WASHINGTON DC – Senator John Kerry wrote to Department of Defense Inspector General, Charles M. Kicklighter today, to request that he report on sub-standard armor inside protective helmets that were distributed to troops over the last twenty years, including those fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The DoD contractor, Sioux Manufacturing of Fort Totten, recently settled a $156 million suit alleging that Sioux knowingly manufactured helmets for American troops below critical minimum safety requirements. Despite reports of wrongdoing, the DoD recently awarded Sioux a new $74 million contract to make more helmets. This news is especially disturbing, considering the horrible toll head injuries have taken on American troops.

“The possibility that a company knowingly put troops at greater risk is unacceptable, but reports of the Pentagon’s inadequate response once these allegations surfaced are even more troubling,” said Kerry. “We need an investigation, not to dwell on the wrongdoing of the manufacturer, but to guarantee that our troops are never put at risk because their government can’t inspect the equipment meant to protect them. The lives and health of our troops are too important to be lost to negligence or bureaucratic foot-dragging.”

Find the text of Kerry’s letter below:

February 8, 2008

The Honorable Charles M. Kicklighter
Inspector General
United States Department of Defense
The Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20301-1000 

Dear Mr. Kicklighter:

I write to express my deep concern over recent press reports that our troops may not have received the best possible equipment to protect them in harm’s way.

Specifically, I was very troubled that Sioux Manufacturing, a Department of Defense contractor, reportedly provided up to 2.2 million Kevlar helmets that failed to meet the government’s minimum standards. I am also concerned that the Department’s investigation, which came in response to whistleblower allegations, did not adequately investigate the claims that brought this matter to light.

These issues are especially troubling given that this is not the first time that Sioux Manufacturing has been suspected of wrongdoing. According to published reports, this company has been the target of a federal investigation since 2006 for questionable business practices.

Accordingly, I respectfully request that the Office of the Inspector General conduct a thorough review of this matter. That review should, at a minimum, address the following critical questions: why the Department of Defense was not previously aware of this Kevlar deficiency in helmets; whether the Department has devoted enough resources to conduct quality assurance; whether the Department’s response to these allegations was adequate; and what steps are now being taken to ensure that future inspections reveal any breaches of critical safety standards.

We all agree that our brave men and women in uniform deserve the best equipment available. Having fought for increased funding to address the serious threat of traumatic brain injuries, I understand the vital role of body armor and helmets in protecting lives. Working together, we have made progress, but we can and must do better to protect our troops. Above all, we must ensure that troops are never again put at greater risk when it could have been avoided by holding a company accountable.

Thank you for your serious and timely consideration of this request. I look forward to hearing from you on this critical troop safety issue. 

Sincerely, 

John F. Kerry