In yet another blatant example of gross incompetence or serial lying, Lt. Gen William Phillips, the chief acquisition officer for the US Army, stated that “we want to make sure that your readers have complete and total confidence in the Army’s ability to field protective (gear) to look after its soldiers while they’re deployed in combat zones and that, internally, the soldier and their family knows that as well.” Lt. Gen Phillips’ words of comfort to troops in the field ...
Continue Reading →Latest DOD IG Report on body armor confirms “reality testing” has replaced Quality Assurance testing
The latest DOD IG report confirms — again — the scandalous lack of required testing for Interceptor Body Armor’s ballistic protective plates. A long-time industry insider has summarized the unstated and shocking meaning of the report: “What we have now is ‘reality testing’ where a failure is no longer a statistic, but a real live warrior.”
This simple statement strips away the Pentagon spin and exposes this ugly truth: All the crocodile tears Bob Gates can blubber while signing ...
Continue Reading →“STAND UP FOR THE TROOPS” with LEWIS BLACK !
STAND UP with SFTT on September 12th at Carolines on Broadway as we help suppport America’s serving men and women by safeguarding their physical and mental well being.
STAND FOR THE TROOPS has two main initiatives:
- SFTT’s B.E.S.T. BASIC FIVE Campaign works to give our fighting men and women the best chance to make it home alive and in one piece by getting them the best personal combat gear: body armor, helmets, sidearms, rifles and boots.
- SFTT’s PTSD Initiative includes mobilizing ...
IG Slams US Army Body Armor Testing Again!!
In yet another scathing report by the Inspector General of the Department of Defense entitled “Ballistic Testing for Interceptor Body Armor Inserts Needs Improvement,” the IG “determined that ballistic testing and quality assurance for Inteceptor Body Armor did not have proper controls to ensure that the ballistic inserts met contract requirments.”
The IG report on shoddy US Army test procedures was released on August 1, 2011 and claims that the “Army Program Manager Soldier Equipment (PM SEQ) could provide only limited ...
Continue Reading →Body Armor Lies Expose Corruption or Incompetence in Military Procurement Process
Stand for the Troops was founded by Col. David Hackworth over 10 years ago with the very simple premise that grunts in combat deserve the best combat equipment and protective gear available. It is a goal or expectation that I am sure most – if not all – patriotic Americans would support. In light of recent Marine Corps testing of ceramic plates used in body armor, we now learn that roughly 5% of these life-saving plates are defective.
While one might argue that ...
Continue Reading →Cracks in Body Armor Plates undermines US Army Credibility
In what should come to no surprise to readers of SFTT, the Marine Corps has confirmed that government-issued ceramic plates used in body armor are flawed. In an article published in the Marine Corps Times, James K. Sanborn reports that the US Marines are using X-Ray machines to detect “cracks” in the ceramic plates used in body armor.
According to Master Sgt. Mateo Mathis, operations chief at Program Manager Infantry Combat Equipment in Quantico, Va., So far, 40,000 plates ...
Continue Reading →Are ceramic plates safe in US body armor?
SFTT reads with great interest that the US Army has awarded Ceradyne an order worth about $10 million for later in Q2, with completion estimated to be by Q3.
While one would not normally question our miliary leadership in making sure our troops have the very best protective gear, we still are seeking resolution to SFTT’s request for information on the reliability of ceramic plates used for body armor that was filed 18 months ago under the Freedom of Information Act;
Uncomfortable Combat Helmet: Deal with it!
One wonders at the insensitivity or blatant carelessness demonstrated by the public relations and advertising departments of major firms. This latest promotional ad from Team Wendy – which makes military helmets rather than hamburgers – suggests that men and women in uniform should should quit their belly-aching and cope with the safe but uncomfortable military helmets Wendy’s manufactures.
A veteran of many wars brought Team Wendy’s recent promotional ad to the attention of SFTT and asked for our ...
Continue Reading →“I’m Just Saying…” by Jim Magee
Congratulations on being nominated for Secretary of Defense, Mr. Panetta. Or should I say my condolences on being nominated for Secretary of Defense?
I’m just saying —- DOD isn’t the CIA. You’ll need all of your considerable skills in your new job. You’re the right guy to deeply cut the enormously high DOD budget. You’ve been in the Office of Management and Budget, been the White House Chief of Staff, been in Congress and run the CIA, so you know ...
Continue Reading →Helmet Padding may help with PTSD
The news media is alive with the idea that a “simple tweak” of padding in military helmets will reduce TBI (“traumatic brain injury”) and, perhaps, PTSD (“post traumatic stress disorder”). Ms. Claudia Cowan of Fox News, published an article on Aril 22nd which suggests that “a little padding goes a long way . . . to provide better protection from blunt force contact.”
Quoting scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Labs, Ms. Cowan suggests that ” by adding just a quarter-inch, or even an ...
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