Through lack of testing, hurried production, and a general rush to production over five million pieces of body armor worth $2.5 billion went to soldiers between 2004 and 2006 that may well have been useless.

According to the Associated Press, these new findings come after a New York Times story showed 80 percent of marines serving in Iraq shot or hit with shrapnel in the upper body died when their armor failed.

U.S. ground troops rely on two ceramic plates, inserted into a ballistic vest to protect their torso from injury. According to a 51-page Pentagon report, officials can't say for sure whether the 5.1 million ceramic inserts provided any protection at all.

It's a story that's been told among military families for years, with reports in USA Today from 2004 showing servicemembers buying their own armor to protect themselves.