Comments on: Corps Moves to Reduce Armor Burden

By: Ian James

Ian James — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:20:04 +0000

That flak sucks. I hate it personally. It’s too bulky and awkward to wear and I think that it is an awesome decision that they went to a smaller version that fits closer to the body. The new one is basically a plate carrier.

By: madmaxx84

madmaxx84 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:42:21 +0000

Great news at last!!! Definitely one step in the right direction. Hope the Army adopts the very exact same policy (or something similar). Its about time we focus on mobility (and comfort) as we fight this war while preparing for other possible future conflicts where even greater mobility (and less armor/weight) be needed, such as jungles. Semper Fi!!!

By: Wembley

Wembley — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:41:54 +0000

Sounds like a good opening for Dragonskin, as it’s lighter for the same coverage as a rigid plate and being flexible, gives better mobility,

By: IYAAYAS

IYAAYAS — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 12:51:11 +0000

TB,
Perhaps this is my point.
I’m seeing that even though they’ve been authorised to make a command decision that they can be held accountable for, junior officers will err on the side of caution and just enforce the wearing of full body protection in lieu of reduced protection in appropriate areas, because they do not want to have to deal with the consequences of their Marines going KIA due to reduced body armour.
As cynical as that sounds, I merely tell it as I see it after more than 10 years service. Junior officers come, and junior officers go. We are still left to do our job. They try, but don’t really leave a lasting impression, and ultimately will always wait for direction from above. In my opinion.

By: Dwayne Stanislowski

Dwayne Stanislowski — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 03:03:12 +0000

Give them some DRAGONSKIN too.

By: obama bim laden

obama bim laden — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:45:54 +0000

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By: TB

TB — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:10:57 +0000

IYAAYAS,
I see where you’re coming from and if a junior officer is nervous about making a command decision for fear of his career, its because he learned the habit from his superior. Many a full bird pisses his pants at the thought of going against the grain and making decisions that aren’t politically safe. If a senior leader shows his subordinate officers that he’s not afraid to make a command decision, then those other officers will emulate him.
I’ve seen battalion and company commanders screaming for this kind of leeway for years. I don’t think junior officers are incapable of making that kind of call, they just need to know their superiors will back them if they do.

By: IYAAYAS

IYAAYAS — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:47:13 +0000

Byron, while I agree whole-heartedly with your comments I see just one problem.
From a troop’s perspective, on the whole, junior officers seem incapable of making this kind of decision. Junior officers seem to shy away from making the big calls that could blow up in their face and end their career.
A junior officer would rather not have to explain to a Colonel why some of his Marines are KIA because they weren’t wearing full body armour based on an order handed down from said junior officer.
They much prefer these decisions to come from somewhere higher than them, leaving them to merely enforce any order handed down.
So while it seems like a good idea I wonder just how much will really change.
I do however hope common sense prevails and this benefits Marines.

By: Byron Skinner

Byron Skinner — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:24:35 +0000

Good Morning Folks,
On this one Major Woods is 100% correct, how much if any body worn on any given operation should be the call of the battalion commander.
What might be the right body armor riding around in a HUMVEE in Ramada, where IED’s and EFP’s can be expected, would be the wrong armor for Marines operating in a small boat on a river patrol, any armor would tend to make them sink if they found themselves in the drink.
Major Woods is a breath of the fresh air of common sense which has been in short supply in the wars.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner

By: tiger

tiger — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:10:08 +0000

This goes the same for the whole Mrap/ Humvee fiasco. Armor is nice, but it requires a trade off. Turtles are well armored but slow too. The mindset that we can make everybody bulletproof has proven to be a mistake in a lot of cases.