General
hillbilly armor
What does hillbilly armor mean?
Makeshift, often crude vehicle armor field-fabricated from scrap metal and sandbags, famously bolted onto Humvees early in the Iraq War.
"Until the up-armored trucks arrived, we ran hillbilly armor welded from scrap."
Origin
US military slang, Iraq War era.
Frequently asked questions
What is 'hillbilly armor'?
It's makeshift, often crude vehicle armor field-fabricated from scrap metal and sandbags, famously bolted onto Humvees early in the Iraq War.
Why did troops use hillbilly armor?
Early in the Iraq War many vehicles lacked factory armor against roadside bombs, so soldiers improvised their own protection until up-armored vehicles arrived.
Where does the name come from?
It's Iraq War-era slang, the 'hillbilly' label poking fun at the crude, cobbled-together, do-it-yourself nature of the armor.
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