Pentagon won't buy bulletproof vests

[schadeaux]

Armor From Home

Amid Shortage of Gear, Some U.S. Soldiers

Must Equip Themselves

By Keith Garvin

W A S H I N G T O N, Feb. 7 — Pene Palifka, a proud and protective mother,

worries about her son, Billy, a specialist with the National Guard deployed in

Iraq. She reads his letters home almost daily.

"I just can't wait for him to come home," she said. "We'll celebrate that day."

Concerned about her son's safety, Palifka recently spent $1,100 of her own money

on armored chest plates to protect him and others from enemy fire.

"[by] purchasing something for my son, then that means hopefully somewhere

down the line somebody else that's overseas will have adequate equipment," Pene

Palifka said.

It's become an almost routine practice for deploying troops and their families.

Despite efforts to produce more vests with the armored plates, the Pentagon says

there still aren't enough, especially among guardsmen and reservists. All troops

rotating out of Iraq are now being required to leave their vests behind so incoming

troops can use them.

Full Story at ABCNEWS.com

Comments by Daily Rotten:

[Then why don't you ask all these families where they buy their body armor?]

[The negligence here is dumbfounding. The Commander in Chief needs to equip

the troops or bring them home.]

[stillcrazy]

redacted

[Cufflink]

I'm shocked to hear this. We've had the same scandal over here. A British soldier was ordered to give his armoured vest to another soldier because there weren't enough to go around. He was killed days later, after being hit where the vest would have been.

Simply put, our Defence Secretary is to blame for this brave man's death. And by some miracle, this shameless, unrepentant cretin is still in a job.

[Kismit]

I find the comments of both countries experiencing similar stories odd . Unfortuantely I can't open the link to the story to get a good look at it .( My owe so wonderfull browser is throwing a wobbly at the moment ) . I'd be a little suspicious that this is leading toward a drive to raise funds for the war .

[schadeaux]

Unfortuantely I can't open the link to the story to get a good look at it

For Kismit, the rest of the story...

‘We … Buy It Ourselves’

Many active-duty troops also are spending money on other equipment.

One group of Marines due to leave for Iraq bought goggles, backpacks, magazine pouches and gloves. It's better than their issued equipment, they said, and worth their hard-earned cash.

"They gave us the stuff that we need, but we need more as well," Marine Sgt. Nick Medina told ABCNEWS last month. "So we go ahead and buy it ourselves."

Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., a member of the House Armed Services Committee, has introduced a bill calling for the government to repay the families of troops who buy their own gear.

"It's time to step up and do the right thing and reimburse all those individuals, who because of the care and concern that they have for our men and women overseas, their loved ones have gone into their pocket to assist them," Larson said.

Whether she gets reimbursed or not, Pene Palifka says the price she paid for her peace of mind was worth it.

[Kismit]

ahh thank you Shadeaux , your an Angel...

[Guest Lottie]

Hi Cufflink

Simply put, our Defence Secretary is to blame for this brave man's death.  And by some miracle, this shameless, unrepentant cretin is still in a job.

I kind of agree but disagree with you somewhat. Isn't the person to blame the person who told that man to hand over the vest in the first place ? But the defence secretary does have alot to answer for!

Lottie

[Cufflink]

I kind of agree but disagree with you somewhat. Isn't the person to blame the person who told that man to hand over the vest in the first place ? But the defence secretary does have alot to answer for!

I think it's a bit harsh to blame the soldier's commanding officer, Lottie. The soldier in question was supposedly on safer duties than the man he gave the vest to, but unfortunately, is there such a thing as safe in a warzone? In that great tradition of the British Army, his commanding officer was simply trying to make the best of the pitiful resources he had been given.

Geoff Hoon has one job. To manage our armed forces. And he failed in making sure our soldiers had enough basic kit to do the job. I'm so angry with Hoon, who hasn't even had the decency to resign over this, even after meeting the man's widow.

[Babs]

I'm angry and sad; I also just heard that our U.S. men carried their own body bags, too.

[stillcrazy]

removed

[+joc]

I am defending the Pentagon. I think the whole tilt of the

story is leaving out some large truth:

Most of the casualties in Iraq are not from snipers. A bullet proof vest is

just that...bullet proof....sort of. It will not keep you from being blown

up if you step on a land mine. Our soldiers are given what they need to

do their job and they are doing it magnificently.

BTW, American soldiers

are being murdered in Bagdad, a city of over 5 million people, at the rate of

about 1 per day. Average ordinary people, not putting themselves in harms

way, are being murdered at a rate of about 2 per day

in New York City, population 8 million.

Just to keep everything in perspective........

*has an uncanny, almost sixth-sense feeling, that the left is about to attack*

*joc the uncaring. joc the nazi. joc the idiot who doesn't know what he's

talking about*

[Babs]

S.C.

I heard this on CNN a week or so ago.Our men in Afghanistan had to carry their own body bags on them.

[+joc]

I heard this on CNN a week or so ago.Our men in Afghanistan had to carry their own body bags with them.

Babs, Dudette, I love ya but........who else is gonna carry them?

[Babs]

I love ya too, joc

I don't know... it made me really sad.

[<bleeding_heart>]

I find it amazing the US is having these difficulties the concesus was that US troops were better paid and equiped I agree with Cufflink that Geoff Hoon is the man responsible, this government sent British troops into Afganistan without reliable weapons (they had problems in heat and sand) or communications equipment (lack of batteries for one). Officers have to make the best of impossible situations that's part of why they are given commands. Its just part of a growing list, I suppose the next time we go to war smoks and boots will be in short supply.

[Stamford]

BTW, American soldiers

are being murdered in Bagdad, a city of over 5 million people, at the rate of

about 1 per day. Average ordinary people, not putting themselves in harms

way, are being murdered at a rate of about 2 per day

in New York City, population 8 million.

Ah, joc, you never cease to amaze me!!

*has an uncanny, almost sixth-sense feeling, that the left is about to attack*

Well, duh?

[wunarmdscissor]

Kismit

I'd be a little suspicious that this is leading toward a drive to raise funds for the war .

The sad fact is that british soldiers lives are being put at risk by a beauracratic nightmare and poor leadership. Our soldiers deserve whatever funding they need as long as it will actually protect them.

The problem is Britain is still acting like we are a superpower and we're not, we just simply cant AFFORD wars on multiple fronts , and as in the case of that poor english sodlier they are paying with it with their lives.

That case was a discgrace and ultimatley Hoon is the man responsible.

I think it was infantry soldiers that had to take their armour and that guy wasnt in the infantry, you cant really blame his commanding officer, they were just making the best of a bad situation.

I mean its now emerging that a soldier has died now due to having no suitable water, this is shocking and it keeps happening.

[Stamford]

The problem is Britain is still acting like we are a superpower and we're not, we just simply cant AFFORD wars on multiple fronts

We have always had a history of not being prepared for war - look at WW1 and WW2.

The problem is that we simply don't put the funding into the military until the very last minute.

The other problem with the Iraq War was that we had to invade before the temperature there made it impossible to fight, thus leading to poorly equiped soldiers being sent into action.

It now transpires that the 6 Military Policeman who were killed by a mob a few months ago were only issued with 20 rounds of ammo each!!

It beggers belief that the best army in the world is forced to operate like this by a bunch of incompetents; Geoff Hoon should not only resign, he should be prosecuted for gross incompetence and endangering the lives of British soldiers.

[+joc]

I'm sure that the right wing, (Hi joc,) will say that it's to turn Americans opinon on the war against Bush.

Everything on CNN should be viewed with a skeptics eye. It is a great source

for breaking news but all of the news eventually takes a tilt toward the left.

It is still The Clinton News Network. ....and it will be until the elections

of 2008 when Condi Rice will replace GW Bush as the first Black president as well

as the first Female president as she beats the pants off of Hillary Clinton.

*rubs hands together vigorously in anticipation*

[stillcrazy]

removed

[Stamford]

....and it will be until the elections

of 2008 when Condi Rice will replace GW Bush as the first Black president as well

as the first Female president as she beats the pants off of Hillary Clinton.

Is anyone else turned on by this?

[geeohn]

isn't bulletproof vests part of the new budget of homeland security?

[Babs]

Yeah, your right joc, CNN tilts to the left.

Condi Rice...never thought about her...she'd be great.

[Dowdy]

They carry their own body bags?

i can just see it, they guy has just been shot to save the other soldiers time he wraps himself in the bodybag.

thats pretty stupid, like saying carry your own coffin and tombstone

[Kismit]

It might seem fairly stupid Dowdy, but I think if I had to carry around something as sobering as a body bag, a constant reminder of just how serious my job was I would probably be more inclined to keep my head down and play it safe .

So maybe there is a little method to the beurocratic madness after all .