New Army Helmets May Be Unsuitable for Iraq

[Pale_Rider]

http://drkoop.com/template.asp?page=newsdetail&ap=93&id=1504756

New U.S. Army helmets that are lighter, stronger, and smaller than the previous version may not be suitable for use in Iraq because they don't offer adequate protection on the side and back of the head, says the Army's senior neurosurgeon in Iraq.

Lt. Col. Jeff Poffenbarger noted that the deadliest threat to American soldiers in Iraq are roadside bombs. Shrapnel and debris from these bombs often strike soldiers in the back and side of the head.

"I've become convinced that for this type of guerilla fight, we are giving away coverage that we need to save lives," Poffenbarger told the Wall Street Journal.

Well not all new changes are for the best ...

[lazarus]

1. sounds like

they're going back to the WWI doughboy helmets. Idiots.

[Pale_Rider]

5. Advanced Combat Helmet ...

... which is ...

The Army has begun issuing a new helmet, dubbed The new Advanced Combat Helmet, made of a new type of Kevlar that is stronger and 25 percent lighter than its 4-pound predecessor.

But Lt. Col. Jeff Poffenbarger says it is 8 percent smaller, and offers less protection on the back and side of the head, the Wall Street Journal said Wednesday.

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,FL_helmet_082604,00.html

Here's a flash of the new gear ...
http://www.sptimes.com/2003/03/09/uniforms.swf

[Rose Siding]

2. Oh, great, a "choice"

"His concerns have prompted some senior commanders of new Army units arriving in Iraq to give their soldiers the choice of using the new helmets or keeping their old ones."

So, kid, it's 130 degrees out. Do you want the smaller, lighter helmut or the heavier, warmer one that might do a better job at saving your life?

[gratuitous]

3. Did Bush send the military into Iraq with inadequate armor?

Why don't our troops have the finest helmets money can buy? We're spending over a billion dollars a day on the defense budget. What's the scoop, here?

[ComerPerro]

4. Because Bush, Cheney, Republicans don't give a shit

They don't care about the troops. To borrow a phrase from Bush's whore of a mother, why should they worry their beautiful minds over the number of dead and wounded Americans?

If they spent the billions on providing the troops with sufficient protection, then it would cut into their profit margins.

And, in the world of neocons, profit is all that matters.