From Army Times, 5/7/07:
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/05/gns_humvees_070507/

Extra armor causing Humvee doors to trap troops

Kits to fix the problem were included in vetoed bill

By Tom Vanden Brook - USA Today


The Army is fixing the doors of every armored Humvee in combat in Iraq
because the doors can jam shut during an attack and trap soldiers
inside, Pentagon records and interviews show.

The door trouble, the latest in a series of problems with the Humvees
since the Iraq war began, is an unintended consequence of the
Pentagon’s effort to add armor to protect troops from makeshift bombs.
Improvised explosive devices are the No. 1 killer of U.S. troops in
Iraq, causing 70 percent of injuries and deaths.

Armored Humvees, the primary troop transport vehicle, are often
targeted by insurgents who plant bombs on roads.

One quick fix to the jamming problem was to weld D-shaped hooks to
Humvee doors so another truck could rip them off with a cable.

The hook is built in to the latest version of armor added to the
Humvee, known as the Frag Kit 5, said Lt. Col. William Wiggins, an
Army spokesman at the Pentagon.

“Every Humvee outside [a fortified base] will have a hook,” Wiggins
said.

There are about 18,000 Humvees in Iraq.

The Army plans to spend $284 million this year on armor kits, which
also include improved door latches and stronger hinges to handle the
heavier doors.

The money is included in the emergency Iraq spending bill President
Bush vetoed last week.

Bush rejected the bill because it contained a timeline to withdraw
troops from Iraq.

____________________________________________________

Move along, folks, nuthin' to see here except Georgie Bush
"supporting" our troops.

Harry

From Army Times, 5/7/07:http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/05/gns_humvees_070507/

Extra armor causing Humvee doors to trap troops

Kits to fix the problem were included in vetoed bill

By Tom Vanden Brook - USA Today

The Army is fixing the doors of every armored Humvee in combat in Iraq
because the doors can jam shut during an attack and trap soldiers
inside, Pentagon records and interviews show.

The door trouble, the latest in a series of problems with the Humvees
since the Iraq war began, is an unintended consequence of the
Pentagon's effort to add armor to protect troops from makeshift bombs.
Improvised explosive devices are the No. 1 killer of U.S. troops in
Iraq, causing 70 percent of injuries and deaths.

Armored Humvees, the primary troop transport vehicle, are often
targeted by insurgents who plant bombs on roads.

One quick fix to the jamming problem was to weld D-shaped hooks to
Humvee doors so another truck could rip them off with a cable.