IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 383
Expressing the sense of Congress concerning the well-being of members of 
the Armed Forces and calling on the Department of Defense to do 
its utmost to see that deployed military personnel have the best force 
protection equipment the Nation can make available, and for other pur-
poses. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 11, 2004
Mr. MEEHAN submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Armed Services 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of Congress concerning the well-being 
of members of the Armed Forces and calling on the 
Department of Defense to do its utmost to see that 
deployed military personnel have the best force protection 
equipment the Nation can make available, and for other 
purposes.
Whereas United States military forces continue to be de-
ployed in hazardous operations in Iraq and Afghanistan 
and elsewhere around the world; 
Whereas the members of the Armed Forces continue to dis-
tinguish themselves by their bravery, dedication, and 
record of achievements;
•HCON 383 IH 
Whereas many United States military personnel have been 
killed or wounded in Iraq as the result of enemy action 
using improvised explosive devices directed against vehi-
cles; 
Whereas such attacks continue on a daily basis; 
Whereas it is critical that United States forces be able to 
continue to move around Iraq by vehicle in order both to 
bring security to Iraq and to help facilitate the recon-
struction of Iraq; 
Whereas technology exists that can minimize the effects of 
improvised explosive devices directed against vehicles; 
Whereas the requirement of the United States Central Com-
mand for increased armor protection for vehicles includes 
4,398 Up-Armored Humvee vehicles by the end of 2004, 
of which less than half have been produced as of early 
March 2004; 
Whereas the requirement of the United States Central Com-
mand for add-on armor kits is 8,400 by the end of 2004, 
of which only about 1,800 have been produced, and less 
than a quarter have been installed, as of early March 
2004; 
Whereas current production plans are not likely to meet those 
requirements before the end of 2004; 
Whereas delay in meeting those requirements will continue to 
place members of the Armed Forces at an elevated risk 
of death or injury; 
Whereas the Congress, recognizing the urgency of the re-
quirements for increasing the armor protection of for-
ward-deployed vehicles, has repeatedly increased the 
funding appropriated for that purpose;
•HCON 383 IH 
Whereas the production of Up-Armored Humvee vehicles is 
limited by industrial capacity that is currently insuffi-
cient to meet the stated requirements; and 
Whereas although the United States continues to develop and 
deploy systems to defeat improvised explosive devices, sig-
nificant risk remains: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that—
(1) the well-being of the members of the Armed 
Forces deployed in defense of the Nation is of para-
mount importance; 
(2) the Department of Defense should do its ut-
most to see that deployed military personnel have 
the best force protection equipment the Nation can 
make available; 
(3) the Department of Defense and the military 
departments should, using all means at their dis-
posal, increase the ability of currently unarmored ve-
hicles that are deployed forward for operations in 
Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring 
Freedom to resist improvised explosive devices, such 
means to include nontraditional production sources 
and technologies, field-installable kits, and re-
programming of funds; and 
(4) the Department of Defense should imme-
diately release to the military departments all funds
•HCON 383 IH 
that have been authorized and appropriated for the 
purposes of defeating improvised explosive devices 
and mitigating their effect on vehicles and that have 
not previously been released.
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