3rd ID Death was First in New Armored Vehicle

By: Barbara Herring | WSAV-TV
Published: January 22, 2008

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New details tonight on the death of a 3rd ID soldier in Iraq. It's a story we first told you about last night on News 3 at 6. 25-year old specialist Richard Burress, based out of Fort Stewart, was killed Saturday when an IED struck his vehicle.

We've learned today that this casualty was the first to happen inside of an MRAP, or mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle. These vehicles are supposed to be safer for soldiers than Humvees because they have a V-shaped base that deflects blasts away from the vehicle.

There are now more than 2,200 of these vehicles in service in Iraq and Afghanistan. The pentagon is working to get another 12,000 more. That comes at a cost of $21 billion. Many of the vehicles are manufactured near Charleston.

The Pentagon said today it remains confident in MRAP's. Burress joined the army in December 2005 and arrived at Fort Stewart in April 2006.