Canadian Army Prohibits Purchase of Commercial Kit

[RCR Grunt]

Interesting that you bring this up at a time when the US military is undergoing a major recall of it's issued helmets due to them not meeting minimum safety standards ... and we are not experiencing such with our Canadian kit. Perhaps those giving their brief actually had some factual info to support their "ours are better according to our safety standards testing" claims."??

The flaw in those helmets is in the material, not in the design. 

 

[dogger1936]

I found it funny during the PPE inclearance brief in KAF how they warned against the evils of the pad system and the inferiority of the American helmets to our suspension system.

The they went on to explain that the TV should be worn with the Frag vest as it is a system desgined to work together and the TV holds the frag vest together and prevents it from blowing off during an explosion.  When someone pointed out that half of the frag vests being issued had completely worn out velcro it was explained that "yes, it would be nice if the velcro worked, but... ummmmmm........."

When we finally got our frags that done up (velcro worked), we never had a issue with them flying off. The previous roto's had a few broken teeth due to the vest /plate making contact de la tete. Alas getting one that was GTG proved problematic during our roto.

 

[Recon 3690]

Funny, the Canadian helmet is basically a British MK 6 & they have a pad upgrade system for theirs & the Mk 6A comes with the pads installed.

 

[Recon 3690]

The new US Enhanced Combat Helmet also comes with the pads pre installed.

 

[Michael OLeary]

Funny, the Canadian helmet is basically a British MK 6 & they have a pad upgrade system for theirs & the Mk 6A comes with the pads installed.

The new US Enhanced Combat Helmet also comes with the pads pre installed.

You have identified two instances where kit was provided by the issuing Army, which would have been subject to procurement requirements, quality control inspections and issued with authorized modifications and/or installation.

Neither example justifies allowing third-party purchases that may not meet quality assurance requirements or which require modifications to equipment such that it might not be returnable to the original state for return to the supply system.

So, your point?

 

[Recon 3690]

A great senior NCO once said, "A soldier shouldn't have to adapt to his kit, he should adapt his kit to his job."

The point is it is proven tech, it is removable, and not a safety concern in the same UK helmet. So why the parade square mentality if it makes the troops more comfortable while doing their jobs why give them grief about it let them get on with their job. The PS mentality always has to have some excuse to jump all over the Troopers.

 

[Michael OLeary]

The "parade square mentality" also protects those soldiers who might choose to buy some cheap knockoff.  Some controls are actually in place for a purpose, and have not been developed by narrow minded bureaucrats just to fuck soldiers over. It's all too easy to blame "the man" for what you think is wrong when you wouldn't have to accept responsibility for problems that arise from cutting corners by allowing uncontrolled solutions to your pet issues.

 

[Recon 3690]

Soldiers have been modifying their kit to get the job done since the first one put on a uniform. If DND wants to protect them from getting knock offs them give them a list of approved equipment as the US & UK do, if they choose to make use of it and its lets them do there job better it should be  up to them. Or better yet give them the right stuff to begin with.

 

[Recon 3690]

But maybe the pad manufacturers, helmet manufacturers, US DOD, & UK MOD have not done any R&D or QA on these items. DND says so.

 

[Michael OLeary]

Soldiers have been modifying their kit to get the job done since the first one put on a uniform. If DND wants to protect them from getting knock offs them give them a list of approved equipment as the US & UK do, if they choose to make use of it and its lets them do there job better it should be  up to them. Or better yet give them the right stuff to begin with.

Yeah, you win, no matter what we buy our soldiers, we should have bought the stuff that became available two years later.    :

Sorry we're so fucked up. You can skip the preamble here next time, just send your sage advice directly to:

NDHQ  Ottawa
101 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa ON
K1A 0K2

 

[Recon 3690]

And what is wrong with either giving or allowing our troopers to aquire the best equipment available?

 

[McG]

Funny, the Canadian helmet is basically a British MK 6 ...

This is your qualitative assesment based on helmet appearance.  You have failed to consider material properties and how each helmet is expected to disipate the forces from which it protects your head.  Beyond that there is also the consideration of nationally determined requitements (as already stated).  The US has made decisions to accept more risk with certain types of PPE in comparison to Canada.  You might want to know what those risks are before declaring some PPE is good enough just because another country uses it.

If DND wants to protect them from getting knock offs them give them a list of approved equipment as the US & UK do ...

You have made this point already.  If you have all the right answers, why have you stayed silent on meeting the challenges related to such an approach?  Remember this one:

• Because every approved item would see the government assume liability & an obligation toward the soldiers, an approved purchase list would require every item to be tested by DND and continuous manufacture quality monitoring by DND.

 

[George Wallace]

And what is wrong with either giving or allowing our troopers to aquire the best equipment available?

Who decided it was the "best equipment available"?  What qualifications do they hold to say so?  Sure you as an end user may think that some LCF or Gucci kit is great and buy it, but who says that it really is the "best"?  How many different opinions are out there to say that some other piece of kit may be better?  Who will fund all your "best kit" purchases, if tomorrow a better piece of kit comes along?    Where will this end?

We have a lot of "Kit Sluts" these days saying that what they have is the best.  There are a lot of items out there, and the Government can only concentrate on a few, that they hope will last for at least a decade longer than thirty days.  Next month there will be something new and Gucci.  When will YOU be happy?  I suspect NEVER.

 

[Jarnhamar]

I'm quite happy with my Boots,  chest rig, sleeping bags and rucksack.  $1500 later lol



Do we still tell soldiers that if they die while wearing non-issued kit their life insurence is void?

 

[DirtyDog]

I'm quite happy with my Boots,  chest rig, sleeping bags and rucksack.  $1500 later lol

About the only issue thing I wear stepping off on a patrol is my pants..... oh, and underwear.  I'm kinda partial to the issue underwear.