Marines decline extra armor

[sleuth]

HUSAYBAH, Iraq - Extra body armor - the lack of which caused a political storm in the United States - has flooded in to Iraq, but many Marines here promptly stuck it in lockers or under bunks. Too heavy and cumbersome, many say.

...

"The reason they issued (the plates), I think, is to make people back home feel better," said Lance Cpl. Philip Tootle of Reidsville, Ga. "I'm not wishing they wouldn't have issued them. I'm just wishing that they wouldn't make them mandatory."

linkage: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,92296,00.html?ESRC=dod.nl

Another case of politicians fighting a war...

 

[itsbob]

linkage: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,92296,00.html?ESRC=dod.nl

Another case of politicians fighting a war...

"Before you know it, they're going to get us injured because we're hauling too much weight and don't have enough mobility to maneuver in a fight from house to house," said Bain, who is assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment. "I think we're starting to go overboard on the armor."

We use to run PT with our body armor on, until we started suffering foot and ankle injuries, not to mention the future back problems. Then they came out with the lighter Kevlar Armor and we started running with it again.

And of course, you can't put a vest in the washing machine either..