Tuesday we wrote about the Army's new body armor. The same day, we've just learned, a different kind of armor saved a soldier in Iraq:
An iPod.
The music player stopped a 7.62 mm round from an insurgent's AK-47.
Flickr has photos of the 20GB pod.
Here's the accompanying text:
My wife’s uncle works in a military hospital and told me about this. Its pretty amazing. Kevin Garrad (3rd Infantry Division) was on a street patrol in Iraq (Tikrit I believe) and as he rounded the corner of a building an armed (AK-47) insurgent came from the other side.
The two of them were within just a few feet of each other when they opened fire. The insurgent was killed and Kevin was hit in the left chest where his IPod was in his jacket pocket. It slowed the bullet down enough that it did not completely penetrate his body armor. Fortunately, Kevin suffered no wound.
Yesterday, the poster said that an Apple engineer had passed the photos around and that Apple folks want to help Garrad get a new iPod.
Meanwhile, the folks over at DefenseTech picked up the story and have started "a little Good Friday contest": How many more tactical uses are out there for the ever-popular iPod?
Join in. Here are some of the entries so far:

• Use the chrome side as a tac mirror for looking around corners.
• Use it to listen to Arabic/Farsi language tapes. English track listings for Arabic phrases, choose an appropriate phrase and share the earbud with person.
• Don't have an interpreter? Plug your ipod into a bullhorn and you're all set!
• Hook up a speaker for that Ride of the Valkrie effect before hitting a zone.
• Turn it on and use it as a tactical light when entering a room
• Turning the ipod on and off so the light can be used for signalling
• Something to keep the POWs entertained....
• Take the old ipods, as an all out last resort, and just throw it at 'em

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline...r_saved_b.html

interesting...

amazing...

Wow. Now I have a reason to go dish out $400 for one.

Now I'd like to see my parents object to getting me one

That's cool.

Don't say a word! The government are about to withdraw all body armor, and issue everyone with ipods.

Hook up a speaker for that Ride of the Valkrie effect before hitting a zone.

Oohrah! I like that idea.

I got a better idea. Metallica - The Call Of Ktulu (S&M Album)

As for the iPod saving that GI's life. It was dumb luck. Bibles and other small items have been credited with doing the same during WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War.