http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59817

Did defective helmets endanger lives?

Posted: January 23, 2008
1:00 a.m. Eastern

Fraud is never acceptable. But when a company cheats on equipment used by
our brave soldiers risking life and limb in combat, it is shameful and
repulsive.

It is unthinkable that a defense contractor would supply non-conforming
helmets to soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, but that is exactly
what the government claimed happened.

An Indian tribe named Spirit Lake Tribe owns a defense firm name Sioux
Manufacturing Corporation. This company was paid $53 million to supply
Kevlar shields to be used in helmets worn by the military.

The government contract had specifications dictating that a certain number
of woven yarns be of finished protective synthetic fiber cloth, known as
Kevlar. The contract also required Sioux Manufacturing to certify on each
invoice that the required number of strands were used.

In June 2006, federal agents raided the plant based upon allegations by two
employees of the company that Sioux Manufacturing was not always meeting
the number of strands of woven yarns.

After completing its investigation, the government concluded that the
company failed to follow contract specifications by reducing the amount of
Kevlar.

The tribal business refused to admit any wrongdoing, but recently agreed to
enter into a settlement to pay $1.9 million to resolve the dispute.

The government decided not to pull the helmets from field use because the
cloth still passed ballistics safety tests.

Although the government was satisfied that there were no injuries in combat
as a result of the non-conforming helmets, sources close to the
investigation are not so convinced. They point out that scores of soldiers
have been injured or killed by bullets piercing their helmets.

Would the extra strands of Kevlar omitted by the company have saved some of
our soldiers? Who knows for sure, but we should not be taking chances with
goods supplied to soldiers.

The two whistleblowers who stepped forward received $406,350 as a monetary
whistleblower reward from the Department of Justice under the False Claims
Act, which allows rewards of up to 20 percent for reporting fraud against
the government. They also had the satisfaction of ensuring that the full
amount of Kevlar will be used in helmets from this point forward.

Whether the reduced amount of Kevlar was intentional or not, a company
needs to go the extra mile to meet military specifications. Lives depend on
it.

As citizens, we also owe a duty to our country to report fraud, especially
when it involves instances where military specifications are not being met.
My hat is off to the two who stepped forward.