Body armor leaves troops vulnerable
A secret Pentagon study has found that as many as
80 percent of the Marines who have been killed in Iraq from wounds to their
upper body could have survived if they had had extra body armor.
A secret Pentagon study has found that as many as 80 percent of the Marines who have been killed in Iraq from wounds to their upper body could have survived if they had had extra body armor. Such armor has been available since 2003, but until recently the Pentagon largely has declined to supply it to troops despite calls from the field for additional protection, according to military officials.
For the first time, the study by the military’s medical examiner shows the cost in lost lives from inadequate armor, even as the Pentagon continues to publicly defend its protection of the troops.
Our military suffers from being run by both beancounters and profiteers — at the behest of lobbyists and ideologues. Why expect the safety of our troops to be any sort of priority? That doesn’t get you a director’s seat after you retire.
Posted: Sun - January 8, 2006 at 10:18 AM