Newswire:

Hey Pentagon, Here's A Tip: Test The Body Armor Before You Buy It

Another day, another incompetence. [USA Today] A Defense Department audit discovered that "the Army can’t be sure some of its body armor met safety standards, partly because it didn’t do proper paperwork on initial testing of the protective vests." D’oh.

Here’s how it should work: Before the Army purchases body armor from a supplier, they do what’s called "first article testing" to make sure the armor is safe.

But almost half (13 of 28) of the army orders reviewed, "specific information concerning testing and approval of first articles was not included" and in 11, " files were not maintained…to show why procurement decisions were made."

The bottom line from Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY): "Nearly half of the Army’s contractors did not perform the most basic test on the body armor before it was sent to our troops fighting overseas."

She went on: "During a time of war, it’s shameful that the Army would not scrupulously ensure that every piece of equipment is properly tested, especially a fundamentally life-and-death product such as body armor."

This isn’t the first time the Army’s body armor situation was found lacking. In 2006, a Pentagon study 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." [NY Times]

It’s almost as if "supporting our troops" was some kind of political line and not an actual commitment…oh wait.

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Comments

1. Read the report. Read the Army rebuttal in the report. The tests were done. Sometimes even before the award was made. Army just called it something different. IG apparently focused more on grammar than on body armor.

   — Duh!, but Read - Apr 3, 06:16 PM - #