A bigger shell
This week has seen another flare up in the debate regarding the troops in Iraq not having adequate protection. The primary focus of the debate this week is the lack of peripheral armor around the ceramic plates in the soldiers body armor. The studies are showing that as many as 80% of the lethal torso injuries incurred in Iraq could have been prevented by sufficient body armor.
This may or may not be true. I don't think there is such thing as a preventable death in war. Body armor makes it less likely to be killed but not impossible.
Consider that a soldier will be carrying a 8.3 pound (3.77kg) assault rifle, a further 3 pounds of clothing and boots, 4-8 pounds of ammunition, 8 pounds of webbing and 16.4 pounds (7.4 kg) of body armor. Add a couple of extra 4 pound (1.8 kg) plates to cover those currently unprotected places and you have one seriously heavy soldier. You also have to factor in the heat of the Iraqi climate.
If you add more armor you slow down the soldier, making him a sitting duck as he lumbers across open areas. So he won't be killed by the round that hits him in the chest, but he may be killed by the 3 or 4 subsequent hits that he would have avoided had he been faster.
The advantage has ebbed and flowed between machines, gadgets and tech versus the basic human being for as long as there has been warfare. For every strength there is an exploit or one just around the corner.
The thing about war is that people die. The only way to prevent these guys from dying is to pull them out of Iraq and end the war.
Article in Forbes
This may or may not be true. I don't think there is such thing as a preventable death in war. Body armor makes it less likely to be killed but not impossible.
Consider that a soldier will be carrying a 8.3 pound (3.77kg) assault rifle, a further 3 pounds of clothing and boots, 4-8 pounds of ammunition, 8 pounds of webbing and 16.4 pounds (7.4 kg) of body armor. Add a couple of extra 4 pound (1.8 kg) plates to cover those currently unprotected places and you have one seriously heavy soldier. You also have to factor in the heat of the Iraqi climate.
If you add more armor you slow down the soldier, making him a sitting duck as he lumbers across open areas. So he won't be killed by the round that hits him in the chest, but he may be killed by the 3 or 4 subsequent hits that he would have avoided had he been faster.
The advantage has ebbed and flowed between machines, gadgets and tech versus the basic human being for as long as there has been warfare. For every strength there is an exploit or one just around the corner.
The thing about war is that people die. The only way to prevent these guys from dying is to pull them out of Iraq and end the war.
Article in Forbes
posted by Alex Charalambides | 3:12 PM
1 Comments:
Ali, you could never be more spot on than you are now. Your last comment says it all but people just don't seem to get it.
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