U.S. Army Bans Use of Privately Bought Body Armor

Army Bans Use of Privately Bought Armor

WASHINGTON (MSNBC/AP) March 30 — Soldiers will no longer be allowed to wear body armor other than the protective gear issued by the military in the latest twist in a running battle over the equipment the Pentagon gives its troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Digna Nieves cries over the coffin containing her husband, U.S. Army Spc. William Lopez Feliciano during his funeral in Qebradillas, Puerto Rico in January. Lopez, 33, had served in Afghanistan before being sent to Iraq, where he was killed on Dec. 22 in a bomb attack. The number of Puerto Rican-born soldiers who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan climbed to 50, leading some islanders to question whether the deployment of the troops was worth it.
AP Photo/Brennan Linsley

“We’re very concerned that people are spending their hard-earned money on something that doesn’t provide the level of protection that the Army requires people to wear. So they’re, frankly, wasting their money on substandard stuff,” said Col. Thomas Spoehr, director of materiel for the Army.

Murray Neal, chief executive officer of Pinnacle, said he hadn’t seen the directive and wants to review it.

“We know of no reason the Army may have to justify this action,” Neal said. “On the surface this looks to be another of many attempts by the Army to cover up the billions of dollars spent on ineffective body armor systems which they continue to try quick fixes on, to no avail.”

Spoehr said he doesn’t recall any similar bans on personal armor or devices. Such directives are most often issued when there are problems with aircraft or other large equipment.

Some veterans denounced the decision. Nathaniel R. Helms, editor of Defense Watch, the online magazine for the group Soldiers for the Truth, said he has already received a number of e-mails from soldiers complaining about the policy.

Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., who wrote legislation to have troops reimbursed for equipment purchases, said soldiers “haven’t been getting what they need in terms of equipment and body armor. That’s totally unacceptable, and why this directive by the Pentagon needs to be scrutinized in much greater detail.”

● Many Troops Don’t Want Extra Body Armor