The DoD has introduced a new armored suit for tests in Iraq. They are patterned on those worn by EOD specialists and provide a better protection level than the cammies the troops now wear under their Interceptor armor, which is provided by Point Blank, a Florida company owned by David H Brooks, a very generous donor to the Republican Party. These suits are quite unsatisfactory, providing limited or no protection to torso sides, and the US Marine Corps has estimated that at least 90 fatalities could have been avoided if the troops were protected by better armor, such as Pinnacle’s Dragon Skin, which is considered the ‘Rolls Royce’ of body armor, and is only available for general officers.

On the plus side, the armor suits contain a water layer, which is designed to provide a cooling effect. On the minus side, the damned water cooling system doesn’t work well. Ah well, new equipment, beta testing and all that. I’m sure Bu$hCo would have teething problems if they introduced the Mark IV battle axe. They never seem to get anything right the first time, unless it’s sticking their hands into someone else’s wallet.

The protective suit, based on those worn by bomb disposal officers, was intended to cut spiraling casualties for one of the most dangerous jobs in modern warfare. But some troops have complained that the armour and headgear is inelegant. Others say the water-cooling system, designed for the soaring temperatures of an Iraqi summer, regularly breaks down. Nonetheless, the suits being tested in combat by US military police units in northern Iraq have produced good results. Capt Larry Bergeron told the military newspaper Stars and Stripes that the armour was credited with saving the lives of three men sprayed with shrapnel from roadside bombs. "One soldier's visor stopped a piece of shrapnel that hit dead centre," he said. "If he had not had that suit on, the effects could have been catastrophic."

I can’t disagree with the fact that a piece of shrapnel in the face is catastrophic, and the clear plastic shield is likely to save the Veterans Administration a lot of money downstream, caring for yet another soldier maimed for life.

Gunners on Humvees have high casualty rates. While newly-installed armour protects those inside, the gunner stands with the upper half of his body exposed, making him far more vulnerable to roadside bombs and gunfire. Others have been crushed as vehicles overturn. But Specialist Michael Floyd, 19, said: "I am not a big fan of this thing. It is really hot and hard to move around in. I do feel safer, but only in an explosion. I would not feel safer in a rollover or in small-arms fire." Critics say the heavy suits also restrict movement during combat.

Suck it, up, Floyd. At least they’re doing something three years into Mr Bush’s most excellent imperial adventure.

The suits are currently being tested by some MP units in the North where there is a very serious rejection problem with the locals, who seem to feel they were better off before we arrived to steal their oil depose Saddam liberate them.

Follow the first link to the newspaper article if you want to see these suits. Yeah, they look goofy and I’m sure they’re cumbersome in the dismount. But HMMV gunners aren’t supposed to be dismounts unless you have to unass because your unit's on fire. But I’ll bet if they save your life you’d change your opinion.