Fatally Flawed - More Evidence Damns Army's Reliance On and Testing Of Body Armor Ceramic Plates

More Evidence That Army's Reliance on, and Testing of, Body Armor Ceramic Plates is Fatally Flawed

As we study Friday's release of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on body armor (asked for by Senators Jim Webb and Hillary Rodham Clinton in May of 2007 and by other congressional offices), it's worth reviewing some important, related news.

First, here's some text copied from the web site for the Ceramics and Composites Material Center at Rutgers University. (CCMC is a multi-university research center, but hosted at Rutgers.)

"Structural Ceramics/Ceramic Armor
Determination of the Root Cause of the Poor Ballistic Performance of Boron Carbide -- Manish Chhowalla and Dale Niesz

Non-Destructive Evaluation of Ceramic Armor -- Richard Haber and Dale Niesz

Property Measurements as Estimators of Ballistic Performance -- Roger Cannon

Effect of Gas Phase Composition in Pores During Densification -- M. John Matthewson and Dale Niesz

Defining Microstructural Tolerance Limits of Defects for SiC [Silicon Carbide] Armor -- Richard Haber"
Note the subject of the first-listed research project. The topic focused on "Root Cause of the Poor Ballistic Performance of Boron Carbide."

Boron carbide is one of the two most commonly used materials in the manufacture of the ceramic ballistic-protective plates used today by America's frontline troops. Here is proof that among the real experts, university professors whose life is researching ceramic and (composite materials), there is open acknowledgment that Boron Carbide ballistic performance is "poor."

Their research is not into how well the Boron Carbide performs. They already have the answer to that question, and under most grading systems were they to issue a grade for Boron Carbide's ballistic performance, "poor" would generally merit a "D," at best.

The other most commonly used material for use in today's Army and Marine Corps ceramic ballistic-protective plates is, silicon carbide, or as it is abbreviated in the fifth item in the above list, "SiC."

Three Rutgers University professors who participate in the premier multi-university cooperative research center in the nation dealing with ceramics, list two principal research topics having to do with the performance of the two most commonly used ceramic ballistic protective materials, and both topics raise serious, fundamental questions about: (1) of how well the ceramic material performs in the case of Boron Carbide, and (2) the key structural integrity, i.e., performance, of the second ceramic material, Silicon Carbide.

(The two authors cited for the Boron Carbide study did not respond to a phone call and emails asking for an opportunity to discuss their project. The author of the Silicon Carbide study did respond in a series of back-and-forth emails, saying, "I am not sure I am at liberty to share my results.")

DOD's View: there's never been a failure of a single ceramic plate, ever...

Yet Defense Department representatives from three-star generals to public affairs civilian flacks continue to claim that there has never been one failure of a DOD-issued ceramic plate. Not a single one. Never, ever.

Which leads us to the next "paradox" in the body armor debate.

Why is the Army installing multi-million dollar x-ray devices in combat theaters to do non-destructive testing on ceramic ballistic protective plates?

Does this installation contradict the Army and Marine Corps claims of zero failures?

Or, does it reinforce the views of the above cited ceramic materials professors who are doing research on the poor performance of Boron Carbide plates, and others researching defect "limits" in the microstructure of Silicon Carbide?

Army officials contribute chapter in "Advances in Ceramic Armor IV"

The following is an abstract posted in an on-line advertisement for the above cited book. Several civilians in key roles of the Army corrupt body armor program, including Karl Masters and James Zhang, boast of their achievements in fielding the Non-Destructive Evaluation Automated Inspection System (NDE-AIS).
Abstract To properly protect personnel, the ceramic plate component in body armor must be free of cracks. Studies by the U.S. Army and Britain(2) have shown that while cracked plates can still defeat a threat, their ballistic performance is degraded. The Non-Destructive Automated Inspection System (NDE-AIS) is a deployable, high speed, automated digital radiographic inspection system that evaluates ceramic plate serviceability in the filed... results demonstrated that the NDE-AIS is 99.8% effective in keeping defective body armor plates from being reissued to Soldiers. Ceramic plates are inspected at an average rated of about 240 plates per hour in a process that automatically identifies and withdraws defective plates from service...

Let's stop right here to take a closer look at this amazing admission from the Army's own body armor experts. They claim a 99.85 success rate in keeping defective body armor plates from being reissued.

Note that the Army authors of this chapter are admitting that there are defective plates that have been worn by our frontline, combat troops because if there were no defective plates, there would be no need for NDE-AIS.

The Army response will be that every single plate ever issued to any Soldier was perfect, hence the perfect historical record of no failures, ever. (Yep, while the Army will admit that defective plates have been worn, they will adamantly claim no defective plate has been shot in combat, ever!! More about this incredulous claim below.)

Thus, according to the Army, the "defective" plates discovered and rejected as unfit for reissue have become so after having been subjected to the environment of tactical operations.

Let's examine that claim, keeping in mind that the Army says that no plate has ever failed to stop a single round at the threat level for which that plate was certified.

The Army is therefore claiming that in eight years of combat in Afghanistan and in six and one-half years of combat in Iraq, all the ceramic plates that became defective due to the bumps and grinds and other environmental factors of tactical operations became defective only in that period following the plates morphing from pristine-perfect to defective. And, during this period no Soldier was ever shot while wearing a morphed, defective plate!!

That's right. For the Army's blatantly specious claim to be valid, we must accept that some sort of battlefield miracles have routinely occurred wherein every frontline trooper that was shot, with the round impacting in their ceramic plate, was wearing a plate that had not yet morphed from pristine-perfect (as issued) into a defective plate.

BTW -- to accept the Army's claim of no ceramic plates failures every, you must first accept the Army's implied claim that every single plate produced in the past eight years has been perfect. Given DOD IG investigations and reports over the past two years documenting serious flaws in the First Article Testing by the Army that qualifies vendors for producing ceramic plates, only the most diehard "Kool-aide drinker" in PEO-Soldier would accept such a preposterous contention.

[NB: The Associated Press broke the story on the GAO report late morning on Friday, Oct. 16. Here's the first graph:
Investigators find flaws in Army body armor tests
By RICHARD LARDNER (AP)
WASHINGTON - The Army made critical mistakes in tests of a new body armor design, according to congressional investigators who recommend an independent review of the trials before the gear is issued to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.]

DefenseWatch will be studying the GAO report and will report its findings as soon as completing its examination of GAO's latest confirmation of serious flaws in the Army's testing of this life-or-death item of personal protective equipment.

What is an Army Reserve Career Really Like?

The Army Reserve has a long and respected history. Formed near the beginning of the last century, originally Army jobs in the reserves were limited to officers. After the first World War, however, it was changed to include enlisted men and women as well.

So What Does It Mean to be in the Army Reserve?

Soldiers in the Army Reserve provide their service on a part-time rather than a full-time basis. When not on active duty, soldiers typically serve one weekend per month, and two full weeks during the year for annual training.

The Reserve requires an eight-year service commitment and usually includes a period of active service in the regular Army and the remainder of the eight years to be served in the Reserves. There are some soldiers who choose to serve the entire term in the Army Reserve however.

What Kinds of Army Jobs Do Reservists Do?

Army careers are varied, and the opportunities for reservists are vast. The Army Reserve has soldiers in chemical brigades, judge advocate units, medical groups, railway units, water supply battalions, psychological operations units, and public affairs units. And these are but a sample of what the reserves have to offer!

Chemical brigades are one of the new Army jobs that didn't exist in decades past, and where the Army Reserve plays a powerful role. These skilled soldiers provide support and resources in incidents of chemical, biological, and nuclear operations. In the ever changing and increasingly threatening world of international threat Army careers like these clearly translate to opportunities in homeland security following service.

The Army Reservistst Create a Safer World For All

In 2009 the Army Reserve consisted of more than 200,000 soldiers. These skilled, trained, and dedicated service personnel, ready to fill a wide range of Army jobs provide a stand-by source of protection in the event of a crisis. In return, as a member of the Reserves, you can feel proud of your role in protecting our future. You can choose to be educated in a variety of Army jobs, and you will be entitled to educational support during your service or as a veteran that can unlock the door to your future.

More than 100 different Army jobs are available to willing soldiers. They range from on the job mechanical jobs, to highly detailed technical positions requiring extensive training. Whatever your work interests there are Army jobs that suit your talents. The Army Reserve is the right place to spread your wings and begin your future.

The Pakistan Army - An Evaluation

One of the major contributions of the British to the countries of India and Pakistan was a first class army. This army had distinguished itself in the two world wars as well as battles against the Afghans and the tribes of the frontier. This was known as the Indian army during the days of the Raj.

In 1947 when the British left India, the Army was divided into the armies of India and Pakistan. Thus the basic ingredient of the Pakistan Army was the ethos of the culture brought by the English. Unfortunately while India retained and even developed the British ethos, Pakistan followed a diametrically opposite path. The result was that the professionalism of the Pakistan Army was given a go by.

Right from 1947 down to the present time the Army has been suffering only defeats. This is a direct corollary of the lack of a professional fighting spirit in the Pakistan Army. To make matters worse right from 1957 when General Ayub Khan seized power in a military coup, the Army is enmeshed in the politics of the nation. Thus a string of Generals as Presidents and Governors have appeared. All these do not add up to a professional atmosphere in the Army where top Generals are eyeing plum civil appointments.

The Bangladesh war is a case in point, when 93, 000 soldiers surrendered without much resistance. Learned soldiers are of the opinion that the Pakistan Army could have held out much longer, but it did not happen. Again the 1965 war with India and the Kargil episode again showed the Army in poor light. Despite advantage of terrain and equipment the armed forces abjectly failed in all their objectives.

The situation is now very volatile as the Pakistan Army brought up on a diet of India as the main enemy is confronted by Islamic jihad groups. These groups could sound the death knell of Pakistan. The Army thus has a monster in it's rear. Given the fact that the Army is not the Professional force that it is supposed to be, fighting the jihad groups will not be easy. Another lurking danger is the fact that the Army is rife with elements of Islamic fundamentalism. For this the blame must lie with General Zia who gave the green signal to Islamise the Army. Thus one of the fundamental principles of the British of a secular force was thrown to the winds.

The future is indeed bleak. The Pakistan Army will have to inculcate professionalism at all levels, otherwise the defeats of the last 60 years may come back to haunt them again in the guise of the Taliban and Jihad groups.

The Forgotten Army in the Fight Against The Japanese

1941 was a decisive year in world history. The Japanese Imperial Army was advancing relentlessly having captured Singapore. In the west the British were guarding against a German invasion as the entire Europe was under the bots of Hitler.

In such a scenario Field Marshal Slim's British Indian army has not got its due for facing the Japanese Army. Though pushed back through Burma the British Indian army fought valiantly against a heartless enemy. Thus this army is often referred to as the forgotten army as it was poorly equipped and had much less resources than their counter parts in the west. Yet it fought valiantly.

There was also the factor of Subhas Chandra Bose who tried to rouse the Indian pow's by forming the Azad Hind fauj. It is a tribute to the loyalty of the Indian troops that by and large they remained loyal to the British. This is the hall mark of a soldier: Loyalty and it was displayed in ample measure by the British Indian Army.

The Japanese army had soon surrounded Kohima and was on the gates of India. The siege of Kohima lasted many weeks but the Indian army never gave up. It was then that the Japanese broke and the Imperial army failed to capture Kohima. This was the turning point of the war in the east. Yet this battle is not given its due, though it was every inch as important as Stalingrad or El Alamein. The battle for Kohima brought out untold bravery of the British Indian army. Bose also failed to engineer defections among the Indian troops and this was the limit of the Japanese imperial army as they were defeated and turned back.

The battles on the return when the Indian army forced the Japanese retreat through thick jungles are what stuff legends are made off. Both officers and men of the British Indian army under Field Marshal Slim fought gloriously and the sun began to set on the Japanese empire. In fact Kohima was the last hurrah of the Imperial army.

The Japanese were pushed back through Burma. It was bitter fighting but the 'Forgotten army' carried the day. Now when more that 60 years have elapsed it is incumbent on historians to give credit to Field Marshal Slim's forgotten army. The soldiers who fought along with this army certainly deserve it.

Educational Benefits of US Army Service - Beyond the GI Bill

When most people think of education and the Army they immediately think of the GI bill, but veterans and US Army active duty personnel are entitled to more. With choices including the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP), the Post Vietnam Era Veterans' Educational Program (VEAP), and the Montgomery GI Bill you will be able to pursue your professional dreams with Army support. Protecting our country is an important job, and the time you give the US Army should not keep you from reaching long-term professional goals. Your Army service can actually become the doorway to an educational future that might not otherwise be in reach.

Respecting Our Army Veterans

The US Army is committed to honoring the service of its dedicated service people and has tools available to guide you step-by-step to the best choice or combination of benefit programs for you. Some of the important determining factors in selecting the right combination are the length of your active service, whether you desire to attend school full or part time, and if you need a housing allowance. Take advantage of the planning tools the Army offers on its easy to navigate site to consider different combinations.

Since the Army made changes in 1984 to the GI Bill, creating the Montgomery GI Bill, benefits available to veterans have only improved and choices expanded. In exchange for active duty US Army personnel forfeiting $100 pay per month for a year to the Montgomery GI program they receive a significantly increased educational benefit for 36 months.

The Army makes this option even more attractive by including a buy-up option. While on active duty US Army service personnel can contribute up to $600 toward their Montgomery Bill. The Army matches this contribution 8 to 1, for every dollar the service person contributes, the Army contributes 8. What investment has a return of this magnitude!

US Army Support

The Army understands the importance of having time to adjust to life outside the service. Reconnecting with family and finding jobs and housing can be a challenging adjustment when leaving. US Army veterans have up to 10 years to use these benefits. There are informal and formal educational opportunities while in the Army that simply can't be measured.

Training experienced during your Army service would cost you thousands of dollars in the civilian world. When you add to that the significant educational support the US Army offers for its active personnel and veterans and the Army is a choice that simply can't be beat.