They Deserve Better
Army bans use of privately-bought body armor By Chris Casey Since the beginning of the war on terror, frightening reports of inadequate body armor and low-tech weapons have trickled from the front lines to the front page of news organizations all over the country. Families have been forced to raise money on their own just to buy body armor and advanced munitions accessories for their relatives in Iraq and Afghanistan. Well Thursday the pentagon put an end to that problem not by ensuring that every soldier in properly equipped but by outlawing the use of "non-official" gear.
WASHINGTON - Soldiers will no longer be allowed to wear body armor other than the protective gear issued by the military, Army officials said Thursday, the latest twist in a running battle over the equipment the Pentagon gives its troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.I get that it isn't fair that some people get fancy armor with cool features like "stopping bullets" and others are stuck with a few layers of corrugated cardboard wrapped in vinyl but the answer is not to lower everybody down to the weakest leak of official-issue gear. Perhaps the government should use the $21.3 million it spent on hiring mercenaries to buy effective body army for the patriots that are working not for the money (paid mercenaries get $1,000 per day) but for the love of their country. Until then we should allow their concerned families to send them effective armor.
