Body Armours save life in Afghanistan and Iraq - 10 Stories

[KillerBD]

I noticed that on many of these pictures it looks like the bullets get dangerously close to the edge of the body armor... Doesn't seem like it would be a bad idea to increase the physical protection of this armor by making the areas the cover expanded by and inch or so... I'm just saying, but then again you don't want to be to bulky and heavy for the soldier to wear around all day...

[HadesssLoakoon]

I know Dolan, he was in My Company's 2nd Platoon in the 69th. Same platoon in August 7th, 2005 had an Triple EFP on one M1114 with 2 KIA (Kalladeen and Rios) several wounded and a 30 minute firefight in an Adamiya Marketplace (Horsehoe ambush). Sgt. Har was loading the dead into an Evac Vehicle and took 2 rounds to his back, SAPI plate stopped them both, he had nasty bruises, thats it.

And your forgetting the most visual save.



Stephen Tschiderer E Trp 101Cav happened 2 blocks north of us. Kids gone on to Afghan and back.

Another Bro from My Section on his next tour shot in the back outside Taji in 2007. It was his Birthday at that

txh for comment and vid link

[NeoConPatriot]

Royal Marine Eric Walderman

Didn't this turn out to be an over active reporters imagination. I thought there was a printed correction saying his unit was resting when they were attacked. Wldermans helmet was laying on top of his ruck between the hostiles and his unit. When the units saw returned fire it chewed up his ruck and helmet. I'm looking for the correction.

Here is one link. They were not attacked but trying to destroy unexploded anti-tank weapon with rifle fire.
http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-201_162-550077.html

[ForQueenAndCountry]

This thread is so full of win. I love seeing how these guys' armour stop ****.

[CombatBoots]

Heroic marine throws himself on grenade





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My God! Yes!!! This is not how such heroism usually ends, this shit gets to me. Fucking amazing!

[Slouch]

Armour saves Digger in Afghanistan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7BQjFK7HFg

[TehSuig]

One of my soldiers in Sangin, Afghanistan after his helmet deflected an incoming AK round. He got hit moments after his team leader told him to get his head down. Lucky guy.

[vande matrum]

It's very interesting that so many report being knocked to the ground by the impact of a rifle bullet (which doesn't have enough momentum to do that). There must be a psychological reaction going on.

according to Newton`s third law, the momentum would be the same as the recoil of the rifle and when it hits the body armour, the force is spread through out but still enough to feel some force.

[panzrman]

Small world. Keenan was one of my soldiers in Schweinfurt, a couple years before this happened.

[SineJustitia]

Excellent thread, gents!

Especially the story of the iPod:

A buddy of mine, fresh from Afghanistan, added he preferred iPads... More surface, more safety

[SineJustitia]

according to Newton`s third law, the momentum would be the same as the recoil of the rifle and when it hits the body armour, the force is spread through out but still enough to feel some force.

Yep, but modern rifles are more or less recoilless, so when firing, the energy of the momentum is absorbed. On impact however, all the kinetic energy is unleashed at once.

In fact, part of the concept of body armour is based upon your body absorbing most of the energy. We did some tests with vests on a firing range, and Level II vests and even IIIa are quite easily penetrated if there is no body or anything solid directly behind the "bulletproof" fabric.

[Anti-Panzer]

Through My Lens: Patrolling Iraq



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This picture is kind of out of place since the wearer didn't survive the RPG hit... (acccording to source)

[Zoomie]

Another kind of body armour - iPod saves soldier, but now won't show up in iTunes (Updated!!!)

This was disproved as being bogus, as there's nothing in the iPod that'd provide enough resistance to substantiante the claims of it slowing/stopping a bullet.

[Sloppy Joe2]

One of my guys "Willie" (on a previous tour) had his vest stop three rounds point blank on a clearing operation. Broke two ribs but didn't penetrate, wish I had the pics though.

[HadesssLoakoon]

Soldier's lucky escape from Taliban bullet

A British soldier in Afghanistan has been dubbed the luckiest man in the military after a Taliban bullet pierced his helmet - and he lived to tell the tale. Private Leon 'Willy' Wilson, 32, was manning a machine gun during fighting in a village west of Lashkar Gar, southern Afghanistan, on April 10 when he was shot at.

"I got engaged by an enemy machine gun. Someone popped a smoke grenade to show the Apaches (helicopter gunships) where we were. As the smoke billowed out, the shot hit me in the head," he said.

The AK-47 bullet - which entered one side of his helmet and came out 10 centimetres away - missed his head by just two millimetres, passing through a forehead pad instead.

Wilson, from Manchester, was thrown onto his back, but unfazed by the Taliban attack.

'Luckiest soldier in the army'

"I was knocked clean off my position and landed on my back; I had my eyes shut. I asked if I'd been shot.

"(My colleague) was just staring at me in amazement and swearing, and he said 'yes'. The medic was looking queasy - I don't think anyone wanted to take my helmet off."

Once it was clear he had escaped injury, Wilson found another helmet and carried on fighting.

"They tell me I'm the luckiest soldier in the army," the reservist, who is an electrician in civilian life, told the UK's Sun newspaper.

"And looking at the holes in my helmet, they must be right."

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