What's teh Straight Story about the Kevlar Vests?

[hammersley]

OK guys - and gals - what is going on with our soldiers and the lack of proper vests! I understand that folks here - PARENTS_ are having to buy proper ones an dsend them over to their kids! Is this just the media playinmg anti-Bush - OR IS THIS THE TRUTH??? If So - who needs to be FIRED - YESTERDAY?

 

[Kernel]

Do you have a copy of the article or can you fill us in on the subject?



Scott

 

[BarryG]

I havent heard anything about the soldiers vests but I did hear about some police department that is sueing one of the manufacturers because the vests they bought are defective (how they found out they were defective I dont know). The company said oh yeah we will send you some additional plates (or whatever they called them) that they can wear underneath the vest. The police department said unnacceptable we want new vests and the company says no. So they are suing. By the way the police vests were/are also under warranty from what the report said.

 

[The patriot]

Originally posted by hammersley

OK guys - and gals - what is going on with our soldiers and the lack of proper vests! I understand that folks here - PARENTS_ are having to buy proper ones an dsend them over to their kids! Is this just the media playinmg anti-Bush - OR IS THIS THE TRUTH??? If So - who needs to be FIRED - YESTERDAY?

A copy of the report would help.

If theyre getting fired upon with 7. 62x39 ammo that's most likley steel core, all but the highest (NIJ)level of protection will be useless.

They used to be called flack vests, I dont know for sure if the military even provides "bullet proof" vests at all??? Can a service member please help here?



This is link about the faulty police vests. Cant find anything on the military vests.

http://www.wafop.com/vestlawsuit.htm



Eric

 

[The patriot]

http://www.closefocusresearch.com/html/national_institute_of_justice_.html



This is a list of some NIJ levels of protection.

I'm sure there are more (higher) levels that arent listed here.



I think NIJ-III should be adequit for 7. 62x39 steel core, since it's not specifically listed.



Eric

 

[Rman]

I haven't heard anything about this. When I was over there they gave us flak jackets and told us specifically that they do not stop bullets. It was to minimize the effects of shrapnel. I was just an Air Force augmentee, hell meaybe we didn't matter enough to get real jackets. All I know is it was about 25 extra punds of crap and sure wasn't worth it. I took mine off a lot of the time.

 

[benhall]

The flack vests will NOT stop a bullet, even a 9 mm. I know you may think that this is odd, but the vests are only designed to protect from shrapnel. They (DoD) are always trying to come up with something lighter and more protective, but it takes time. As far as bulletproof, bullet resistant and second chance vests, only some are issued those. The only ones I have seen wearing them have been flight crews in Afghanistan.



Ben

 

[hammersley]

Here's part of the story......

This has been on FOX - apparently about 1/4 of the troops still lack the newest armor that utilizes ceramic plates.



And if you think $$$$ isn't an issue - read what these blood hungry folks are *****ing about!



http://news.stockselector.com/newsarticle.asp?symbol=CRDN&article=21249480



and then some background... ... .



http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/weapons/a/newbodyarmor.htm



http://www.cbd-net.com/index.php/search/show/483008



http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2003/06/mil-030610-usmc02a.htm



http://www.chestertontribune.com/Northwest Indiana/visclosky_wants_portion_of_87_bi.htm

 

[Kernel]

I guess the "new" vest people are talking about are what we call the IBAS. The flak jackets are the older ones that most people may remember from Desert Storm.



The IBAS and the flak jackets do the same thing, they are only designed to stop fragments, and up to 9mm rounds (so they say). In the basic form the only difference is the IBAS is newer, lighter, and more sexy in appearance. How they begin to differ is that the IBAS has plates you can put into pockets in the front and back that stop 7. 62mm rounds (up to something like 2700 fps). When we first got here I did have an IBAS but no plates, we found some Haji plates in an Iraqi warehouse and used them because there weren't enough of the good plates for everybody. The Reserves, National Guard and alot of Active Duty did not even have the IBAS, but they did have the flak jackets. Supply was not meeting demand. Only meant to be for the forward units, the IBAS went to the war fighters and their support elements first. As things evolved and the wounded were more supply joes and janes and not just the infantry, the IBAS finally got handed out to everybody with plates. I just got my plates a couple of months ago. Pretty much everybody has the IBAS now, even the National Guard guys.



From a medical standpoint, both vest do their job in protecting a soldier's torso from fragment wounds. I have treated soldiers that were wearing each vest, however, just because they are wearing them doesn't protect them from injury. Especially when 155mm rounds are daisy-chained. Soldiers are more at risk from RPG's and IED's more then anything else out here, and our equipment does work, even though it may not be as cool looking as somebody else's.



Sorry to be long winded, just my observations from my last 9 months in Iraq. Hope this helps.



Scott

 

[Alan Reagan]

All police departments using the "Body Armor" brand of vests received notices of defective vests back in August. That included the new "lightweight with the same protection" vests that our Coast Guard unit had purchased. The company sent us new inserts that we had to put in, in addition to the kevlar inserts that were issued with the vests. Now they weigh more than the original heavy vests we were replacing. Plus, no refund of the difference in price we paid for the lighter vests.



We received notification via regular message traffic. It affected all of our vests.