Do I Have to Buy Military Gear at My Own Expense?

Some soldiers of the Zaitoon Corps, which is a part of the additional troop dispatch to Iraq next month, are reportedly buying some military supplies, such as magazine pouches and dust masks, with their own money; it was revealed on July 27.

One internet user, presumably a family member of a Zaitoon soldier, left a posting asking, “Should soldiers buy military gear with their own money?” on a bulletin board on the Defense Ministry’s home page (www.mnd.go.kr).

He claimed that “drivers in the corps are buying new magazine pouches for their legs with their own money because the one they are issued from the army, which should be worn above the waist and over a bulletproof vest, keeps touching the handle of the vehicle when they drive.” He also said, “Some drivers who will be in charge of transporting goods by land from Arbil to Kuwait don’t think their military dust masks can filter the desert sands and are buying extra ‘industrial strength’ dust masks as well.“

The price of one magazine pouch is 6,700 won (two pouches for 13,400 Won) per person, a large dust mask is 1,910 won, and a small mask is 970 won, while a magazine pouch for the leg, which some soldiers personally bought, costs about 20,000 won, and an industrial dust mask costs between 1,100 and 1,200 won.

Also, some soldiers are known to have bought new pairs of better-style brand name UV protective sunglasses (cost: 24,000 won) and wind goggles (cost: 15,400 won).

An army officer refuted this, however, saying, “The magazine pouches worn on the leg are not adequate for combat and most people feel the waist version is more comfortable. The military-procured dust mask quality has been verified, but some soldiers believe the rumor that industrial masks are better.”

The cost of supplies and equipment procured for one Zaitoon solider is 1,981,017 won (weapons not included). In terms of total expenses, a soldier’s personal protection gear costs about 1,562,140 won, including a 5.5kg bulletproof vest, which costs 1,100,000 won and a bulletproof helmet which costs 259,200 won.

Ho-Won Choi bestiger@donga.com