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Subscribe to RSSA civilian military depot in California is trying to plug soldier-reported gaps in U.S. supply lines literally on a shoestring budget — by providing bootlaces along with tourniquets, tracheotomy tools, goggles and other gear to service members in Afghanistan who say they are increasingly strapped for basic equipment.
But TroopsDirect, a nonprofit with one full-time employee and a small squadron of corporate backers, calls the latest request sent from soldiers soon to be in harm’s ways a disturbing first: They say they need key materials to protect them in a combat situation.
An Army unit slated to deploy to Afghanistan to clear roadside bombs has asked TroopsDirect for 30 special vests designed to carry armored plates because, according to the unit’s commanding officer, the Army will only outfit half of his 60 members with those vests.
The reason: Defense Department budget constraints, the unit’s sergeant told Aaron Negherbon, president and founder of TroopsDirect.
The nonprofit Troops Direct is bypassing bureaucracy to help soldiers get the supplies they need in a timely manner. So far, 15-tons of much-needed items have already been shipped with much more on the way. NBC's Mike Taibbi reports.
“That’s just not going to work,” Negherbon said. “Thirty lives are at risk. If one of the guys died because of lack of equipment, who will then say anything about budget cuts? What’s the value of a human life or a human limb?
“A sergeant I spoke to, who is under the company commander in this unit, said there was a budget issue tied to this,” Negherbon added. “To that end, he said: ‘If this was a few years ago, we could have gotten anything that we wanted. Now, it’s a make-do kind of thing.’ The company commander even put in an additional appeal (with the Army) and never heard back on it. So they reached out to us.”
TroopsDirect shared with NBC News its communications with the unit member who requested the 30 vests. NBC News agreed not to reveal the unit’s location or name to protect its leaders from potential discipline for going outside the Army’s supply chain.
The vests eventually will be fitted with armored plates that are slipped into Velcro pouches inside the nylon fabric. The unit already possesses the necessary plates. But, without the vests, 30 of the men would have no way to cloak themselves in the armor, Negherbon said, unless they were to duct tape the plates to their uniforms or bodies. An order verification form, obtained by NBC News, shows that Darley Defense in Itasca, Ill., will ship the vests — at a total cost of $1706.89 — to the nonprofit’s headquarters in San Ramon, Calif., at the end of February.
“I fully support what Aaron and TroopsDirect are doing,” said Jeff Freeman, the Darley salesman who sold the vests. “What is strange is when these troops are deploying, they may not be deploying with enough gear to support them for their 6-month, 9-month or 14-month deployment. At some point, they then have to turn to TroopsDirect, or to (their branch’s) supply system, to fulfill those needs. I don't know if that’s a budget issue or a planning issue.”
NBC News contacted the Army's media relations division on Tuesday afternoon, seeking comment on the work being conducted by TroopsDirect. An Army spokesman had not responded to that interview request as of Wednesday morning.
Last year, outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced his plan to cut almost $500 billion from the defense budget over the next 10 years, focusing on shrinking ground forces in the Army and Marine Corps.
With the U.S. military drawing down in Afghanistan — and with 34,000 more troops scheduled to return to home soil during the next year — the requests for needed gear have simultaneously picked up at TroopsDirect, according to Negherbon.
Last month, he heard from the commander of an Army mortar unit outside Kandahar, Afghanistan, who complained that the ear protection donned by his soldiers was so worn, some men were having their eardrums blown out by weapon percussions and were bleeding from their ears, Negherbon said. He’s pulled together an order of ear-protection devices for that unit.
When combat medics waited more than four weeks to be resupplied, TroopsDirect gathered stretchers, stethoscopes, syringes and gauze rolls in a few hours and shipped the material overseas.
According to GuideStar, a charity-monitoring website, TroopsDirect reported $350,858 in income (contributions) in 2011 against $209,419 in expenses — including $27,466 spent on administrative costs. Its corporate contributors include Gatorade, PowerBar, REI, American Trucking Associations, Darley Defense and 18 other companies.
Founded in 2010, the nonprofit self-reports that 87 percent of its total organizational expenditures go directly to program expenses and that it already has shipped more 60,000 pounds of equipment to service members overseas.
“We’re seeing a lot more of this one-off kind of stuff — like vests — that once was available and now isn’t,” Negherbon said, adding that troops who reach out to him have reported that some of their equipment needs are budget related and some are caused by logistical glitches arising in the Afghanistan drawdown.
“I will hear things like: ‘We’re in the south and our supply chain is in the north and because they’ve closed down so many distribution facilities and are retrograding at a rapid rate, we can’t get anything anymore,’ " Negherbon said.
“I can see telling them to ‘make do’ without a certain type of pouch. But these things (like vests and ear-protection requests) are something I’m seeing a lot more of. We just sent a bunch of medic packs to a Marine Special Operations unit. They were issued stuff that was ineffective for a medic out in the dirt tending to the wounded.”
Freeman’s company began selling to TroopsDirect in April of 2012 and has done deals on helmet lights and gloves, he said.
“There’s probably two sides to that story,” said Freeman, a veteran. “At times, the Army (members) may use him as an ‘easy button.’ If they know they’re going to have difficult time getting something out there, maybe they go to him because they’ve used him in the past and he’s provided such great customer service to them that it might be a little easier for them to use him.”
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King Barry continues to arm other country's war machines, i.e. supplying Egypt with missiles and fighter jets, but cannot provide our troops with necessary survival equipment!! I was in a military surplus store recently and met some soldiers buying equipment to replace the stuff they had either lost or worn out because the military makes them replace it at exorbitant prices and they can get it at military surplus at a fraction of the cost. Maybe if the government had to take a cut in their ridiculous salaries our taxes fund they would be more considerate of the ones out there laying their lives on the line every moment they are in those God-forsaken places! BRING OUR TROOPS HOME!!!!
This is worse than disgusting. It doesn't matter who sent our troops or where they were sent. The least we owe them is the backing necessary to protect themselves. Using their safety as a pawn in the political budget game is treason on the part of the politicians in Washington, regardless of party or affiliation. I don't claim to know what we can do to resolve this lack of leadership, the electoral process sure doesn't help, but we sure as hell can't continue to survive as a nation this way.
You can give thanks to our Commander in Chief for this debauchle.
President can play golf with Tiger Woods, Congress can't get its collective head out of its a$$ long enough to get anything done without turning it into a scene from the three stooges, DOD manages to waste more money than can be believed on unnecessary "seminars", etc and our soldiers in harm's way can't get the most basic of supplies?? What is wrong with this picture? The level of incompetence in DC is rising at an alarming rate and our troops are in danger - another instance of fiddling while Rome burns. And for those who feel the pay that the military earns seems high, please remember they're on call 24/7 and many times are working on short sleep in conditions that would make most people just give up, I don't believe they're being paid enough. It would be nice if we could start penalizing Congress & The President with monetary penalties for each day they fail to reach consensus - like they do with contractors who don't finish on time. I figure they'd be paying to stay in office fairly quickly.
I have three carriers in my garage and I really wish the Army would take at least two of them back! As we were returning home last time, there was some talk that we would leave the armor at the transit center for incoming troops, but that didn't happen.
If there is a shortage, why did I have to lug around both a ground troops and aircrew version of the armor carrier? The ground troops version spent all but two days of the year hanging on the wall.
My guess is that there are warehouses full of the desired equipment somewhere, but somebody just didn't fill out the right paperwork and somebody else didn't check on it and so on.
Why are they hanging in your garage? Can't you send them in a care package to the USO or something? Why do the returning troups hold onto this stuff, it it's in useful condition, and I know that some used stuff can be defective (like helmets that do one accident are no good for a second, etc), so why don't you returning vets help the ones that are still in action? Just asking. Not trying to be offensive. I have had two sons serve and I have sent a lot of care packages.
Another planted propaganda story from Obama to NBC News...Obama is the most transparent prez ever because he lies 100% of the time...
stories like this are going to pour out of the woodwork since looming cuts on defense are up and coming. maybe we spend a little less on vacations and golf games and use that money more responsibly like supplying the troops. Washington propaganda at it's best.....
This is pretty sad. We taxpayers are funding supplies and salaries to Afghani troops, but not enough for our own soldiers.
you can bet we are not cutting back on funding Afghani troops.
I guess Obama figures soldiers are going to get killed anyway so why spend anymore on them than he has to...same approach Obama used on Benghazi...
Early in the war there was a little story, kind of hidden, that stated that while our troops where having to supply their own safety gear such as kavilar, our government was not only paying the full wages but outfitting the troops from another country (i believe it was Spain but i could be mistaken) just so they would go into battle with us.
So if I have this correct, our government outfits and pays someone to be our allies, then we will pay to rebuild the country we are fighting in, even though they started the war all while making our troops live below the poverty level and making them buy their own supplies! All while saying our government don't have the money for our own troops because we are too busy loaning other country's money and never making them pay it back, but giving them more, and going on outragious vacations and then say they don't have enough for us.
I think it is time America took America back....by the people for the people...
I am a disabled vet and I am horrified at what this county has become.
In ancient rome, Rome was about doomed because the governmet became a tightass. They barely feed their army. Finally, when they paid the big bucks to the army and new recruits they finally kicked but again.
here is a way to save hundreds of millions of defense dollars:
place the Air National Guard under the Air Force Reserves and then place the Army Reserves under the National Guard.
Instantly two complete headquarters and support functions eliminated. Duplication and redundancy eliminated. The governor's should not mind - they will have access to more soldiers during civil unrest and/or natural disasters. Also, does each state REALLY need it's own Air Force - NO!!!
There is a place beyond incompetence called insanity, and we have arrived. America has sown the wind, and we are about to reap the whirlwind. I honestly hope I am not around to see it. There are many who rightfully rant and rave about the problem; but there are few who will do what is necessarry to fix it. Cooperative unity and organization is the obvious answer in front of our face but no one can receive it thing because we lack the will and courage to do the right thing
This stingy supply line has the finger prints of the new Republican party all over it. I call it the new Republican party because I do not want it to be confused with my Republican party that I supported for so many years.
The US military are doing business along big business lines. The guys at the top get what ever they want, and the guys doing the job and running the establishment are doing without.
We fund BILLIONS of dollars to the military empire every year. With what the military wastes of that funding every year we could fund a really lush health care system. In the mean time the troops are being brainwashed to believe that Obama is their greatest enemy and the Democrats want to turn the country to communism.
The new army with the national guard in it, know how to get what they need from the internet. And like the soldier who scavenged scrap metal to weld onto the bottom of Humvees to protect the soldiers inside from IEDs, they are thinking outside the box. By the way, that innovative solider was about to be disciplined by the army (for saving soldiers lives) when reporters brought his innovation to the publics notice.
Fred Needs A New Girl,
How much kool-aid do you have to drink to come up with these wild ideas of yours. In case you have missed recent history the POTUS is a liberal Democrat who appointed another Liberal Democrat as the Secretary of Defense. The U.S. Senate is controlled by Liberal Democrats. So somehow, in your, probably chemically induced, view of the world it is the GOP. Right now our troops no longer get a hot breakfast in Afghanistan because of budget cuts. This has been going on for sometime.. well before the cuts of sequester. BTW... Air Force One and Two.. their costs come from that billion dollar defense budget you are so shocked about. So does the budget for the Supreme Court.
I understand you have things you really want to say, but you should wait until you are a lot smarter before you say them.
Navyvet98,
I am smarter than you seem to think I am. I have info around what is being fed to the rank and file military. The scuttlebutt around the air force is that Obama is taking away civilian guns so that they, civilians, won’t be able to fire back when Obama sets the combined military against the civilian population. Without thinking what would be gained by his doing that. Nothing!
So much that is being believed by the Military is clearly coming from the Republicans. This short fall of equipment is nothing new, it comes up every time someone talks about cutting military funding, and the only people who could be responsible are the Republicans in an attempt to make the Democrats look bad. . The democrats would have nothing to gain by starving the rank and file of equipment. The republicans have much to gain amongst the lame brains who believe that Obama is not American by pitching him as a president who short changes our military. These are the tree huggers of the Republican party.
You make it sound that the Liberals are bad. What is bad about trying to save from injury and destruction of the best and bravest of our country. If Obama were really intending to send troops against US citizens it would be to his advantage to annihilate those best and brave from the military. Those who may not stand for shooting their brothers, sisters, and other family and friends. I hate to see those bravest and best wasted for no reason. I think Obama feels the same way too.
There is nothing I have written that hasn’t been published in many places, even FOX news. It’s about time YOU woke up and smelled the coffee and realized what is happening in this country. And the Democrats are not the bad guys this time.
Fred's Girl
No, King Barry isn't sending our troops against us, that's why they are on the other side of the world!! These newly trained(brainwashed) youth are what he has in store for us. You ask what reason would he have for doing this? I'm sure the Europeans asked the same of Adolf Hitler! WAKE UP!!!
WHY DIDN'T THE MEDIA CARRY THIS STORY?
On September 13, 2012, the Dept of Homeland Security graduated its first class of FEMA Corps youth, aka the Homeland Youth. Image courtesy of DHS.gov.
The federal government calls them FEMA Corps. But they conjure up memories of the Hitler Youth of 1930’s Germany . Regardless of their name, Obama’s Dept of Homeland Security has just graduated its first class of 231 Homeland Youth! Kids, aged 18-24 and recruited from the President’s AmeriCorp volunteers, they represent the first wave of DHS’s “Youth Corps”, designed specifically to create a full time, paid, standing army of FEMA Youth across the country!
On September 13, 2012, the Department of Homeland Security graduated its first class of FEMA Corps first-responders, “Homeland Youth”. While the idea of having a volunteer force of tens of thousands of volunteers scattered across the country to aid in times of natural disasters sounds great, the details and timing of this new government army is somewhat curious, if not disturbing!
DHS raising an armed army!
The first problem one finds with this ‘new army’ is the fact that they are mere children. Yes, 18 is generally the legal age a person can sign a contract, join the military or be tried as an adult. But ask any parent – an 18, 20 or even a 24 year-old is still a naïve, readily-influenced kid.
The second problem with this announcement and program is its timing. Over the past two years, Obama has signed a number of Executive Orders suspending all civil and Constitutional rights and turning over management of an America under Martial Law to FEMA!
Also in that time, domestic federal agencies under DHS, including FEMA, have ordered billions of rounds of ammunition as well as the corresponding firearms. Admittedly, these new weapons and ammunition are not to be used in some far-off war or to fight forest fires in California , but right here on the streets of America !
Strange Armored Fighting Vehicles
Individuals around the US have begun reporting the site of strange, new, heavily-armed FEMA fighting vehicles.What would a disaster relief agency like FEMA need with 2,500 brand new GLS armored fighting vehicles?According to the agency’s own mandate, as well as Obama’s recent Executive Order, the answer is‘population control’ during a time of Martial Law.
Welcome to the FEMA Corps Inaugural Class
09/14/welcome-fema-corps-inaugural-class
This isn't made up people...my son who was in Afghanistan last year would complain about their equipment was either faulty, not enough of or just plain old and worn...he kept asking us to write to our congressman to complain so that they could get the lifesaving equipment they needed....another issue that is also just as bad is when the military overpays a member they will just take ALL the money back at one time leaving the families with NO income until the overpayment is paid back....this has happend to both of my son and son in law who serve...they pointed it out to payroll when they first notice error and then are told that no the check is correct then a month later when they check their bank account they find out that all their income was taken to pay back the mistake that they first pointed out to payroll and thus the family has find means to get money for their gas, food for their children etc....BOTH of these circumstances are shameful and the government should be red and shamed faced about the stress the put our military and their families in.
As a retired Army guy... The overpayment was noticed and reported and spent? Why did your sons not bank it then when it was taken back.... it would not have been such a shock. So the shame on that point isn't the military. Not to mention there are organizations like AER that can help with those things by the way of no interest loans etc... If your kids did not know those things then their NCO's are not making them aware of them... If the IRS overpaid you in a direct deposit do you think they will let you pay it back in installments?
As for the equipment.... If something is not servicable it can be turned back in for something that is... Just because it was or is used does not mean it does not work.
If it is as simple as you say it is why don't you go out there, at your own expense, and take care of it.
Fred's Girl,
If I could get out of my wheelchair I might just do that. I did my time at my own expense. As for taking care of it.... there are people who's sole job is to take care of it. And I am sure that it will be taken care of one way or the other. Take your shrill for a news slant to someone else.... I don't play nice
THAT'S IT!!! Our country is going to send our18, 19, and 21 years old boys, not men yet, boys over there where we should be pulling out instead of going on! I have no idean how to do it but something has to be done. I have no clue how to start a rally in front of the white house, or go directly to our president with a picture of an 18 year old with all of his limbs blown off. I AM SO SICK OF THIS FREAKING WAR. We have absolutely NO business being there. Obama and our US Navey Seals finished what Bush started. Maybe our troops should come together as one and tell the government to go screw themselves. I would like to see JAG try to put two thousand, ten thousand or twenty thousand American Soldiers on trial for not wanted to DIE due to LACK of gear.
This is such BS! The same thing happened to my unit during Desert Shield/Storm. My mom was sending me stuff, even had to buy me Desert camos because we were not issue any.
We were doing search and destroy missions, in the desert, wearing green camos. Not a way to fight a war!
This is nothing new it is a failure of leaders at the highest level. Tactical Tailor, Ranger Joe's, Brigade Quartermaster's, U.S. Calvary make millions on basic gear that should be supplied to the war fighter! Every politician should take a pay cut and stiffened entitlement programs for illegal aliens and slash foreign aid by 60 percent! Down range even the basic office supplies were in short supply due to funding problems and had to be ordered through Amazon, Office max/depot because some bean counter short changed us! If I offend you deal with it. They send us to do the job but a lot of times we don't have the basic equipment we need. Never has the old saying more with less most of the time it more with nothing!
Maybe fewer golf outings with Tiger Woods or Vacations in Hawaii could pay for some of this.
I doubt that a golf game with Tiger could equal the cost of two missing radar disk aerials priced at $2M eachk lost by the military. In fact that game wouldn’t even equal the cost of one Republican senator’s time for one of those many Fridays they blow off early from work.
Don't count on it, thuds105. Husseins vacations do, Fred's Girl, cost what one of those missing radar disks cost, if $2M is a correct price.
Everyone who is sick to death of this congress, PLEASE come voting time next year for some of them, VOTE THEM OUT.
I'm seeing so many on these blogs complain about whats' going around the country in the way of corruption and poor leadership. I belileve you had the choice to get odumbo out of office with Mr. Romney. He may not have been anyone's greatest choice, but I don't think he would be running the country the way the clown in chief is doing right now. The current empty suit that just comes in for vacations and the parties isn't really much support now is he. Promises, promises, and still he can't keep them.
Yet he made sure everyone believed him a second time in order to get that vote (I didn't vote for the CIC). I didn't vote for him the first time, cause I could see where he was going and it wasn't looking good 5 years ago. The sheeple got what they wanted, an empty suit who only shows up for the food, the vacations, and the parties.
in order to subdue the beast,we must cut off the head.
Who’s head are your going to choose, George W, Carl Rove, Gingrich, Romney? Obama is trying to get our best and bravest back to the US so it can't be him.
It's a pure shame
Unacceptable.
I am in the service, and while I may not have always gotten what I've wanted, I've always gotten what I've needed.
Cut GO slots. Cut bands. Cut air shows. But do not cut necessary equipment for front line troops..
Thank you Dan. I served 23years in the Navy and even back then we had to deal with the politicians screwing over us. People get you heads out of your butts and start voting these lazy good for nothings out, they are getting your kid's and grand kid's killed just so they can keep lining their pockets at our expense.
The funds spent on jet fuel, flying Obummer and his family members around the world, would probably more than pay for a lot of necessities in our war effort in Afganistan!! Pathetic, absolutely pathetic!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now, watch the bush bashers answer this with there tripe about how Bush spent time at the Texas Whitehouse@@
Leave it to our government to LEAVE our troops vulnerable. What a joke our Congress is along with our President who has no idea what it is like to serve in a military hot zone. He needs to be shipped over there. He would probably be killed in the first encounter with the enemy because he didn't have the proper equipment.