"Never mind the fact that for what the government pays out for one fatality caused by substandard body armor"

This shows how biased you are if not ill informed. The reason there is a shortage of body armor is tests showed that fewer troops would wear it due to the increased weight affecting mobility etc. Devlopments in Iraq with the enemy adjusting thier techniques forced some rethinking on the issue. The mess hall bombing made it required gear in camp etc. There is a shortage of body armor and they are producuing the certifed version as fast as they can. In addition there has been a debate about body armor since late in the Vietnam war. Is the added weight and the effets of that weight worth the risk. Some troops want it some troops do not. There are many reports of troops going on patrol and taking out the 16lb protective plates. Feeling the weight added to the 40 to 70 lbs they normally carried made them too slow.
You paint the pic that the admin stuck it's middle finger up at troops requests. Look at all past wars there have been shortages of everything from time to time. Look at the requirements in WWII for tanks, ships, planes etc. This is the real secret about WWII that you surface skimming historical retards miss. Private industry in this country out supplied the Japs and the Germans 10 to 1 on such gear. With out a doubt enabling us to win the war. No country on the face of the earth is as willing and able to supply their troops with needed items.