n. scavenged materials used by soldiers for improvised bullet-proofing and vehicle hardening, esp. in Iraq. Subjects:
English, Iraq, United States, Military
Citations:
2004 Deena Winter Bismarck Tribune (N.D.) (Aug. 30) “Chaplain brings message back home to congregation” p. 1A: Millican only briefly spoke of the “horrible sand,” unrelenting heat, “hillbilly armor” they initially wore and camel spiders as big as a Frisbee. 2004 Stephanie Heinatz @ Camp Arifjan, Kuwait Daily Press (Hampton Roads, Va.) (Sept. 11) “Truck Drivers Recount The Road To Baghdad” p. A4: “We call it “hillbilly armor’ because all we did was cut out thick steel and put it on our doors,” Jackson said. “We have a really good welder who worked really hard on that to give us the extra protection.” 2004 Thom Shanker, Eric Schmitt New York Times (Dec. 10) “Armor Scarce for Big Trucks Transporting Cargo in Iraq”: Continuing shortages have prompted soldiers going to Iraq to scrounge for steel and ballistic glass, improvising shields that have come to be called hillbilly armor. 2005 David Shrauger Living Iraq Journal (Jan. 16) “Victory is mine”: We were able to install ballistic windows (that we will have to take off and put on another truck when it is their turn to convoy) and put these strange flexible kevlar sleeves over our plastic doors to go along with the particle board “hillbilly” armor built around the back of our gun truck.