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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: unclewest who wrote (240116)	2/27/2008 11:13:14 AM
From: LindyBill	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 794239

If there is no need to prepare for a land war, there is no need for an army. You buy the weapon systems to fit the plans you have. We have been fighting small wars for many years. And will probably continue to do so. We weren't ready to do the rebuild. Now we are getting it done. The big fight within all services is how big we are going to be, and how kinetic.

To: unclewest who wrote (240116)	2/27/2008 7:20:13 PM
From: FJB	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 794239

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Pentagon and Marine Corps authorized the purchase of 84,000 bulletproof vests in 2006 that not only are too heavy but are so impractical that some U.S. Marines are asking for their old vests back so they can remain agile enough to fight. Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway wants to know who authorized the costly purchase of the nearly 30-pound flak jackets and has ordered the Marine procurement officers at the Quantico base in Virginia to halt the rest of an unfilled order, FOX News has learned. "I’m not quite sure how we got to where we are, but what I do know is it is not a winner," Conway told FOX News at the end of his recent trip to Iraq. "I think it is foolish to buy more." Twenty-four thousand more vests were scheduled to be shipped to Iraq in the coming months, but Conway halted that order during his trip. "I’ve asked them to tell me — to walk me through — the whole process ... how it evolved," Conway said. "It goes back a couple of years. I think the vest has its advantages. It fits pretty well on the waist. The weight is distributed more evenly on the hips than shoulders, but Marines don’t like it. I didn’t like it when I put it on." The protective jackets, manufactured by Protective Products International in Sunrise, Fla., are known as Modular Tactical Vests, or MTVs. With heavy plates, known as sappis, on their sides, they provide more coverage than the older vests. That makes them much safer but also much heavier. The MTVs have more protection than the older "Interceptor," made by Point Blank, and they distribute weight more evenly. The new vests, weighing in at about 30 pounds each, are three lbs. more than previous regulation body armor. Marines, who are already carrying up to 95 lbs. depending on the mission, say they feel the difference. The vest slips over the head, but one Marine said that because of its weight, it often rips the skin off one’s nose and scrapes the ears. It also has a rip cord that allows for quick release should the fighter fall into water. But many Marines say the cord is hard to reach and often gets caught on equipment in their vehicles. They say it literally falls apart; one Marine said it was like getting caught in battle with your pants around your ankles... foxnews.com