Summary: Here's what I thought you'd like to hear about today: The Body Armor Story -an Update from the House Armed Services Committee and the Jerk Download Subscribe Add Wizbang Podcast to iTunes A few weeks ago on the podcast I played some clips dealing with the controversy over the body armor that the Army provides to troops in Iraq. The Army tests armor to a standard, and the only type of armor that passes their test is called Interceptor. It's made by several manufacturers who compete for the Department of Defense business. Another firm, Pinnacle Armor, has a different style of body armor they call Dragon Skin. It's a very different design, which some felt might be more effective than the Interceptor. In 2006, the Army tested Dragon Skin, but it failed to stop the bullets they fired at it. I picked up the story in my podcast after NBC News commissioned some tests in Germany to determine if Dragon Skin would be more effective than Interceptor. Their tests showed that it was, but there were questions about the testing methodology of the NBC study. I played clips from the NBC story, and from an Army press conference soon after their story ran, refuting NBC's conclusions. To try to settle the controversy, the House Armed Services Committee held a hearing on June 6 to allow both sides to present their side of the story. I'm going to play several clips from that. Several key points were made over the four hours of bloviation:Duncan Hunter's Son is fighting in Iraq. He said so about 20 times during the hearing. Thanks for the info, Congressman. We get the point. Thanks for your service.Murray Neal, the CEO of Pinnacle Armor, maker of Dragon Skin, is a jerk. He spent most of his time at the witness table insulting his potential customer, the Army, his paymaster, Congress, and anyone else in a position to help him. The Army is looking for better armor that protects more effectively, is lighter in weight, and more flexible than the current standard, but only if it's betterDragon Skin has repeatedly failed Army tests, weighs 50% more than Interceptor, and is produced by a company that has lied about their certification in the past, is up for disbarment by the Air Force for that lie, but may indeed have a better technological solution that would save lives.Pinnacle thinks that the tests were not fair, that the Army has prejudged them, and they want a special test at a lab not chosen by the ArmyThere was enough smoke at the hearing to obscure almost anything. That said, there was some nice theater in the four hour hearing. The first two hours were made up of opening statements and questions of the CEO of Pinnacle, Murray Neal, and NBC's expert, Philip Coyle. For the next two hours, the Army was given an opportunity to respond. First up, is Duncan Hunter (R CA), who's running for President, and who has a son in Iraq. It's a reasonable summary of the issues as he sees them. Just a regular guy who wants the best for the troops. Play clip. Congressman Hunter set up the opening statement of Murry Neal, the CEO of Pinnacle, the maker of Dragon Skin. I'm going to play a few clips where he makes a series of innuendos, suggestions, and claims that the only reason his product has repeatedly failed the Army tests, is that the lab where the testing takes place has a vested interest in making sure Interceptor always passes, and Dragon Skin always fails. Play clip. Notice the claim Mr. Neal is making: The only lab where Dragon skin always fails is the lab where Interceptor always passes. If true it would be a serious indictment of the Army. If false, of Pinnacle. Any evidence? No. Next, he makes another unfounded claim about the Army Soldier Systems Command, Natick, Mass. Listen to this clip. Play clip. Oooo. Boogetty boogetty boo. He doesn't know if the Army is deliberately killing American soldiers by keeping his company's product away from the troops. "Approximately the vast majority of its time." Next up was Philip Coyle. From his biography:From Sept.
