After New Zealand, and perhaps others, informed the company that they would not use these sights until the markings were removed, the company has agreed to remove them from all still in stock, to not apply them to any new ones, and will provide 100 "repair kits" for the US to use to remove them from existing ones previously delivered.

One might surmise that the repair kit quite probably consists of a Dremel® mini-grinder with a couple of spare grinder bits and a bottle of touch up bluing.

US regulations relating to forces in forein countries specifically prohibit the display of religious symbols on uniforms or equipment, making it clearly "illegal" for US personnel to use these devices where they are currently deployed.

Normal US purchase/delivery regulations require a specification for "Markings and Packaging" that must be provided to the manufacturer/seller for any "legal procurement." In proper form, the spec includes ALL MARKINGS required, and inclusion of any markings NOT IN THE SPEC is a non-compliance with the contract, for which the manufacturer/supplier is liable for the costs of remedy.

There are exceptions in the rules to permit purchase of "off the shelf" commercial items, but the regulations, the last time I looked, required removal of all "commercial markings and supplier identifications" with the exception of (military) nomenclature for the device and the manufacturers "CODE IDENT" Number. For items procured to a government spec, even "markings necessary to use" are specified and described by size, text, color, and usually location on the device; and nothing that isn't in the spec is permitted. For items procured under the "commercial products" exceptions, the "markings necessary to use" may not be specifically described, but are the only markings "legally permitted."

If the gov't wasn't aware of these markings, somebody F**D UP the procurement. Maybe accepting purchased items without inspection (and possibly without a "Delivery Spec." has something to do with where all that money that can't be found has gone(?).

John