Grand Am Series
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 351
Donald Rumsfeld got OWNED!
I'm in the service, I just got back from my year in Iraq in June. I tell ya, I'm an MP and we did 95% of our missions in standard, non-armored hmmwv. The concern is not primarily a 500lb IED (improvised explosive device).. Don't forget that a lot of insurgents stil use small arms, which the armor and glass will stop.. It'll even stop an RPG most of the time. The armor also provides extra front and rear protection for the gunner.. I was a gunner for about half of my stay in Iraq, and theres nothing more disconcerting than riding through a city or down the highway with half of your body exposed. (think black hawk down)... NOT to say that IED's aren't a problem, because they are, but the armor WILL help tremendously. The army is getting better about providing armor, but I'm inclined to agree with the soldiers statement, because you do feel like the government is not supporting you while you're there, and you feel like they won't be happy until you are placed in sufficient amount of danger (think: didn't move into northern/central Iraq (hotzone) until 1 month before departure.)
I could go on and on about this article. Level 3 armor is crap. a truly up-armored hmmwv will withstand an awful lot of punishment. Another point is to keep your eyes open when you're driving, the IED's CAN be spotted.
Velocity Red HB MTX
Tint 35% front 15% back
Magnaflow Cat-back
CDT 61's front, 6x rear, Infinity Ref. 7540a
Ascendant Audio Atlas 15, Profile Ha1000
It goes boom. Like so.
Door sills