My valiant, wonderful husband, Colonel David (Hack) Hackworth, one of America’s greatest heroes and most valor-decorated soldiers, died in my arms two years ago this past May (Editor’s note: This was written by Col. Hackworth’s wife three years ago on the second anniversary of his death). During the last weeks we shared, he thought not a wit about himself; and his love for me burned so brightly I still feel surrounded by that awesome warmth. But he worried too about ...
Continue Reading →Severe Clear debuts in NY
Severe Clear, a documentary based primarily on footage shot by Marine First Lt. Mike Scotti on his Mini-DV, shows Marines in combat during the early days of combat in Iraq in 2003, opened today in New York City.
Severe Clear, which I have not seen, was reviewed today in the New York Times and vivdly describes combat conditions ...
Continue Reading →DOD Body Armor Testers Ignore Protocols
In previous news articles for SFTT, I had reported on the rather cavalier (“incompetent” or “negligent” might be better words) treatment given to body armor testing by the DOD and the US Army. When in doubt (and there should be no doubt when lives are at stake!), these body armor testers consistently skewed test results in favor of contractors to the detriment of soldiers in combat who have no legal alternative than to use “approved” military-issue protective equipment.
For years, ...
Continue Reading →Flawed Army Test Procedures for Body Armor
I had previously reported that the GAO had found that the Army’s practice of incorrectly rounding down back-face deformations (“BFD”) would have caused two body armor designs that passed First Article Testing to “have failed if the measurements had not been rounded.” This is just one of many testing anomalies chronicled in the 110 page GAO report entitled: Independent Expert Assessment of Army Body Armor Test Results and Procedures Needed Before Fielding.
Not satisfied with the advantage granted ...
Continue Reading →Flawed Body Armor Tests: “Rounding” Measurements
The October, 2009 Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) report to Congress, entitled “Independent Expert Assessment of Army Body Armor Test Results and Procedures Needed Before Fielding,” confirms deviations from approved US Army testing protocols, “the majority of which seem to make the testing easier to pass and favor the vendors . . .” One glaring example of this skewed testing in favor of military suppliers are “Rounding” Measurements of Back-face Deformation (“BFD”).
When a test bullet strikes the target ceramic ballistic protective ...
Continue Reading →GAO Report Slams Body Armor Test Procedures
The October, 2009 Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) Report to Congressional Requesters, titled “Independent Expert Assessment of Army Body Armor Test Results and Procedures Needed Before Fielding,” contains this devastating observation:
“Due to these deviations [from approved testing protocols], the majority of which seem to make the testing easier to pass and favor the vendors, we continue to believe that it is necessary to have an independent external expert review the results of First Article Testing and the overall effect ...
Continue Reading →SFTT Website Now Live
After several months of redesign, the SFTT website is now back online to spread the message that we can all help to ensure that America’s frontline troops get the best available individual protective equipment and combat gear.
Soldiers for the Truth (“SFTT”) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Educational Foundation founded by the late Col. David H. Hackworth and his wife Eilhys England to insure that our frontline troops have the best available leadership, equipment and training. SFTT is a non-partisan, apolitical foundation to provide ...
Continue Reading →Levin, McCain Request Review of Body Armor Systems
By Roger Charles
President’s Note:
Well, folks, sometimes things move much faster in Washington than experience would lead one to expect. This happened Monday and yesterday (May 21 and 22) when Sen. Carl Levin and Sen. John McCain, Chairman and Ranking Minority Member respectively, of the Senate Armed Services Committee short-circuited the public dispute between the Army acquisition mafia and NBC News about recent NBC reporting (assisted by SFTT and DefenseWatch) that showed Pinnacle Armor’s Dragon Skin performed “significantly better” (the words ...
Continue Reading →Webb & Clinton Call For Investigation Into The Effectiveness Of Body Armor Issued To Our Troops
Washington, DC – In light of recent media reports suggesting that a particular body armor system may offer better protection than the system currently being used by our service members, Senators Jim Webb (D-VA) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) — both members of the Senate Armed Services Committee — today called on Comptroller General of the United States David M. Walker to initiate a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation to reassess the body armor systems currently being issued by all ...
Continue Reading →Army 4-Star (Ret): Dragon Skin “Significantly Better” Than Interceptor In First-Ever Comparative Test (Conducted By NBC News)
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 ...
Continue Reading →