ABC WNT-Soldiers Use Donated Steel to Fortify Vehicles

[underpants]

Self-Armored
Soldiers Use Donated Steel to Fortify Vehicles

http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/WNT/US/soldiers_armor_040217-1.html


F O R T   R I L E Y, Kan., Feb. 17 — In Iraq, Sgt. Derrick Hurt was well-armed and supplied with the best body armor. But his Humvee was designed to travel light — with not an inch of armor on it.


That worried him and the men who rode with him. They tried makeshift ways of strengthening the vehicles' flimsy undersides. "We filled the floorboards with sandbags as much as we could, except for the gas pedal and the brake," he said. "You know, you have to operate the vehicles."

The efforts didn't stop the grenade that ripped through the opening between the gas pedal and the brake — and ripped away most of Hurt's right leg. "It just kind of bounced on the road, and I just drove over it and it exploded," he recalled.

His father, Larry Hurt, a veteran himself, was surprised when he visited Derrick at a military hospital to find so many other soldiers who also were wounded in their unarmored vehicles. "Burn victims, loss of hands, lots of other injuries, too," he remembered. "It really brings it home to you walking down the halls."


EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

[truthspeaker]

1. remind me what that $87 billion was for?

It obviously didn't go to the people who need it.

[underpants]

3. Um it was for um .....Time said soldiers AVERAGING $2K in expenses

I can't find the link but a few months ago (around Christmas) they had the most wanted items for the soldier on your list.

Improved body armor
better walkie talkies
Better helmet liner
Better GPS

In other words we went on the cheap and the soldiers and their families are paying to make them safer and more comfortable.

[Mari333]

4. Halliburton, Bechtel etc

Our children are meaningless to these people. There is only one steel plant in the US, and Sen Dick Durbin called the Senate on this a few weeks ago...the Humvees are what my stepson will be in as he leaves Kuwait. These kids are improvising to save their own lives. and we cant even sue the US govt for sending them to this bloodbath over there. we cant even sue them.I called a military affairs person in Sen Levins office and asked..why cant soldiers families SUE using the RICO laws?? the 9/11 families are doing it..
so far, I havent got an answer.

[AndyP]

2. I bet

whenever anyone goes over there to visit the troops (read: make a phto-op, or check out how much money their company is making) they ride in the best, safest, vehicles that money can buy. Makes me sick to think that people are fighting a war that is wrong, but that we can't even protect them when they are driving in a frickin humvee.

[underpants]

5. On last night. When they showed Sgt. Hurt's prosthetic I groaned

I didn't expect the report to go there. His father had a look on his face that wasn't really anger but more sort of disbelief-a "I had no idea the injuries were that horrific" look.

It is both great and a shame that the communities have to do this for their neighbors. I liked that they put in there that they weren't sure if the Army would let them keep them, basically they aren't asking so they can't be told no.

[Mari333]

7. Fortified Limos. Those bastards should be brought in

in inadequate Humvees. They should have to sit in the sand with the kids over there.
they should have to face what these kids face daily.

[underpants]

6. MODS-sorry it is 7 paragraphs

it was the only way to get the gist of the story in there. Let me know if I need to cut it down.

[Mari333]

8. I just called Senator Levins office in DC

and spoke to the military affairs person there..I told him of this again and was outraged...he said there are "talks in the works"
I said TALKS IN THE WORKS? A COMMISSION IS STARTED OVER JANET JACKSONS BREAST IN NO TIME FLAT AND OUR KIDS ARE OVER THERE DYING AND BEING BLOWN TO BITS DAILY BECAUSE OF INADEQUATE HUMVEES AND MY STEPSON IS IN KUWAIT IN THE 428th MP BRIGADE AND IS ABOUT TO GO ON A CONVOY INTO IRAQ AND ITS LIFE AND DEATH NOW FOR US AS PARENTS AND YOU TELL ME THERE ARE TALKS IN THE WORKS?? ARE YOU KIDDNG? THIS HAS TO BE DONE NOW!
he agreed. call your senators and congresspeople and get mad. This is an outrage.

[underpants]

9. Easy to use contact info-just click on your state

http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

[IkeWarnedUs]

13. Toll free number to call Congress

1-800-648-3516

This gets you to the Capitol switchboard. Tell them what Representative or Senator you want to talk to. Or you can ask for a committee office (like Armed Services, Budget, Veterans Affairs, etc.).

[underpants]

14. Okay thanks

:thumbsup:

[underpants]

10. Just called Rep.Bobby Scott

Senator Warner's phone is still busy.

[DeepModem Mom]

11. WHY is this not a big, continuing story in the press?

My nephew bought his own protective gear before going to Iraq. I called CNN, hoping they would do a story on this outrage, and the viewer comment line rep asked me if I had called earlier that day. So I wasn't the only one who called with a similar story. But have I seen this covered on CNN? Not unless I missed it. Maybe this ABC story is a start....

[Mari333]

12. We sent Michael with his own vest too just in case

I sure as hell dont trust the goddamn army to protect him and the goddamn bu$h administration!

[Moderator]

15. underpants

Per DU copyright rules
please post only 4
paragraphs from the
news source.


Thank you


DU Moderator