sides or areas of the torso where the plates do not reach.

Thirty-one of the deadly wounds struck the chest or back so close to the plates that simply enlarging the existing shields "would have had the potential to alter the fatal outcome," according to the study, which was obtained by The New York Times.

For the first time, the study by the military's medical examiner shows the cost in lives from inadequate armor, even as the Pentagon continues to publicly defend its protection of the troops.

[FreedomAngel82]

1. Excuse me while I go bang my head

AHH!!!!!!! I remember reading how they had someone in charge of it that the guy who was in charge of doing the armor had NEVER done this before. Other countries bought armor from the company and got it twelve months quicker than our own military. They were purposley trying to kill them I think. What else could it mean? They've been planning this for YEARS!

[Kagemusha]

2. The extra stuff would've added weight though.

Marines have this concept of going in light. Frankly, Marines don't belong in the role of patrolling cities with IED's being used in efforts to blow them up, slay them with shrapnel through weak points in their body armor, etc etc...

[DS1]

5. You're confusing light in the sense of massive troops movements

that require months of positioning and light in the sense of smaller squads on patrol.

[DS1]

3. The troops have been asking for side armor for a long time

Because they know that IEDs blowing up next to them will send shrapnel right through their arms and into their organs.

Reagan once said that the most frightening words in the world were "We're from the Government, and we're here to help". Funny how that mostly applies when the GOP is in charge.

[BuyingThyme]

4. Thanks, Don!

[shance]

6. My God. Are they trying to have these people killed?

This is terrible.

[proud patriot]

7. FIRE RUMSFIELD NOW

:mad: At my Job I work with a mom of Soldier serving in Iraq

[BurtWorm]

8. Times obtained the report after Soldiers for Truth learned of it

From the Times article:

<<The Times obtained the three-page Pentagon report after a military advocacy group, Soldiers for the Truth, learned of its existence. The group posted an article about the report on its Web site earlier this week. The Times delayed publication of this article for more than a week until the Pentagon confirmed the authenticity of its report. Pentagon officials declined to discuss details of the wound data, saying it would aid the enemy.

"Our preliminary research suggests that as many as 42 percent of the Marine casualties who died from isolated torso injuries could have been prevented with improved protection in the areas surrounding the plated areas of the vest," the study concludes. An additional 23 percent might have been saved with side plates that extend below the arms, while 15 percent more could have benefited from shoulder plates, the report says.

In all, 526 marines have been killed in combat in Iraq. A total of 1,706 American troops have died in combat there. The findings and other research by military pathologists suggests that an analysis of all combat deaths in Iraq, including those of Army troops, would show that 300 or more lives might have been saved with improved body armor.

Military officials and contractors said the Pentagon's procurement troubles had stemmed in part from miscalculations that underestimated the strength of the insurgency, and from years of cost-cutting that left some armoring companies on the brink of collapse as they waited for new orders.>>

[Sydnie]

9. And the ones that they have that are no good too

the ones with the faulty fabric and faulty plates.


These guys are toast when the parents hear about this.

[Nothing Without Hope]

10. Kicked and recommended. Needs to be media-blasted! n/t

[FloridaPat]

11. How the gov't supports the troops.

[sakabatou]

12. In the words of Kyle:

"You bastards!"

[TacticalPeek]

13. Personal protection - Kevlar Dickflap!

Today we were issued the Interceptor Body Armor. The only thing that is important about this is the kevlar dickflap. This entire post is dedicated to it. Just look at the pride and elation on Willy’s face!

http://blog.justanothersoldier.com/?p=14


:patriot:

[burythehatchet]

14. Let me see if I understand

The Times held the story for a week and chose the Friday night news dump to print it. OK.

[ClayZ]

16. I hope it shows up in Stars and Stripes!

http://www.estripes.com/

[Nothing Without Hope]

15. Kick - one more for the Greatest Page, and this sure needs to be there n/t

[NNadir]

17. 100% of the lives could have been saved by staying home.

[converted_democrat]

18. K&R n/t

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

19. They should have withheld the troops from an unwinnable war.

But politicians and generals have an oversupply of hubris. Especially when they don't have to do the dying.

[EVDebs]

23. Semantically speaking, they won the 'war' in 3 wks. Occupation different

story ! Be sure to read post #22 below.

[spanone]

20. Fuck You George Bush*. Shame on America. Fuck You Rumsfeld.

[texpatriot2004]

21. 80%!!! Support the troops? Oh my, I have no words. Sick. nm

[EVDebs]

22. All part of Bush's incompetence and ineffectiveness strategery

Republican students of Sun Tzu's Art of War are out to confuse the enemy by being as idiotically stupid and inept as humanly possible.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=50015&mesg_id=57722

This is sure to confound the enemy.

[wryter2000]

24. Not 80% of total

80% of total who died of wounds to the upper body. Other types of deaths wouldn't have been affected.

Don't get me wrong. That's bad enough, and they should fry for it. But whenever we make even a teeny mistake, they use it to create doubt in the minds of people who aren't paying attention.

[BurtWorm]

26. Which is why I clarified it in the first post.

But your point is well taken.

[MissWaverly]

25. Heckuva job, Rummie

When is he going to be recognized as the Michael Brown of Defense

[Dinger]

27. I Actually Saw Something About This On CNN Yesterday

Holy shit! When is enough enough?