Within 24 hours after a soldier from Nashville challenged Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld about armor shortages in Iraq, protective armor had been added to every vehicle in the soldier's unit, senior Army officers said yesterday.No additional commentary required...
Army Maj. Gen. Stephen Speakes and Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sorenson, senior members of the Army's combat systems development and acquisition team at the Pentagon, said protective armor plates were added to the last 20 vehicles of the Tennessee-based 278th Regimental Combat Team's 830 vehicles shortly after the exchange with Rumsfeld.
The generals said it was part of routine, pre-deployment preparations in Kuwait before the unit proceeded into Iraq.
Mark's Remarks
Let me shed some light on this whole issue. No army, and I mean no army, goes into battle with EVERYTHING they need in every situation. We did not know before we went in that the insurgents would use roadside bombs. We did not know they would do that type of warfare. And, we had 8 years of Clinton downsizing to put up with. Thanks in large part to Willie, Alboy, and JK, we only had about 250 of the "up-armored" humvees in theater. Since we went in, that number has increased to upwards of 10,000 in a little over a year. Should we get more to protect our troops? You betcha. Also, let's think about this. That unit was at the rear of the action. You get the up-armored items when you go in theater.Production of the up-armored vehicles is a 24 hour operation with three shifts. They are still trying to start another production facility at the base down south which makes the material. Yet, we are to be lectured by liberals who voted against the very armaments we are building and using about how we were ill-prepared? Come on now.
