Via Military.com we learn that

WASHINGTON - The military is recalling more than 18,000 protective vests because they did not meet ballistic test standards when the body armor was made up to five years ago. It is the second recall in about six months.

Amazing, isn’t it?

Marine Corps spokesman Maj. Douglas Powell and Army spokesman Paul Boyce said no Marines or soldiers were at risk because the vest met field test requirements. The vests did not meet the higher manufacturing standards. Officials discovered the problems in September.

So, if I read this right, the field test standards are less exacting than the manufacturing standards? It’s more important for the vest to function properly on a dummy in a testing lab than on a troop in the field?

The Marines said they recalled the vests to alleviate any doubts caused by a story in the Marine Corps Times, but service officials insisted they did not believe the vests are faulty. Most of the Point Blank vests passed the tests, but several fell short of the Marines' standards during testing in 2004. At the time, the company said it stands by its products and that there had been no reported failures in the field. The vests are designed to withstand small arms munitions fired at a certain velocity. The contract specification is higher than the potential threat level in the field, Boyce and Powell said, and therefore there were no incidents where troops were injured because the vest failed.

I’m appalled that Marine Corps standards are higher than the Army’s. Glad for the Marines, disgusted otherwise.

Almost 2100 dead and not one of these killed by a failure of a vest that has been recalled for deficiencies?

The rule of the 6 Ps: Proper Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance.