News Summary

VIDEO

How armor is added

See the process of "up-armoring" Humvees at a Butler County, Ohio, plant.

ANIMATION

Where armor is added

See how a protective shell is added around a Humvee cabin.

A damaged Humvee sits outside the plant where armor is added to the vehicles. Five soldiers were in the Humvee when it hit a land mine in Afghanistan. All of the soliders walked away. Staff photo by Ty Greenlees.

Rollover accidents increase with addition of Humvee armor

Congress has spent tens of millions of dollars to armor Humvees in Iraq. The steel armor shields soldiers from harm but also makes the vehicles more difficult to control and more likely to roll over. Dozens of soldiers have died in those accidents.

Locally produced armored Humvees can take a beating

The Butler County factory's 700 workers churn out about 650 vehicles per month, as the Army replaces its older Humvees and some of the ones that were fortified in the field with steel kits.

Reaction

• Army says corrections have decreased Humvee rollovers
• Voinovich studies Army's response to his inquiry on Humvee safety
• Letter from Secretary of the Army to U.S. Senator Voinovich
• Letter from Voinovich to U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
• Voinovich asks Rumsfeld for details on rollovers
• 'DDN" articles on Army vehicles were too narrow in focus
• Ex-NASCAR worker no expert on Iraq war
• Lawmakers to be briefed on Humvee safety issue
• Trying to find balance between Humvee safety, role in war

Data and graphics

• Soldiers often blamed in Humvee rollovers
• Humvee accidents and the Iraq war
• Higher percentages of rollovers in armored Humvees
• Adding protection to the Humvee
• Database of humvee accidents

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