Why Won't Jeb Bush Pressure the President to Deliver Bulletproof Vests?

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Another Failure to Keep Faith With America's Military: Why Won't Jeb Bush Pressure the President to Deliver Bulletproof Vests to Soldiers in Iraq?

7/21/2004 2:26:00 PM
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=154-07212004

Contact: Chad Clanton or Phil Singer, 202-464-2800, both of the Kerry-Edwards Campaign, Web: http://www.johnkerry.com

WASHINGTON, July 21 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following is a fact sheet on bulletproof vests released today by the Kerry-Edwards campaign:

In response to increasing violence in Iraq and President Bush's failure to properly protect American soldiers in harm's way, Marion County, Florida Sheriff Ed Dean sent out a statewide request for donations of bulletproof vests to help one of his deputies, 1st Sgt. Fred Chisholm, the senior enlisted soldier in the 351st Military Police Company from Ocala, Florida. Forty law enforcement agencies from across the state of Florida responded with donations of more than 1,300 vests. Yet, the vests remain in Ocala, Florida instead of Iraq because the Pentagon has refused to approve their delivery. Like President Bush, who sent 40,000 American troops into Iraq without body armor, Governor Jeb Bush has done nothing to intervene in this case and ensure the safety of Florida soldiers serving two hours south of Baghdad. (Ocala Star-Banner, 5/14/04; 5/15/04; 5/28/04)

Vests Help Protect Interior of Humvees Against Roadside Attacks. "Chisholm wanted the vests so his soldiers could pad the interior of their thin-skinned Humvees to protect against homemade roadside bombs and other weapons." (Ocala Star-Banner, 5/14/04)

Vests Would Protect Against Improvised Explosive Devices. "This would greatly help the survival rate of my troops," Chisholm wrote. "There are always IEDs (improvised explosive devices) striking our vehicles...to minimize any troop injuries, we would pad our vehicles before going out on mission."" (Ocala Star-Banner, 5/15/04)

Forty Law Enforcement Agencies Responded With Donations. "Forty law-enforcement agencies around Florida contributed to the effort, which kicked off earlier this month after one of Dean's own deputies -- 1st Sgt. Fred Chisholm, the 351st's senior enlisted soldier -- asked for help. Chisholm did so out of frustration with the Army's slow-moving supply chain." (Ocala Star-Banner, 5/28/04)

Donated Bulletproof Vests Sit in Military Headquarters Instead of Protecting American Soldiers in Iraq. "More than 1,300 bulletproof vests collected by the Marion County Sheriff's Office for shipment to the Ocala-based 351st Military Police Company remain stored in the unit's Ocala headquarters -10 days after they were delivered for shipment to Iraq. How long the body armor continues to sit there remains to be seen." (Ocala Star-Banner, 5/28/04)

Bureaucratic Red Tape Prevents Prompt Delivery. "The vests are a gift and authorization to accept them comes from the Pentagon. But the request has only made it as far as Atlanta, where it arrived on Thursday...From there it will be forwarded to the Pentagon." (Ocala Star-Banner, 5/28/04)

Instead of Acting to Deliver the Vests, Military Leaders Attacked Chisholm. "When 1st Sgt. Fred Chisholm sent an email to Marion County Sheriff Ed Dean asking for help outfitting his troops' vehicles with protective body armor, Chisholm was barraged with "harassment" by the "stateside chain of command." (Ocala Star-Banner, 5/14/04)

Republican Lawmakers Lashed Out At Sheriff. "U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Ocala, sent a statement to the Star-Banner claiming Dean misrepresented the plight of the 351st Military Police Company and "included spurious accusations concerning congressional support for these troops."" (Ocala Star-Banner, 5/15/04)

Rumsfeld Unresponsive to Requests to Intervene. "Dean immediately faxed a letter to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on Thursday to intervene if military leaders come down on Chisholm. "I am writing to you to formally request that no retaliatory action be taken...for Sergeant Chisholm's initiative in trying to secure used ballistic vests to line the doors and floors of Humvees used in his unit in Iraq," Dean wrote to Rumsfeld." (Ocala Star-Banner, 5/14/04)

Not The First Time This Has Happened...

Lakeland, Florida Police Department Donated Body Armor to Iraqi Troops. "Some U.S. troops on their way to Iraq are going to receive used police vests to attach to their convoy vehicles for added protection, courtesy of the Lakeland Police Department. This month, the department sent 26 ballistic vests to New York, where the used body armor will be sent to the 701st Main Support Battalion of the Army's 1st Infantry Division. The vests will be attached to "soft sided" Humvees, which lack some of the protection of the hard-sided vehicles." (The Ledger (Lakeland, FL), Dec. 28, 2003)

One-Quarter of American Troops In Iraq Fought Without Body Armor. Bush sent American troops into combat without protective body armor. "Nearly one-quarter of the 130,000 U.S. troops in Iraq still have not been issued a new type of ceramic body armor strong enough to stop bullets fired from assault rifles...Congress approved $310 million in April to buy 300,000 more of the bulletproof vests, with 30,000 destined to complete outfitting of the troops in Iraq. Of that money, however, only about $75 million has reached the Army office responsible for overseeing the vests' manufacture and distribution, said David Nelson, an official in that office...Several soldiers serving in both countries have credited the Interceptor vests with saving their lives..." (AP, 10/13/03)

[soothsayer]

1. yet I notice * is wearing one all the time now

Notice how he looks like he's plumped up quite a bit? You can also see the outlines of it when you see him from behind when he's walking and waving.

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2. Good point

Good illustration of who our soldiers are fighting and killing to protect: our Military Industrial Warrior-in Chief

[Generic Other]

3. So what was the outcome of the story? That was in May

Did they get the vests to the soldiers?

How come our armored vehicles are so flimsy? Didn't they make stronger stuff during WWII?

And I agree, Bush looks like he wears one.