Quote Originally Posted by Uboat509 View Post
Body armor is a prime example. Prior to OIF no one wore body armor except in very specific circumstances. Now you can't leave the gate with out full body armor with all the bells and whistles. In Iraq that is not such a problem where foot patrols are largely only in urban areas and last no more than a few hours after which the soldier will usually go back to a safe area where he can refit. I have not been to Afghanistan but friends of mine are telling me that foot patrols can be significantly longer in the mountains and forty pounds of body armor in addition to weapons, ammo and equipment plus whatever sustainment load there is seriously degrades a unit's ability to operate in that environment. Unfortunately the Army often does not look at things in that light. To many commanders, body armor stops bullets and shrapnel so we will wear it any time we are out of the wire and that is all there is to it. At what point does the body armor become more of a hindrance than it is worth?
SFC W
What I wonder is, if we were fighting the Vietnam war, would we be wearing body armour? Can you imagine a 2 or 3 day foot patrol with an interceptor vest? Iraq would seem to be a proper place for it, but what about other areas, especially hot and humid areas? The jungle would be pure misery with the interceptor. What about the Kevlar helmet?

This is why I would hope, that high on the priority list, is an effort to constantly improve the gear that is most useful to the ground fighter.

Lighter more comfortable boots, Better small arms, Lighter more protective body armour, lighter and better night-vision, better BDU's, lighter squad radios, etc,etc.

Besides these improvements, what I wonder, is if there's a group of NCO's and Junior Officers who discuss issues like this and get paid for it? Is there a "Think Tank" for NCO's and Junior Officers? It would seem, that the type of discussion we're having right here should be undertaken and financed by DoD. Discussing issues of load carrying weight, or conditions for body armour, could be discussed in this "Think Tank." This "Think Tank" would do what all Think Tanks do, in which they would conduct studies, have discussions, and write literature away from politics of the Pentagon and especially congress. If its decided that more money is needed in these ground fighter areas, and away from a congressman's pet defense contractor, this Think Tank should be shielded from those pressures.

Does one exist?