H&I* Fires, 13 APR 2007

The great thing about our new body armor is that it works. The disturbing thing is, well, that it works. America is seeing and will continue to see many more amputees than in the past because our body armor is saving the lives of those who would have died from the same attacks in past conflicts. That is why DoD is at the cutting edge of robotic prosthetics and we need to continue to figure out ways to fully incorporate our walking wounded back into our society. I think part of the problem we're having in America stems from the visual reminders of the cost of war. The elite (Blue Bloods), rather than owning up to the fact that someone else is paying their debt, are calling for an end to the conflict so they don't have to be so often reminded of their social responsibility and failure. God bless our troops. Never forget. ML

Find, fix and finish. Ah, well - two out of three gets you into the hall of fame for MLB.

Happy Triskaidekaphobia Day! (SOMEONE around here likes the number 13 and thinks it to be his lucky number. Someone ELSE around here is having a really crappy 12th AND 13th and isn't inclined to agree with any GOOD luck associated with 13.)

Tankerswife, yup, it's been a minor controversy. The folks over at Col Hackworth's place have been all over it. Soldiers for the truth. It's been a two year saga. I know nothing about any of the particulars, but it's been something that's been fought over for a while.

As for the "dragon" armor, it has pluses and minuses. It's plus is that overlapping discs provide some additional security and are less likely to "break" completely. another plus is that it does allow for bending in ways that the straight armor plating doesn't. It is also been considered easier to remove and put on. Because it is flexible and overlapping, when it is hit by a bullet, the pressure is absorbed by a wider area, thus dissipating the power of a projectile and decreasing the ability to penetrate the armor (unlike plate armor which can shatter if hit at a specific rate of speed or range). However, because it is closer to the body and conforms, blunt force trauma is more of an issue, despite claims otherwise and it will not protect you any better in a knive fight. The minuses are a few more: heavier than regular armor due to the number of discs and overlapping coverage; the "dragon skin" plates are triangular and do not provide as wide a coverage area in the front and back though they were some of the first to offer additional armor on the sides and for the lower back; while it will stop a 7.62mm bullet, in explosive situations, the discs can separate and become part of the shrapnel. It is also quite a bit more expensive than the "plate" armor because the many ceramic discs (costly to make compared to "plate") and have to be hand sewn into the armor, also more costly. Replacing it is more costly. None of this is "new" in terms of "plate" armor v. "bar" or "chain" armor. medieval armorers had to take these trade offs as well. though flexible, chain mail armor could not deflect nor depreciate blunt force trauma from such weapons like maces or war hammers and when bigger and better arrow heads and bows were implemented, the chain and bar armor could be penetrated, taking pieces of the armor with it. So, while they might have lived from the actual arrow strike, the ensuing infections and other muscle/internal organ damage from the "shrapnel" created could cause infections and other egregious non-recoverable wounds.

It looks to me like it would be a royal PITA if you're trying to shoot in the prone position. Yup. But rotating the firing portion of your bod so that your LOS is perpendicular to your spine should stick the extra chunk over your shoulder instead of into the nape of your neck. Kind of embarassing if you're trying to present a minimum frontal area toward the enemy, though it'd be my position of choice when shooting something with a decent cyclic rate of fire from behind a nice, solid building.

Ah, yes, Chief, when there is metal in the air, any prudent person gets behind something *thick* whether he is a participant in the games or not. Thick and dense is even better. I don't think there ain't nohow no thick dense parts of any hellaflopper ever built. If you ever get to Heaven, you be sure and go visit Carborundum, or at least have a look in at the padded cell they have to keep him in these eons. They might haul you up on charges for violating the CCDJ (Celestial Code of Divine Justice) for Abuse of Guardian Angel Services. Don't worry too much, I'll put in a word with my Uncle George. He's a cop up there, having been a Marin