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Armor Banned by Army Banned by Air Force

Posted on: Saturday, 1 April 2006, 00:00 CST

By LOLITA C. BALDOR

WASHINGTON - A brand of body armor banned by the Army also failed Air Force tests and some of the vests were recalled, Army officials said Friday in defending their decision to require that soldiers wear only protective gear issued by the military.

Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Sorenson, who manages the buying of body armor, dismissed claims by California-based Pinnacle Armor and other companies their gear can match Army-issue armor.

"They have not been tested," Sorenson told reporters. "They have not passed the rigor that we put into standards determining whether something is safe, effective and suitable."

Under a new Army directive, soldiers can no longer wear any commercially bought body armor. The Army said it cannot guarantee the quality of the commercial armor, and any soldier wearing it will have to turn it in.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Friday there are no plans to enforce such a policy across all the military services.

Sorenson also referred briefly to the recall of Pinnacle vests by "another service," but didn't name the Air Force. He added that any soldiers who defy the order and wear commercial armor could be disciplined.

"If soldiers are doing this, they're doing it at their own risk," said Sorenson. "And quite frankly, it's probably not advisable because we have not found that protection provided by these other particular systems is anywhere near what the soldiers have today."

Josh Holly, a spokesman for the House Armed Services Committee, said its members grew concerned about Pinnacle gear since learning the company's latest version of Dragon Skin armor failed Air Force ballistic tests in February.

Holly said committee staff recently met with Pinnacle officials to encourage the company to pursue more Army testing, even volunteering to serve as independent witnesses to the tests.

He said the committee requested the meeting to ensure soldiers get the best equipment.

The Army told The Associated Press on Thursday the order banning commercial armor was prompted by concerns that soldiers or their families were buying inadequate or untested gear from private companies - including Pinnacle's popular Dragon Skin.

Murray Neal, chief executive officer of Pinnacle, said he wants to review the order.

"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."

Early in the Iraq war, soldiers and their families were spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on protective gear that they said the military was not providing. Last October, after months of pressure from families and members of Congress, the military began a reimbursement program for soldiers who purchased their own protective equipment.

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On the Net:

Defense Department: http://www.defenselink.mil  

Pinnacle Armor: http://www.pinnaclearmor.com

Source: Associated Press/AP Online

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