NC National Guard To Use Bulletproof Vests To Protect Vehicles

The nearly 1,500 vests will go to the 30th Heavy SeparateBrigade of the N.C. National Guard. They'll be used to line thefloorboards or door panels of their vehicles. Most of the vestshave expired warranties from the manufacturers, so the soldierswon't wear them.

Captain Robert Carver of the North Carolina National Guard saysanother 300 ceramic plates, which are used in some vests, also weredonated.

Members of the Clinton-based brigade were called to active dutyin October as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The brigade, whichhas five-thousand members from North Carolina and other states, hasbeen training since last fall and began going to the Middle Eastlast week.

The unit is a heavy armor brigade equipped to fight astate-of-the-art mechanized battle.