European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 4, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday april 4 2007 stars and stripes pages gis in War zones to get new lighter Armor army improved vests will be issued to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan by years end by Jeff Schogol stars and stripes Arlington a the army plans to Issue All soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan new lighter body Armor by the end of the year the service announced this week Steve Pinter Deputy project manager for Soldier equipment at program executive office Soldier said the new Armor will also provide More Protection than what sol Diers Wear now including better carriers for Side ballistic plates a better fitting Throat protector and an additional 52 inches of Protection for the rear of the vests the army is expected to begin Fielding the new improved outer tactical vests this month with deliveries to Iraq and Afghanistan expected to be finished by late december Pinter said along with the Protection and weight improvements the hew body Armor is also three pounds lighter than the outer Tacti Cal vests that soldiers Wear now the vests have a number of other advantages Pinter said the Iota has a Quick release handle that allows soldiers to drop body Armor in emergencies the Vest Falls off the Soldier in two pieces and can be reassembled in a few min utes Pinter said other improvements include a Waist band that takes much of the vests weight off a soldiers shoulders and a Side open ing in the Armor to give medical personnel Access to a wounded Soldier from front the Back and the inside of the improved outer tactical Vest the army has been working on the new body Armor since last Spring with testing by soldiers at fort Lewis Wash a peo sol Dier news release said the Marine corps introduced a new ver Sion of body Armor this year that features two extra ballistic plates and a ripcord that allows marines to get out of vests easily in emergencies known As modular tactical vests that new body Armor came in response to a May 2005 study by the armed forces Institute of pathology that found several marines died of wounds to exposed areas of their Torso such As their shoulders the Navy has said recently it plans to buy 16000 tvs for Seabee the Marine corps plans to introduce its next generation of body Armor in the next two to three years depending on when the Industry can come up with materials that Are lighter and More flexible than what marines Wear now photos Courtesy of program executive office Soldier the army plans to debut its next Genera Tion body Armor in fiscal 2010 or fiscal 2012 As part of the future Force Warrior system the new system is expected to Fea Ture six ballistic plates that will be shaped to provide More Protection along soldiers Back and sides but first the shaped plates must be thoroughly tested to make sure they provide As much Protection As the ballistic plates in the body Armor soldiers Wear now email Jeff Schogol at army exhibit showcases new weapons gear by Seth Robson stars and stripes Hohenfels Germany lighter warmer col weather items were some of soldiers favorite pieces of new gear on show in an exhibit at the joint multinational readiness Center Here this week the Jarc is the first of three venues in Europe where the Handson exhibit run by program executive office Soldier will showcase the army latest weapons clothing sensors lasers and other gear one 2nd cavalry Stryker regiment Soldier browsing the exhibit tuesday sgt 1st class Nelbert Michel 33 of Bronx it picked out the cold weather gear As the thing he was most interested in if s better than what we had before the Grid fleece Doest look like it will shed like the poly prop he said referring to a new kind of Long under Wear that soon will be available for soldiers another 2nd Cav Soldier checking out the exhibit sgt 1st class Charles Newman also was into the col weather gear in the civilian sector they Are making this stuff better for any Active person who goes skiing or climbing i can be just As warm but not having a Bunch of garbage on me that is going to constrict my movement he said the weapons on display also had their fans with soldiers lining up to get their hands on new Shotgun and grenade launcher attachments for m4 and m16 rifles perhaps the most futuristic looking weapon Dis played was the xm25 air burst weapon according to peo Soldier representative Ward Eldridge the 25 my grenade launcher enables sol a laser and then fire at so that the grenade detonates above the target air Force couple face administrative action Over housing1 funds Seth and stripes a Soldier checks out a Cippon Shotgun attachment for an m4 Rifle at a new equipment display at Hohen Fels Germany on tuesday peo Soldier spokeswoman Debi Dawson said the first units to get the new gear will be those headed downrange in the first Quarter of 2008 we Are Here because we want to let soldiers know they have the Best equipment available she said the exhibit runs at the Hohenfels Community activity Center until Friday it will be at the Vilseck Post Exchange on april 78 and Wiesbaden army airfields reunion Center on april 1011 email ssh Robson at by Bryan Mitchell stars and stripes Raf Mildenhall England a Veteran combat fighter Pilot and his fighter Pilot wife will not face a court martial on charges of stealing approximately in housing allowance funds it col Bryan Fujimoto and capt Jennifer Fujimoto however were subject administrative action according to 48th fighter Wing spokeswoman Renee Kirkland the two faced charges of larceny conspiracy and signing a false official state ment administrative actions typically Are not made Public the two faced an article 32 investigation in february on the charges the investigated incidents occurred Between september 2004 and August 2006 court records show the air Force alleged the couple conspired to steal the hous ing allowance Money and signed false statements concerning their housing status the Osi launched its probe into the couples housing allowances in August 2006 however the fujimotos1 de sense attorney Eric Seitz argued in the article 32 session that the two air Force Academy graduates acted in Good Faith and with out the intent of defrauding the government while questioning two air Force office of special investigations agents in the hearing Seitz stressed that the Fujimoto tour at Raf Lakenheath marked the first time the couple had navigated what he described As the Complex regulations governing overseas housing allowances for married Mil itary couples the Osi launched its probe into the couples housing allow ances in August 2006 following a tip from a confidential informant who said she overheard a Friend of Jennifer Fujimoto talking about their housing situation in november 2006 the 48th Mission support group distributed across Raf Lakenheath a fou Page package detailing the entitlement policies relating to overseas housing allowances email Bryan Mitchell at