thedrifter
10-18-06, 08:23 AM
Deaths of Terre Haute based Marines underscore importance of ‘up-armored’ vehicles to protect troops
By Sue Loughlin
The Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE— Lance Cpl. Joshua Hines and Sgt. Brock Babb were traveling in an armored Humvee in Iraq when an improvised explosive device struck the vehicle and claimed their lives.
While the armor didn’t save their lives, the latest American deaths in Iraq underscore the importance of “up-armored” vehicles to provide greater protection for troops.
For the past several years, Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., has placed a major focus on securing additional federal funding for better-armored Humvees, said his communications director, Meghan Keck.
In 2004 and 2005, he introduced measures seeking additional funding at a time when the Department of Defense was not requesting adequate funds, she said.
Recently, Congress approved $2.2 billion for additional up-armored Humvees, something Bayh supported as part of the Fiscal Year 2007 Department of Defense appropriations conference report.
The funding will help provide more than 12,000 up-armored Humvees for troops overseas in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Every day our troops on the front lines are put in danger unnecessarily because they do not have the protective equipment they need,” Bayh said last month in a prepared statement. “The Pentagon has repeatedly failed to provide the number of up-armored Humvees necessary to keep our troops safe while they accomplish their missions oversees.”
This funding will help the Army move toward its goal of up-armoring all Humvees used in Iraq, as well as to replace existing up-armored Humvees in Iraq that have been damaged or destroyed in battle.
A company in Terre Haute, Smiths Aerospace, has played a role in the better-armored Humvees.
It works under a contract with O’Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt, an armor holdings company. Smiths Aerospace produces aluminum gun turret assemblies as well as kick plates for the military Humvee.
The roadside bombing that killed Babb and Hines also left Lance Cpl. Joshua Bleill, 29, of Greenfield, seriously injured. All three were based with the Kilo Company 3rd Battalion 24th Marines Reservists of Terre Haute and had been in Iraq for about 18 days.
The three Marines were in a Humvee when it was struck by an improvised explosive device during operations in Anbar province, west of Baghdad.
While up-armored Humvees won’t always save lives when there are explosions, “It’s important to provide troops with the best protection we can” and as quickly as possible, Keck said.
As early as April 2004, Bayh called on senior Army leaders to increase production and deployment immediately of up-armored Humvees better suited to protect troops serving in Iraq. He cited reports of U.S. troops bolting plywood and scrap metal to the sides of standard Humvees.
According to a report in Newsweek magazine at that time, nearly one out of every four deaths in Iraq could have been prevented if troops had more access to armored vehicles.
Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.
loughlin@tribstar.com.
Ellie
By Sue Loughlin
The Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE— Lance Cpl. Joshua Hines and Sgt. Brock Babb were traveling in an armored Humvee in Iraq when an improvised explosive device struck the vehicle and claimed their lives.
While the armor didn’t save their lives, the latest American deaths in Iraq underscore the importance of “up-armored” vehicles to provide greater protection for troops.
For the past several years, Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., has placed a major focus on securing additional federal funding for better-armored Humvees, said his communications director, Meghan Keck.
In 2004 and 2005, he introduced measures seeking additional funding at a time when the Department of Defense was not requesting adequate funds, she said.
Recently, Congress approved $2.2 billion for additional up-armored Humvees, something Bayh supported as part of the Fiscal Year 2007 Department of Defense appropriations conference report.
The funding will help provide more than 12,000 up-armored Humvees for troops overseas in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Every day our troops on the front lines are put in danger unnecessarily because they do not have the protective equipment they need,” Bayh said last month in a prepared statement. “The Pentagon has repeatedly failed to provide the number of up-armored Humvees necessary to keep our troops safe while they accomplish their missions oversees.”
This funding will help the Army move toward its goal of up-armoring all Humvees used in Iraq, as well as to replace existing up-armored Humvees in Iraq that have been damaged or destroyed in battle.
A company in Terre Haute, Smiths Aerospace, has played a role in the better-armored Humvees.
It works under a contract with O’Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt, an armor holdings company. Smiths Aerospace produces aluminum gun turret assemblies as well as kick plates for the military Humvee.
The roadside bombing that killed Babb and Hines also left Lance Cpl. Joshua Bleill, 29, of Greenfield, seriously injured. All three were based with the Kilo Company 3rd Battalion 24th Marines Reservists of Terre Haute and had been in Iraq for about 18 days.
The three Marines were in a Humvee when it was struck by an improvised explosive device during operations in Anbar province, west of Baghdad.
While up-armored Humvees won’t always save lives when there are explosions, “It’s important to provide troops with the best protection we can” and as quickly as possible, Keck said.
As early as April 2004, Bayh called on senior Army leaders to increase production and deployment immediately of up-armored Humvees better suited to protect troops serving in Iraq. He cited reports of U.S. troops bolting plywood and scrap metal to the sides of standard Humvees.
According to a report in Newsweek magazine at that time, nearly one out of every four deaths in Iraq could have been prevented if troops had more access to armored vehicles.
Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.
loughlin@tribstar.com.
Ellie