European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 7, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse June stars and stripes Page debate Over body Armor erupts at hearing by Jeff Schogol stars and stripes Washington the debate Over whether troops have the Best body Armor available came to Congress on As de sense officials and the maker of dragon skin body Armor traded Abc reported last month that the commercially available drag on skin performed better during Independent ballistic tests than the interceptor body Armor that soldiers Are the army fired saying dragon skin failed numerous bal Listic tests last and that its mesh of Ceramic plates Falls apart after being exposed to extreme heat and testifying before the House armed services Mur Ray head of Pinnacle disputed the results of last years tests and accused the army of put Ting out Neal acknowledged that one Bullet went Clear through a drag on skin Vest during last years but he said that shot needed to be retested and the retest never he also said other shots that the army says penetrated drag an Al american smile get your smile with Charles on skin vests did not go All the Way through the and another shot that went through a drag on skin Vest hit in an area of the Vest that had no mesh of Ceramic plates due to a Philip Coyle who helped oversee the Abc ballistic acknowledged the tests did not go As far As those run by the the Abc tests were conducted at room temperature and did not involve More expensive tests run by the Coyle army and air Force officials also said Pinnacle falsely claimed in 2006 that dragon skin had been certified to a certain level of ballistic Protection by the nation Al Institute of which tests body Armor for Law army Ross Thomp son Iii testified that dragon skin had failed other ballistic tests in addition to those run by the army last of the army acquisition said the Abc Story was just Plain not Thompson praised the body Armor soldiers Are saying it saved the life of one Soldier who attended wednesdays after a recent Story on the con stars and stripes received emails from three people who said they Felt dragon skin was Superior to the body Armor the army two of those peo ple were All requested one Soldier said the army Issue body Armor is uncomfortable and making it hard to get in and out of a Mored my dragon skin is Way More comfortable than any hard and when you Are doing 15plushour missions like we Comfort is very my shoulders have not Hurt at All so the Soldier the Soldier said two other Mem Bers of his unit have bought drag on skin another Soldier said he bought dragon skin before coming to Iraq and has not had any prob lems with it during the nine months he has been in he also said his dragon skin provides better Protection against ak47 rounds than army Issue body Ive been around the military for a Long and everyone knows contracts go to the lowest bidder without regard to he email Jeff Schogol at i says army is holding up kidney donation to Mother the associated press fort a Soldier from new Hampshire says the army is standing in the Way of lifesaving kidney donor surgery for his army Frank is a match to his Patricia who suffers from kid Ney disease and is on three Days a they Are scheduled for transplant surgery june 13 in where Patri Cia Chapman his wife and her two children Are All packed up to move he had sought a compassionate reassignment from the army so they could care for Patri who lives in after the but the plans Are in limbo after the family Learned last month that army medical officials Are denying per Mission for the which they say could Lead to medical problems for Chapman Down the How would you Tell your mom two weeks before the surgery i cant give you a kid Chapman told a swot in by the end of Chapman said the cooperation is much bet i had meeting with the head of the Reynolds army Community Hospital today As Well As a Cou ple of fairly High ranking officers within the and there More than willing to help he still plans to be in Florida by june 10 for the Chapman said the denial is Over a High blood pressure read ing at a which he Dis noting he has been cleared by doctors at Rey nolds army Community Hospital at fort Sill and Shands Hospital at the University of Florida in where the surgery is Chapmans said a swot army Frank expects to undergo surgery june 13 in Florida to give his Mother one of his the High Reading is because her husband gets nervous on doctor visits and that readings on a Home meter an have been in a healthy Tiffany jasons said Friday that when they Learned the surgery might be pos they sought help and per Mission from army medical officials to make sure everything was in they say they followed Only to find out at the last minute that they needed approval from the surgeon Gener Al in the army medical de this thing totally blows our said Tiffany who grew up in and is a graduate of Hanover High Frank Chapman grew up in and also graduated from Hanover the Chap mans lived in Hanover before moving to Oklahoma last Hes trying to do the Honor Able which is what the Mili tary is preaching All the Tif Fany Chapman he is the Healthiest Man i she the timing is urgent because Patricia has been on dialysis for three years and her health is said patience Franks if she Doest get the trans its just like a ticking time dialysis dolls you Over time and you cant live for too said who lives in it needs to Hap pen now or its not going to Hap a change could be in the after the Chapmans disputed the the army surgeon generals office agreed to a recon Sider its opinion following a 24hour period of blood pressure Tiffany Chapman said Friday the Monitor is being shipped to them in fort the army will support this re quest if it is determined it is unlikely to negatively Impact his future army medical spokeswoman Cynthia Vaughan said in a a decision will be made As soon As
