Soldiers preparing for deployment to Iraq were told on Friday that the Dragon Skin body armor that some had spent over $4,000 on, could not be used once they touched down in theater. Penalty for using non-issue body armor ‘could’ include forfeiture of the $400,000 life insurance payment their families would be owed if their life ended on the battlefield. These soldiers, along with one of their mothers confirm that the unit’s commander “expressed deep regret” in issuing the order, explaining that he “had no choice because the orders came from very high up”. Having been a US Army soldier myself, when the word ‘very’ is attached to ‘high up’, it’s basically code for ‘some civilian punching a timecard’. Because no man or woman who’d ever been in those soldiers’ shoes at some point would sell out like this.
So why would the Department of Defense shift from a policy of reimbursement up to $1000 for this body armor, to a policy of “if your corpse is found wearing Dragon Skin, your family is in the poor house”? Look no further than the Pentagon’s own secret report, leaked to the media, that stated 80% of Marine casualties could have been prevented with top of the line body armor. As politically insensitive as these findings may have been, to someone with access to the study, it was obviously too serious to keep under wraps. Perhaps the release of this information had something to do with the internal perception of its results. After all, for the past several years, the US Army Soldier Systems Center-Natick has known that the Interceptor body armor it had developed (standard issue for troops deploying) was significantly less effective than other civilian alternatives.
The mainstream media has played dumb for quite some time when it comes to this, as reports of military personel having to purchase their own body armor prior to deployment have mostly been something you’ve had to go looking for. Surely, the story wasn’t compelling on the level of Scott Peterson, Natalee Holloway or the ‘War on Christmas’, but even the fact that Congress had to get down and dirty for just the $1000 reimbursement didn’t make waves nationally. Indeed, in this instance, ‘support’ and being accused of providing aid to the enemy was apparently too close for comfort.
Up until now, if you were serving in the war, you could spend your own money for sufficient body armor and recoup 10-25% of the cost, but only a fool would expect anyone to cry a tear about it back home. ‘Better you than me’ has been the unspoken national theme for the Iraq War, as the US political arena is apparently no place for trivial matters like life or death unless the church can somehow play a role. Case in point, Terri Shiavo with a half liquefied brain gets hers before soldiers lacking adequate armor get theirs. Indeed, a good portion of the population has been trained like a dog, responding to reports that 10 troops died on a given day with the words “damn you liberal media!”
So here’s a message to those being forced to deploy without the body armor they took out a loan for, “carry on if you want to, but nobody’s hearing the body armor blues”. Confidence in this statement is what allows for high level Department of Defense officials to simply ban the use of the most effective body armor under the threat of life insurance forfeiture. Someone is banking on the fact that America could care less about anything negative that happens in Iraq, and if word goes out that politics came before the safety of those we’re sending over there, so be it. The story won’t be covered on conservative programs, won’t be an discussion topic on any of the Sunday morning talk shows and most definitely won’t be mentioned during any of the President’s staged events.
I know this much to be true, and to be honest, tonight it’s probably driving me to drink. Knowing that fate spared me from being one of these poor souls provides little comfort now that I’m in a position to speak freely about it on their behalf. Make no mistake, after my experience in the Army I made a pledge to advocate on behalf of soldiers, but the sad and honest truth is nobody’s listening. ‘Support the troops’ is a phrase that will live forever as an example of how empathy in the new millennium became the official vice of suckers. John Murtha, a champion of such empathetic sentiment, is described as a traitor or circus clown by the same people who could care less about the body armor we’re providing.
This story is merely another brick in the wall alongside underfunded VA health facilities, unrealistic pre-war predictions, unmet recruitment goals, activation of the Individual Ready Reserve, stop-loss and the label of “coward” applied to anyone who fought and happens to bring any of this up in public. The saddest aspect of this body armor issue though, is the fact that our government is too cheap to provide our troops with the same Dragon Skin body armor worn by “the Secret Service Presidential Protection detail, CIA, NSA, DoE, journalists and contractors in Iraq, U.S. Air Force, Special Ops forces, and several generals in the field.”
On behalf of my scaredy-cat, technology-hating friend Dr. Green, great article Chris, and keep it up. Few people advocate for soldiers anymore, besides throwing notional USD at them.
I’m sick over this, because it’s not the fault of anyone but the Pentagon. The study was obviously done after someone high up resisted having to cancel the prior contracts (the CEO of that company threw his daughter a party that cost $10 million) and spend money on the Dragon Skin. I can hear it in my head…
“why don’t we buy these? They’re better than what we’ve got”
‘That’s not on the table right now, no room in the budget’
“No room in the budget?!?”
‘Plus, once we make this switch, there will be another product everyone will be clamoring for’
“These could save lives though”
‘Yea, according to the manufacturer most likely’
“No, this is what everyone else is using, secret service, contractors, CIA, etc.”
‘We’re just not doing it’
So this person examines about 100 cadavers, documents where the entry wounds are, puts together a report.
Does the Pentagon give in and spring for the armor? C’maaaaaaan! These mopes! No, they decide to go in a different direction altogether.
Notice how conservatives could care less about this. Politics before everything…if 80% of troop casualties go unprevented, so be it…afterall, they’ve got elections to worry about!
Support the Troops…indeed!
Notice how conservatives could care less about this. Politics before everything…if 80% of troop casualties go unprevented, so be it…afterall, they’ve got elections to worry about!
This was almost too ridiculous to respond to. Do you seriously believe that the more soldiers that die in combat, the easier it is for Republicans to win elections???
So the manufacturer “claims” their body armor is better so you say, based on this advertisement, the Pentagon should switchout every piece of body armor in the military? By the end of the month?
Were you not just complaining that the government spends too much already but not enough on veterans, but too mcu defending America, but not enough for New Orleans, so on and so forth?
Don’t misrepresent the facts Right – my sources are not associated at all with the company that makes Dragon Skin armor.
An attempt to spin the reality that politics are being played with soldiers’ lives is basically to assume that everyone is lying. To include the Pentagon, that ran the study to determine that 80% of the casualties could have been prevented with the better body armor.
People are dead! And I didn’t say that more people dying equals GOP wins, I said that rather than address the issue, they’ll allow more soldiers to die needlessly, because they don’t want to touch the issue at all!
The military will give the orders, the soldiers will leave the Dragon Skin body armor behind, and from there they’ll monitor communications and ramrod the next one they catch talking to the press about this issue.
Don’t misrepresent the facts Right – my sources are not associated at all with the company that makes Dragon Skin armor.
And just how would the makers of Dragon Skin produce enough pieces to outfit an the theatre? Can they make 200,000 units by March?
To include the Pentagon, that ran the study to determine that 80% of the casualties could have been prevented with the better body armor.
I notice they don’t say these deaths could have been prevented by Dragon Skin. The average soldier already carries 50-70 pounds of gear, how much of a load do you want them to carry. What body armor do the terrorists wear?
Why not makes suits of King Arthur plate mail armor out of titanium, that should make the soldiers safe. We could lock all of our soldiers in Fort Knox, they should be safe there.
I said that rather than address the issue, they’ll allow more soldiers to die needlessly, because they don’t want to touch the issue at all!
And the Democrats do? Democrats want a cut and run. They would rather have American civilians killed here rather than soldier killed over there. There really is no story here.
You both are way out of control here. No soldier dies needlessly unless we do not do the best we can for them and remember the ones who did die and the ones who did serve.
The Military, and its higher ups, are not in the buisness of letting soldiers get killed and neither is the Senate or the White House. And anyone who thinks they are is in some serious denial. We spend plenty, just look at the deficet, but sometimes mistakes are made or something new comes along, maybe not in time for use now, and maybe some would rather not have us know about it after the fact. Human reactions that may or may not have cost lives.
Respect is all the soldiersask. |respect for what they are currently doing, and cut and run is not what I am talking about. respect for what they have done in the past, and support for treatments , medical attention and caring for thier loved ones after they are gone is all they ask.
Remember this is war. No one is trying to get anyone killed or intentionally sending soldiers out to fight with anything but the best equipment. And for the most part we have just that. It is a ligistical nightmare and sometimes the supplies do not get to wher ethey are needed at the right time. Sometimes food is not best or in enough supply. Sometimes parts to fix that wonderful technology stuff does not reach where it is needed on time. But for the most part it reaches and does make it in time.
I look at my work and think, and all the problems we have doing something comapritivly simple, of the ligistics of what is involved in the invorment they are in and shake my head and wonder any of it works.
Is anyone really intentionlly trying to screw this up? Other than the Media, sorry Chris had to throw that one in. Some may be trying to hide the mistakes after the fact if they really did make some mistakes. Comparitive analisys is inevitable and I willl critized for this remark but i would still rather go into such a fight as a US soldier with all the benifits that are and supplies that such a priviledge affords, than other amry in the world. And most of guys say just that when asked. But thier is no media bias or we would have heard about that as well right?
How the hell should I know? The government places an order and they either agree to fill it by a certain date or they don’t. Nobody seems to mind that the vehicle armor contracts haven’t been met.
I see this as a ‘what if’ bonanza right now, and my assumption would be that since Dragon Skin is so widely used within the government, that yes, they’d be able to fill the order. Of course, I don’t work for the company.
Actually Right, the report was specifically about the body armor the soldiers have now, compared with what they could and should have. We shouldn’t be glib about this.
Democrats have been leading this initiative. Clinton just spoke about it again this past week. When the shortfall in the VA budget was identified, it was Pat Murray (Democrat) who brought the ammendment up for funding, and Republicans voted against it. Then a month later, the White House recognized the shortfall and provided the 5 billion dollars.
Facts Right – – – Don’t forget that I’ve been on these issues like stink on shit since day one. From before deadissue could even crawl I was researching and writing about this.
Frodo, you’re 100% right on the importance of uniformity, but in this instance the military is using it as a fire extinguisher.
There are little things I lamented over while soldering…like how a battle dressing weighs less than an ounce, yet we’d only be issued one when deployed. When someone’s leg gets blown off, yes, you can make a tourniquet with one, but what if both legs are blown off? Soldiers in Iraq have been caught with too few battle dressings…what’s the cost of this? Body armor is simply an example of how the soldiers are shortchanged (like w/ the dressings), only on a larger scale.
When I got to Germany, I was given a 20 year old sleeping bag and that’s what I went out to the field with. February, bitter cold, nobody told me to purchase a poncho liner as every single other person out there had already…a poncho liner is made of material that when used as insulation inside the sleeping bag, the thing actually keeps you warm. For two weeks I suffered (this is an apt use of this word, I’m not crying like a baby here), shivering in my sack with my uniform on, boots and my cold weather gear as well.
Now why wasn’t a poncho liner standard issue for anyone who would be sleeping in the cold? $$$ is the first thing, but the second is simply that they CAN get away with having soldiers pay the military for what they NEED, because the civilian population doesn’t give a damn about what the troops have or don’t have.
Frodo, I know you care, and I appreciate that. I hope that you’d take my word for it though, that when it comes to providing for enlisted soldiers, the Army cuts corners everywhere they can. While sleeping and waking up freezing for two weeks isn’t as bad as having a frag blown through your eye socket, it’s still unnecessary.
Considering how much Halliburton makes over there serving food, you’d think we’d have enough cash to ensure soldiers aren’t having to spend their own dough for gear that’s considered necessary. A poncho liner falls under that category, extra field dressings fall under that category, top of the line body armor falls under that category.
How long is it going to take for every AMERICAN to see:
OUR KIDS,MOTHERS,FRIENDS,LOVERS,FATHERS ect. are just meat puppets for an illegal immoral COR-PIRATE war.Until the old contracted crap we supply our best and brightest with is used up,They won’t get shit! MONEYMONEYMONEY The only obvious bottom line!
We are a disgrace, not to take care of our own. I remember ‘Nam and could never believe our government could stoop to this type of reprehensible behavior, yet again. We the people got fat and lazy and learned NOTHING, and the same War pigs from the 60’s are back with a vengence and they learned to play us like a violin 100 times better then before. Stand up before there is nothing to stand up for!!!
Word – – It’s all about an open mind and the books to fill it up with.
I JUST CAN’T SWALLOW ONE MORE PIECE OF SHIT FROM THESE LYING BASTARDS,And now Walter Reed! I COULD VOMIT! OUR HONORABLE TROOPS,VETS,AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE THE LIFE’S-BLOOD SUSTAINING THE FREEDOMS AND SAFETY OF BOTH US, AND THESE COWARDLY WAR PIGS WHO FOUND IT EASIER TO DODGE SERVICE WHEN THEY WERE CALLED TO DUTY. I BELIEVE, WHEN THEY CONFRONT TROOPS OR VETS, THEIR SPINELESS CHARACTER MAKES THEM HATE THOSE WHO SERVE WITH HONOR, BECAUSE IT MAKES THEM FEEL THEIR INFERIORITY! BEING REMINDED OF ONES COWARDLY NATURE, MUST SURELY BE EMASCULATING. THAT HATE,I FEAR,PAVED THE WAY TO MAKE IT, EASY AS PIE,FOR THESE SOCIOPATHS TO LIE US INTO THIS WAR. NOT TO MENTION THE UNGODLY PROFITEERING, JUST FOLLOW THE MONEY AND YOU WILL UNCOVER THE TRUE THREAT TO OUR GREAT NATION. THE ENEMY FROM WITHIN! THE SHEAR WEIGHT, OF DAILY,MOUNTING DISGRACES,THAT ARE THIS ADMINISTRATIONS POLICIES, THREATEN TO TEAR THIS NATION TO SHREDS. ON EVERY LEVEL PROMOTING THIS ILL-CONCEIVED OCCUPATION WITH IT’S HUMAN NEGLECT AND DISREGARD FOR LIFE ARE GROTESQUE. WHAT WILL IT TAKE for us to stand up and scream ENOUGH!!!!!!? We must demand an end to this inhumane ,criminal, arrogant ,corporate, agenda BLOOD FOR MONEY is not only accepted, but rewarded by this administration. THIS CANCEROUS NEO-“CONMAN” “garbage for a new American century
has got to be stopped! OUR PRECIOUS NATION MUST END IT, EVEN IF WE PATRIOTS NEED TO TEAR IT OUT BY ITS ROOTS!!!
KEEP FIGHTING TO
BRING OUR TROOPS HOME AND
KEEP THEM SAFE
PEACE KAT
Wow, it must be “share your hallucinations” night at the insane asylum. There are so many things wrong with Kat’s ramblings that I can only say to disregard the whole thing!
you have the right to disregard my opinions as insane, and remain anonymous,just as I have the right to my opinions. Remember this though anonymous
“there is nothing you can do to protect a dead man!”
I feel rage towards those responsible, because there are far to many dead and broken soldiers,men,women and children, as a direct result of Americans being lied into the wrong war. (FOR CORPORATE PROFIT, by the way.) Sorry if you can’t handle the truth. Although I think war should be avoided at all cost. I would have agreed to stay and escalate operations in the Afgan regions of the middle east, to hunt for, and bring to justice those who ACTUALLY attacked us ON 911.
Provided, of course, that our troops were fully equipped and trained. Remember we had the world on our side on that fateful day. A wealth of allies that would have helped us accomplish that valiant mission. How long do you suspect that might have taken? Likely we would have been out by now and a lot safer as a result. I don’t need to be excused for being an American who actually gives a shit that we are fighting an ideology, and cannot win this type of war on the battle field since the enemy can and is everywhere,and growing in record numbers due to our misdirected, idiotic, current policy
PEACE KAT
casulty count DOES equal republican votes.
the american mindset is “well if our boys(and girls) are dying over there, then somethings obviously wrong with the place so lets keep trying to fix it”
and its sad. The goverment did learn something from vietnam, *don’t let the media get ahold of this shit*
When *people* think of the phrase “support our troops” they think of that pathetic-made in china- yellow ribbon magnent on the back of there car.
when i think of “support our troops” i contemplate poping some senators heads like grapes with a .308
get our soldiers out of that hellhole. or let them wear there dragonskin (cool stuff, look on youtube)