Many thanks to Jeff Huber for his excellent articles about the defective armor the Republicans have distributed to the troops they sent to Iraq and Afghanistan to protect our oil. He’s posted about the problem here and at Pen And Sword.

And let’s be clear about both statements I just wrote: The Republicans sent the troops to invade and conquer a country that was no danger to us, and the resultant insurgency is eating up our young soldiers’ lives at the rate of 2 per day and eating our treasure at the rate of $5.7 Billion per month. And it has been obvious to anyone capable of critical thought that this was ALL ABOUT THE OIL. Those arguing otherwise should explain why the only building in Baghdad that was secured and guarded by troops was the Oil Ministry.

Did you know that the Republicans are also responsible for the poor quality Kevlar helmets our troops were issued? There’s a problem with our troops’ Kevlar helmets. Operation Helmet explains that over 65% of the injuries and deaths come from the blast and secondary shrapnel effects of bombs and IEDs.

The "360-degree" war our troops face right now deals with an enemy that uses high explosives from all quarters to inflict casualties from blast force and large primary and secondary frags from vehicles, concrete, buried cannon shells, RPG's etc. The strap suspension allows the helmet to 'rock' on the head, making violent contact with the skull in an area about the size of a ball-peen hammer. The impact, if severe enough, causes skull fractures, intracranial bleeding, and/or concussions resulting in death or disabling injuries.

Now, anyone who’s actually worn a helmet in the field and been subjected to the bonking that results from normal activity can understand that combat increases the head knocking by a factor of 10. The chinstrap just isn’t enough to stabilize the helmet, We’ve known this since WW II, and the intermediate solution was the helmet liner, with its partial webwork inside. It seems the Kevlar helmets issued today don’t have a good interior webwork. But there is a solution:

Change the unstable suspension system for a shock-absorbing pad suspension system with a stronger chin and nape strap. The pad suspension system suspends the helmet on impact-resistant highly engineered pads to provide 'standoff', comfort, and stability. The helmet does not contact the skull directly, with the pads absorbing and spreading out the blow. This upgrade prevents or cushions the trooper's head from blast/fragment impact, spreads contact over a wider area and can save lives and prevent disability.

Helmets coming out of the factory today have these shock-absorbing pads, and are being issued to the active duty Army. It seems the Marines, Navy Corpsmen, Air Force ground troops, and Special Ops helicopter crews are still issued the older helmets. It’s a matter of cost. The Republicans can’t afford to pay for all the pads systems needed, (probably because Halliburton and Bechtel are still charging $48.50 per meal served in their kitchens.)

Operation Helmet provides helmet upgrade kits free of charge to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as to those ordered to deploy in the near future. Emails come in every day from Marines, their Navy medics and Air Force Special Ops and ground security forces asking for this added measure of protection they need, deserve and should have.

Now, as Jeff’s article pointed out, it seems troops are being threatened with disciplinary action if they spend their own money to buy adequate protection from bullets, rather than depend on the crap the Republicans are giving them. But it’s OK if we at home chip in to but some of these helmet pad systems.

C’mon, folks, we Progressives have a moral obligation to support the troops and try to save lives. The Republicans refuse to do it. It’s up to us. Click on Operation Helmet’s home page, look for the “Contribute” tab on the left margin and toss a few bucks into the pot. EVERY PENNY you contribute will go to buy a retrofit kit.