Our Campaigns

Soldiers For The Truth has become Stand For The Troops. Our new name reflects exactly what we do on behalf of all concerned  Americans—stand for the troops—and more specifically, stand for our frontline troops, our young heroes who stand tall for us and our country out at the tip of the spear.   Our mission remains the same: to ensure that America’s frontline troops get the best available personal combat gear and protective equipment, including body armor and helmets. In fact, the military has been testing helmet sensors in Afghanistan for well over two years to evaluate the effect of IED attacks on our troops while the attacks continue to escalate with little being done to provide our warriors with more adequate head protection.   The sorry result is a near epidemic of troops suffering from traumatic brain injury (“TBI”) and post traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”) from their service in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

 While senior military officials acknowledge that PTSD is a serious and growing problem, diagnosis and treatment remains disjointed, not to mention that admitting to the disorder on record seem to be a career stopper.  Meanwhile new stories break daily about veterans taking their own lives or behaving erratically despite desperate pleas by the families, friends and fellow service members to the chain of command for more easily available, more effective treatment. 

As part of Stand For The Troops’ expanded mission, we’re mobilizing a task force of eminent medical professionals to evaluate existing PTSD treatment within the military and general communities so that a comprehensive, targeted, more effective treatment protocol can be established and offered for the benefit of our warriors. For too long the military has allowed frontline troops to resume active duty while suffering from this debilitating condition—all too often resulting in devastating consequences for both our brave warriors and their loved ones.  

 We as citizens have a responsibility to Stand For The Troops’ and not allow PTSD—and TBI—to be the legacy of the war in Afghanistan.

Since its inception,Stand for the Troops (“SFTT”) has been focused on providing our troops with the “Best Equipment to Support the Troops,”  often referred to as our “B.E.S.T.” Campaign strategy.   While much of our recent investigative reporting has been focused on body armor, SFTT will continue its investigative reporting to cover the BASIC FIVE combat equipment items necessary to properly equip our brave heroes serving in harm’s way:  Body Armor, Helmets and Helmet Liners, Rifles, Sidearms and Combat Boots as well as expand its coverage of TBI and PTSD. 

The Basic Five

 Body Armor That Wards Off Fatal Wounds

The personal Body Armor system being issued to Soldiers and Marines on
the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan for the past eight years has
proven to be sub-standard and has failed to prevent traumatic and
fatal wounds!  Sharing the same battlefield are senior military
leaders and top civilian officials, their personal body guards and
security details, government contractors, and Special Forces personnel
who are wearing superior protective vests and plate systems that have
either been issued to them or purchased with discretionary funds.
These vests and plates have been independently tested and shown to be
superior compared against those being issued to the common Soldier and
Marine.  In 2007, SFTT demanded that Congress direct the Army and the
Pentagon to improve testing protocols and issue improved Body Armor
systems — this year, after a 2.5 year study that SFTT championed, the
Government Accountability Office (GAO) validated SFTT’s premise that
the current testing protocols were inadequate and that front-line
troops are being issued sub-standard Body Armor.  The Pentagon and
Congress needs to follow up on the GAO Report and procure “Body Armor
that wards off fatal wounds” and immediately replace all issued Body
Armor sets.

Comfortable helmets that Protect Against Traumatic Brain Injuries

The Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH), or “brain bucket” as it is
affectionately called by Joe on the frontlines, does little to protect
against traumatic brain injuries, the signature wound of both wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan.  The ACH is an uncomfortable mold of Kevlar with
limited padding that rapidly rots and causes pain and headaches after
sustained wear.  Why does the Pentagon choose to ignore science in
developing and issuing a critical piece of combat gear that will save
lives? Does NASCAR or the NFL ignore science when drivers and players
strap in and take the field?  The Pentagon needs to replace the ACH
immediately with a Helmet protective system that “mitigates the
effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries and is comfortable for long term
wear and use”.

A Lethal and Reliable Rifle

The CAR-4 standard-issue rifle is a modified version of the M-16 which
our troops have been forced to place their faith these past 45 years.
“Today’s” rifle does not merit the reliability, simple operation, and
durability required to survive on today’s complex killing field. In a
lame attempt to address this, the Pentagon has created a contractor
haven of support to maintain optics and laser systems that are now
affixed to the CAR-4 without improving the basic rifle design of
ballistics, lethality, accuracy, and reduced maintenance.  Meanwhile,
the enemy has adapted and grown more lethal, sophisticated, and
asymmetric without latching on to a billion dollar logistics tail. So
why does the Pentagon continue to issue a maintenance-prone,
malfunctioning, and less lethal standard rifle to our Warriors in Iraq
and Afghanistan – it is time for the CAR-4 to be replaced.

A Pistol with Sufficient Stopping Power

Oftentimes a pistol is the last line of defense during intense combat.
 Without question, a pistol must be capable of putting down a
determined foe.  The 9-mm Beretta pistol that is issued to our
frontline troops has proven itself incapable of this simple task.  The
Beretta fires a lightweight 9-mm bullet that misses its mark and
requires multiple hits to defeat a determined enemy.  The 9-mm round
replaced the .45 caliber slug that kept generations of Americans alive
in armed conflicts past.  Often, servicemembers self-help themselves
and bring unauthorized personal high caliber sidearms into theater in
order to close the combat credibility gap that the 9mm Beretta has
exposed.  Additionally, Special Forces have switched to higher caliber
and more lethal side arms.  The Pentagon needs to review the
effectiveness of the 9-mm Beretta and replace it immediately with a
sidearm that has “sufficient stopping power”

Boots that Endure and Provide Comfort During Combat

The standard-issue combat boot—designed to be all-purpose—is a
footwear failure. Troops tell SFTT that issued boots are “heavy, don’t
‘breathe’, and provide minimal traction”.  These “boots on the ground”
fail to provide “the grip, ankle stability, and protection required
for sustained combat operations”.  As a result, our Warriors pay out
of pocket wages for “civilian” footgear to maintain their edge, while
standard issued boots are discarded. 21st Century technology, fabrics,
materials, and designs exist to give our troops the edge and comfort
in all climates and any environment – to provide them anything less is
a national disgrace. Why do professional athletes wear far superior
footgear than our troops on the frontlines?  The Pentagon needs to
address this issue immediately and begin procuring footgear and boots
that “endure and provide comfort during combat”.

 Enough!  We can do better.

SFTT’s Body Armor Campaign Highlights

Found below are recent highlights of SFTT’s current body armor campaign (download full details of body armor campaign) and past investigative successes:

• December 23, 2009: The law firm of Kirkland & Ellis LLP filed the final motion with the Federal Court in Washington, DC in the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) on behalf of the SFTT’s editor for forensic records held by the Department of Defense (“DOD”);
• October 16, 2009: The Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) issues report to Congress calling for “independent expert assessment of Army body armor test results.” This damning report of US Army body armor test procedures is the outgrowth of a two-year investigative and educational campaign by SFTT to seek fair and impartial test procedures;
• June 2008: SFTT corroborated with The Washington Post in a series of front-page articles regarding combat veterans with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (“PTSD”) who were enrolled in an experimental drug trial without being informed of the high-risk of serious adverse psychiatric reations;
• 2003 – 2005: Col. David Hackworth’s and Eilhys England’s joint column and media appearances sparks public outrage at casualties resulting from unarmored Humvees leading to corrective measures;
• March -2004: SFTT provides essential assistance to 60 Minutes to break the story of incompetence and malfeasance by the chain of command that resulted in Abu Ghraib Prisoner Abuse.

SFTT’s volunteers will continue to “soldier-on“ to insure that our brave young men and women serving in harm’s way have the best available combat equipment and protective gear. If you haven’t already done so, please contribute what you can to support SFTT’s investigative reporting. Also, please consider becoming a volunteer or member of STFF and add your voice to the thousands of others who want to bring our troops home alive and in one piece.

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