Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Brian Baird continues to push the administration to supply our servicemen and women with adequate lifesaving body armor for use in battle.  Earlier this week, Rep. Baird joined 80 of his Democratic colleagues in a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, calling for an investigation into reports that soldiers have been placed in battle unprepared and under protected.  This letter follows Rep. Baird’s October 15 speech on the House floor in which he stated: “Sending those soldiers into the field without adequate body armor, without armored Humvees, was inexcusable, if not criminal. We must act to protect those soldiers right now.”

The armor, more commonly known as Interceptor body armor, has been credited with saving at least 29 lives in the war in Afghanistan.  It consists of a Kevlar vest with two removable ceramic inserts capable of stopping rounds from an AK-47 assault rifle.  Rep. Baird and his colleagues are concerned that this level of protection is only being issued to some of our troops in battle, with others relying on their family members to purchase the ceramic plates and mail them to the soldiers already entrenched in Iraq. 

“The accounts of mothers purchasing body armor for their children in the battlefield are embarrassing and unacceptable,” said Rep. Baird.   “We need to find out where the war planning failed and ensure that the Administration has a concrete plan to correct this error and give our troops the protection they need as soon as possible.” 

A copy of the letter is attached.

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