Military's body armor fails tests, forcing recall of 16,000 sets

[TheCount]

The U.S. Army has ordered a recall of more than 16,000 sets of body armor (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/time/us_time/storytext/08599187495600/30773355/SIG=122csk7bt/*http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1002155,00.html) after an audit by the inspector general of the Defense Department concluded that they failed tests to meet Army specifications. The IG fingers the Army for failing to conduct adequate testing before contracting for the armor. This is the second audit to blame the Army for the quality of body armor. A year ago, the IG found that the Army failed to follow federal contracting rules in procuring armor and concluded that the Pentagon had "no assurance" that nearly half of 28 contracts - worth nearly $3 billion - "met the required standards."

Full Story (http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20090130/us_time/08599187495600/print)

---------------

Whoops. What happens now, do we get our 3 billion back so we can buy the troops... I don't know, gear that works?

[JBond]

The U.S. Army has ordered a recall of more than 16,000 sets of body armor (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/time/us_time/storytext/08599187495600/30773355/SIG=122csk7bt/*http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1002155,00.html) after an audit by the inspector general of the Defense Department concluded that they failed tests to meet Army specifications. The IG fingers the Army for failing to conduct adequate testing before contracting for the armor. This is the second audit to blame the Army for the quality of body armor. A year ago, the IG found that the Army failed to follow federal contracting rules in procuring armor and concluded that the Pentagon had "no assurance" that nearly half of 28 contracts - worth nearly $3 billion - "met the required standards."

Full Story (http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20090130/us_time/08599187495600/print)

---------------

Whoops. What happens now, do we get our 3 billion back so we can buy the troops... I don't know, gear that works?

I wonder why the Democrat controlled Armed Services Committee would allow this to happen?

[joseephuss]

I wonder why the Democrat controlled Armed Services Committee would allow this to happen?

Do you ever look at things without Republican colored glasses? Do you seriously think only one political party is responsible for every bad thing in the world? You sure come across that way.

[CowboyWay]

So you don't blame the maker of the product at all?

[Doomsday101]

I say we test it, Pelosi put this body armor on and stand over there. :lmao:

[Kangaroo]

So you don't blame the maker of the product at all?

The blame probably should go to the Generals at the Pentagon they are nothing more than politician at that level and most likely getting kickbacks from the Manufactures or setting themselves up for that second job after they retire with that General's Pay and really rake it in.

[TheCount]

Do you ever look at things without Republican colored glasses? Do you seriously think only one political party is responsible for every bad thing in the world? You sure come across that way.

JBond make about 5 "Liberal's Fault" posts every day, regardless of topic. You're better off just moving on when you see them.

[zrinkill]

This is unacceptable ......

[DFWJC]

Whoops. What happens now, do we get our 3 billion back so we can buy the troops... I don't know, gear that works?

Tell me about it. Still, US troops have far more protective gear (body or other) than any other troops on the planet. It would be nice if we got our money's worth though.

[ninja]

"The new audit goes a step further, concluding that some of the ceramic ballistic inserts - bulletproof plates, in layman's terms - in the armor are actually defective. The IG focused on "first article testing," by which any design flaws are spotted and rectified during the manufacturing process. Such testing is meant to confirm that a product meets Army specifications. The audit says the Army didn't perform or score the tests consistently. As a result, the audit report says, "we believe that three of the eight ballistic-insert designs that passed first article testing actually failed."...

Even so, Secretary of the Army Pete Geren has recalled the sets as a precaution. The Army statement quotes Geren as saying, "Let's put this into perspective. Out of more than 2,300 body-armor tests conducted by the Army, the Department of Defense IG is questioning three of them." Even those three, he adds, satisfied the department's testers. "

Did any of you actually read the article? I work for the Army. I write and review contracts for the Army. I perform "first article tests" for the Army. You wouldn't believe the stuff that gets written into a contract. You wouldn't believe the tests required. You wouldn't believe the technicalities a losing bid contractor will use to fight every contract. You would be surprised about the set-asides(quotas-Prisons, Indian reservations, small business disadvantaged, etc).

In all likelihood, the equipment is fine. This just sounds like the auditor jerking the contractor and Army around.

[burmafrd]

Still with the lousy record they have had with any kind of armor over the last few years you would THINK someone would be extremely careful over this.

[Cajuncowboy]

What? No Government regulation??? Oh wait.....

[JBond]

Do you ever look at things without Republican colored glasses? Do you seriously think only one political party is responsible for every bad thing in the world? You sure come across that way.

I am not a Republican. There is plenty of blame for all. I just do that sometimes because for the last 8 years I listened to that crap by liberals if it was warranted or not.

Bush was far to liberal on many topics, but he did get a couple right. The few he got right were the ones the left demonized without mercy. Every once in a while I like to poke The Count.

Nothing personal. I like the Burnett/glass man a lot.

I just want people to remember how unfairly Bush was treated at times. Liberals will never give him credit for how liberal he truly was.

[TheCount]

I am not a Republican. There is plenty of blame for all. I just do that sometimes because for the last 8 years I listened to that crap by liberals if it was warranted or not.

Bush was far to liberal on many topics, but he did get a couple right. The few he got right were the ones the left demonized without mercy. Every once in a while I like to poke The Count.

Nothing personal. I like the Burnett/glass man a lot.

I just want people to remember how unfairly Bush was treated at times. Liberals will never give him credit for how liberal he truly was.

I feel special. ;)

If you're trying to poke me, you're probably choosing the wrong angle. I'm not a liberal and I was never one of the people that abused Bush every chance he got.

[CowboyWay]

What? No Government regulation??? Oh wait.....

What? A company not making a product that is safe for Americans? But wait, I thought the market would have weeded them out.

[Cajuncowboy]

What? A company not making a product that is safe for Americans? But wait, I thought the market would have weeded them out.

What? You not making sense again????

[CowboyWay]

What? You not making sense again????

You said in another thread that companies don't need regulation because if they didn't make a satisfactory product, they would be weeded out by the consumers, and go out of business.

There is plenty of blame to go around on this topic. One, the company should have made a better product and tested the armor themselves, and two, the army most certainly should have conducted their own tests.

Its the chicken or the egg. Which came first? The armor company making a poor product, or the army for failure to inspect what they paid for?

In you're whacked mind, it will be the army, because the army is "govt", and everything that has to do with govt or regulation is wrong. But the correct answer would be "both".

[iceberg]

You said in another thread that companies don't need regulation because if they didn't make a satisfactory product, they would be weeded out by the consumers, and go out of business.

There is plenty of blame to go around on this topic. One, the company should have made a better product and tested the armor themselves, and two, the army most certainly should have conducted their own tests.

Its the chicken or the egg. Which came first? The armor company making a poor product, or the army for failure to inspect what they paid for?

In you're whacked mind, it will be the army, because the army is "govt", and everything that has to do with govt or regulation is wrong. But the correct answer would be "both".

so let the government demand a refund and find another maker.

there. free market worked.

[MetalHead]

so let the government demand a refund and find another maker.

there. free market worked.

Exactly.
Here in San Antonio the Fire Dept. got a bunch defective equipment.
They got their money back and found a new supplier.
Market worked again.

[ninja]

There is plenty of blame to go around on this topic. One, the company should have made a better product and tested the armor themselves, and two, the army most certainly should have conducted their own tests.

Its the chicken or the egg. Which came first? The armor company making a poor product, or the army for failure to inspect what they paid for?



Did you read the article? 2300 tests performed on armor. 3 tests are under "dispute." The auditor dodn't like the way 3 tests were done. Failure to inspect? 2300 tests not enough for you? Poor product?

You clearly have no idea about military/government contracts.

[Cajuncowboy]

You said in another thread that companies don't need regulation because if they didn't make a satisfactory product, they would be weeded out by the consumers, and go out of business.

There is plenty of blame to go around on this topic. One, the company should have made a better product and tested the armor themselves, and two, the army most certainly should have conducted their own tests.

Its the chicken or the egg. Which came first? The armor company making a poor product, or the army for failure to inspect what they paid for?

In you're whacked mind, it will be the army, because the army is "govt", and everything that has to do with govt or regulation is wrong. But the correct answer would be "both".

So they get someone else.

Problem solved.

The problem with the left is they want to make things so difficult that you feel the need to have government in everything.

That's how they stay in power. because they create the need for you to need them.

[irvin4evs]

LOL @ this forum talking about capitalism.