A Dad writes a Letter to the Editor

[illinoisprogressive]

Smart dad. Because we know what will happen to his son at Walter Reed if he gets injured.

What the hell is going on in our country? These are the kids going over for the surge. I'm just speechless. Read this letter to the editor in today's Sparta Independent (NY):

To the Editor:

I have a son going to Iraq this summer. I was able to afford to buy state-of-the-art body armor for his protection. Unfortunately there are many parents that are not able to afford this body armor.

My son’s outfit has 24 Marines. Two parents, including myself, have purchased this armor. Five others have been sponsored. The families of all the Marines in the unit have banded together to raise the additional money for the other 17 Marines.

The military has body armor available, but it’s heavy and not state-of-the-art. There is a company called Pinnacle Armor, out of California, that sells armor called Dragon Skin. This is what we have chosen for our sons. We need to raise $102,000 to outfit these 17 Marines. It’s approximately $6000 per Marine.

Any and all donations are welcome.

For more information please call Jesse Roe at xxx-xxx-xxxx.

Jesse Roe
Newton

And by the way, this answers a burning question I've had since last year. A number of folks on the right had been saying "it's a lie, our troops HAVE the body armor they need, and in fact, it's so heavy they don't want to wear it anyway in the hot desert heat." It didn't hit me until I read this letter that this may actually be true, all of our troops DO have body armor - sure, it's the WRONG body armor that they can't use...

[tblue]

1. Good for that dad & his son! This is horrific. And I heard if the troops are injured wearing this

non-gov issued armor, they won't get the same benefits. Same goes if they die. Anybody heard if this is still the case?

[Horse with no Name]

4. That is the case

A couple stories of interest
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-03-30-bodyarmor_x.htm
Army bans use of privately bought armor
>>>>snip
The Army ban covers all commercial armor. It refers specifically to Pinnacle's armor, saying that while the company advertising implies that Dragon Skin "is superior in performance" to the Interceptor Body Armor the military issues to soldiers, "the Army has been unable to determine the veracity of these claims."

"In its current state of development, Dragon Skin's capabilities do not meet Army requirements," the Army order says, and it "has not been certified to protect against several small arms threats that the military is encountering in Iraq and Afghanistan."

The Marine Corps has not issued a similar directive, but Marines are "encouraged to wear Marine Corps-issued body armor since this armor has been tested to meet fleet standards," spokesman Bruce Scott said.

Military officials have acknowledged that some troops — often National Guard or Reservists — went to war with lesser-quality protective gear than other soldiers were issued.

http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/48/16999
Army Orders Soldiers to Shed Dragon Skin or Lose SGLI Death Benefits
>>>>>snip
Two deploying soldiers and a concerned mother reported Friday afternoon that the US Army appears to be singling out soldiers who have purchased Pinnacle's Dragon Skin Body Armor for special treatment. The soldiers, who are currently staging for combat operations from a secret location, reported that their commander told them if they were wearing Pinnacle Dragon Skin and were killed their beneficiaries might not receive the death benefits from their $400,000 SGLI life insurance policies. The soldiers were ordered to leave their privately purchased body armor at home or face the possibility of both losing their life insurance benefit and facing disciplinary action.

[zalinda]

10. They should check out the demonstration of the armor

on the Discovery channel, I certainly was impressed. They really shot up that thing and if you looked at the inside fabric there wasn't any damage. And to really put it to a test, they put the armor on top of a hand grenade, after shooting it and detonated the grenade. The inside of the vest still looked like new.

I've also heard that the big shots over there are all using the dragon skin.

zalinda

[Horse with no Name]

12. It is what the mercs use

It is what the Secret Service uses and it is what the President uses.
However...it is too expensive to be used on merely the worker bees...so instead, they tear it down because heaven forbid they should pay for something that might save inconsequential lives.

[Nickster]

17. I don't think it's being too expensive that's the issue at all. I think it's that the Pentagon

approved contractors won't be able to get a piece of the pie. Lots of good military grade products are shot down because the "right" defense contractor doesn't make the product. Simple economics, if I can't have it all....I'll make damn sure you don't get any either.

[Oilwellian]

11. And who manages Interceptor Body Armor?

Gee, I wonder who manages the body armor company that's providing our troops with shitty armor...It appears DHB Industries owns Interceptor Body Armor and, well what do you know...a retired General is part of their management team.

MANAGEMENT
Directors & Executive Officers

Senator William Campbell (Ret.) joined the Company's Board of Directors in May 2006, and was named Chairman of the Board of Directors in July 2006. Campbell served in the California legislature for 22 years, including 14 years as a state senator. During his senate career, Campbell held a number of distinguished positions, including Chairman of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, Minority Floor Leader, and member of the Senate Rules Committee. Campbell became President of William Campbell & Associates in April 2000. In 1998, he became President Emeritus of the California Manufacturers Association, after having served the 80-year old industry group as President for more than eight years.

Larry R. Ellis joined the Board of Directors of DHB Industries Inc. in early December 2004, became President in 2005 and assumed the role of acting Chief Executive Officer in July 2006. Ellis served in the United States Army for 35 distinguished years before retiring in July 2004 as a 4-star general. Ellis has commanded units at every echelon of the Army, including the First Armored Division in Germany and while deployed as the Multinational Division (North) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As the Army's Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, he oversaw multi-year, multi-billion dollar programs supporting United States Army budget strategic objectives, and executed annual operating budgets of more than $15 billion. Soon after the United States went to war in 2001, Ellis assumed command of the U.S. Army Forces Command, the Army's largest command. Ellis holds degrees from Morgan State University (B.S.,1969) and Indiana University (M.S., 1975). His honors include the NAACP National Service Award, (1999); Honorary Doctor of Law, Morgan State University, (2000); Honorary Master of Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War college, (2001); Distinguished Alumni Service Award, Indiana University, (2003). His military awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Bronze Star Medal.

http://www.dhbindustries.com/management.asp

Oh, and this is posted on DHB's homepage:
DHB INDUSTRIES ANNOUNCES $82 MILLION IN CONTRACT ORDERS WITH THE U.S. ARMY AND UPDATES 2006 CASH RECEIPTS

[walldude]

14. That sonic boom you just heard was my head exploding...

Money apparently trumps everything. According to the price in the OP letter it would cost approx $864 million to equip the troops with Dragon Skin. Gee I bet if Cheney was a stockholder in Pinnacle Armor they'd come up with that money...

[blue neen]

2. That letter says it all about the "compassionate conservative Bush."

He couldn't care less what happens to these soldiers.

These parents are trying to take care of their children in the only way that they know how. I hope they are able to raise the money, because our government sure as heck isn't going to take care of them.

May Bush rot in hell for his crimes against humanity.

[razors edge]

3. Use of equipment that is not

approved will negate all death benefits and subject the individual to charges of being out of uniform.

Depends on the situation as all things in this life do, but think about it.

Rich daddy's kid is covered but poor daddy's kid isn't. Do you think the pentagram wouldn't use all the power at it's disposal to prevent this story from ever being made?

[kaygore]

5. This Dad is very special

[MethuenProgressive]

6. Let me have Jesse's #, I'll donate

Or just post a link to the original letter, please?

[frogcycle]

7. wow

I saw a demo of this dragon skin on discovery channel (or something) the other day. Looks like the real deal. But like the israeli anti-missle system, not what the pentagon is buying today.

And the soldier from my town who was killed earlier this month had written home for a better light for his weapon when entering dark buildings; the local fire department took up a collection and sent him one. Unfortunately it arrived the day an IED got him.

Back in the old days, people put together packages for soldiers with things like candy and cookies - not the damned fundamental equipment they need to (try to) stay safe. The world has truly turned upside down.

What say we get a movement going to raise funds big time and really send supplies? I'm picturing some benefit concerts, photo ops of volunteers loading all the stuff into containers for shipment. Maybe an "adopt a platoon" campaign. OK, I admit it, this thought is not strictly altruistic. While getting much-needed equipment to the troops, it would also provide publicity - what the thugs would consider negative publicity. What are they going to do - rail against it? Would Limpbutt go on the radio and say it was a big put-on, that the troops don't really need that stuff, that they are "faking" their needs? Would the procurement weenies try to block the shipment, like George Wallace on the schoolhouse steps?

[Ilsa]

8. I thought I heard that the Army wasn't going to pay benefits if soldiers

were using military -issue body armor. Of course, it is possible that benefits wouldn't need to be paid if the Army would properly outfit their soldiers.

Good for this dad. Bless him and his son and their family who will be worried until the son comes home.

[lonestarnot]

9. How bout we just stop sending our kids to hell to fight a bushitler war.

How bout we talk sense to them before they enlist. How bout we just pull the hell out now!

[Horse with no Name]

13. Amen sister. Amen. n/t

[sce56]

15. I like your words want a good graphic to match the words

try right clicking and hitting the properties then save the url location for this picture.


then save it in a file and use it for your posts about Bushitler!

[flamin lib]

16. The real kicker is that Dragon Skin is not an approved item

and if a soldier uses it and is killed his family is not eligible for death benefits.

[lebkuchen]

18. His kid probably enlisted so he could get the GI Bill to afford an education

It's ending up being a costly "tuition" for Dad after all.