President’s Note:

Tonight, May 17, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams has aired their first piece dealing with the body armor controversy. Tomorrow morning, Today will air a piece, and Sunday night, Dateline NBC will air a longer piece, with much more detail about the comparative test NBC News conducted — the first true comparative test of Interceptor Body Armor and Pinnacle Armor’s Dragon Skin (SOV 3000 Level IV).

We at SFTT/DefenseWatch are very pleased at the outcome — Dragon Skin performed as expected, and at a level substantially superior to that of the Interceptor ESAPI (Level IV) plates. Gen. Wayne Downing, a retired 4-star (and consultant to NBC News), who observed the comparative test, reported that Dragon Skin performed “significantly better” than Interceptor’s ESAPI plates.

It is now up to the American public — to all who appreciate the service and sacrifice of America’s Grunts — to demand that these great servicemen and women be provided the “best-available” body armor.

To that end, SFTT/DefenseWatch would like to see the following actions taken:

1. Full and fair ballistic testing of all feasible body armor systems;

2. Updated analysis by Armed Forces Medical Examiner of ballistic wounds in torso area (updating their March 2003-July 2005 study performed for the Marine Corps, on Marine KIA’s who died from these wounds);

3. Investigation of causes for Dragon Skin, after 10 years, NOT receiving full and fair ballistic tests. (This investigation would identify the individuals responsible for preventing such tests, and refer to the appropriate legal authorities for criminal investigation in those cases where such referral is warranted.)

The Congress of our great nation now has the opportunity to pay more than lip service to the oft-repeated claims and the campaign slogans that promise our frontline troops the very best equipment in the world. It’s time for action now!!

Lastly, SFTT/DefenseWatch is proud because of our earlier reporting on this story to have been asked by the Investigative Unit of NBC News to assist in this project over the past several months. We salute Steve Capus (President of NBC News), Brian Williams (Anchor & Managing Editor of Nightly News), Lisa Myers (Senior Investigative Correspondent), Adam Ciralsky (Producer), and the other dedicated journalists and support staff at NBC News for their patriotism and outstanding achievement in reporting on this important story.

They have given you, my fellow Americans, the information you need to demand a stop to the corrupt practices in Army acquisition. It is not hyperbole to say that, literally, lives depend on your actions.

Let us hope that you will now let your elected representatives in the Congress hear your outrage — loud and clear.

And, from all signs to date, the new Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, will be a receptive listener to such expressions when backed up with the hard evidence of independent testing that NBC News has provided.

Semper fidelis,

Roger Charles

President

SFTT