KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, is asking for an investigation into government-owned Federal Prison Industries after it was revealed they sold defective combat helmets to the Army and the Marines.
The Army began recalling the helmets in 2010 after repeated failures in ballistic tests. It was later discovered the helmets had other defects.
“They literally put our men and woman at risk who are serving this country in uniform,” Huizenga said.
Huizenga said corrective action must be taken against the prison labor company and its employees.
“When they got caught, they were reassigned within the Bureau of Prisons,” Huizenga said. “They should have been fired, not reassigned. If this were the private sector, their actions would have been viewed criminally.”
Huizenga said he’s not certain whether the defective helmets caused casualties on the battlefield.
