.
![]() | Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years. Thanks, CNET Support |
Discussion is locked
As in just about every major combat situation this Nation has ever been engaged, situations not imagined, and therefor not planned for, have occured requiring 'innovations', including new or modified equipment. This has been the case in Iraq with Humvees and body armor.
The body armor previously available and used was ineffective against the AK47, and a newer armor with new technology was devised, but exceeded manufacturing capability. This has been a subject of heated debate within the Congress and the DOD for months. The stories of family purchasing vests and sending them to Iraq is true, and for the most part the vests were of the old kevlar variety and ineffective. It seems the problem of shortage of body armor has/is being corrected.
The situation with armored Humvees is similar. To simply weld steel plates to these vehicles, on the outside or on the floorboards/doors is dangerous if the steel is not properly fabricated and properly attached. Inferior steel can spaul and send shrapnel all over, or the steel plate can be blown off and become a missle. Sure, there have been reports of armored vehicles available in Bosnia, unused, but they have been sent to Iraq.
Here are a couple of links in this regard, just to bring this subject up to date:
http://www4.army.mil/ocpa/read.php?&story_id_key=5650
http://mutable.inknoise.com/Marines/2004/02/11/0004
It's easy to sit around and Monday morning quarterback and critize. But your boy certainly hasn't done his part to help the situation, quite the contrary.
Am I going nutz? I was in the process of replying to Dave K.'s "ugly American" response when my screen reloaded and it was gone from the thread. Or am I seeing things, Dave?