Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan were supposed to have new body armor this month, but for reasons the Army won't discuss, the contract has apparently been delayed, according to Stars and Stripes:
In April, an official with Program Executive Officer Soldier (PEO Soldier) said that soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan would begin to receive the Improved Outer Tactical Vests that month.
“The Army will begin fielding the IOTV April 07 as directed by [Headquarters, Department of the Army/ Army Central Command],” said Steven Pinter in an e-mailed response to questions to Stars and Stripes last month.
But the Army has not yet awarded a contract for the new body armor, according to PEO Soldier, the Army’s development center for advanced soldier equipment.
Officials at PEO Soldier declined to comment about why no contract has been awarded.
“It is not common Army practice to discuss pending contract awards in the media,” an e-mailed response from PEO says. “As soon as contracts are in place, PEO Soldier would be pleased to conduct an interview with Stars and Stripes.”
Asked if he could say why no such contract had been awarded, Lt. Gen. Stephen Speakes, who handles Army resources issues said, “No, I can’t.”
Of course, PEO Soldier, the Army office responsible for body armor, has been talking to the press, namely, NBC News. The Army's been gearing up for an NBC News segment airing this weekend on body armor. Apparently, NBC News is taking on the debate over Dragon Skin armor, which proponents claim is superior to Interceptor armor being provided to troops.
