What if 1,000 Armored Vehicles Didn't Get to Troops and No One Cared
In the news jumble today -- a new White House front group targeting Republicans on Iraq, Ari Fleischer not knowing the name of the veterans he used in the ads, the president saying we should have stayed in Vietnam while he was defending the airspace of Texas from the VC, and the tragic helicopter crash that killed 14 of our troops -- an important story is getting buried.
Reuters reports that "U.S. troops in Iraq will receive at least 1,000 fewer special armored vehicles than expected this year due to the amount of time needed for shipment."
This is unacceptable. Completely and utterly unacceptable. The issue of getting the most up to date Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles has been a problem for a while, and it's no closer to getting solved.
For years, the United States Marines have urgently requested MRAP vehicles for use in Iraq. Ever since a 2005 memo was sent up the chain of command by then-brigadier general Dennis Hejlik, the Bush administration's civilians in the Pentagon knew of the need for MRAP vehicles. Yet, it wasn't until March of this year that the Pentagon began to move on providing the 3,700 MRAP vehicles requested by the Marines, and over 17,000 requested by the Army. Even still, contract requests that were put out to eight companies didn't forsee production and distribution of the vehicles until 2009.
Now we're finding the ones we've produced can't be shipped quickly enough? That is an outrage. Senator Joseph Biden has it right. In response to the slow production schedule foreseen by the administration, Biden told USA Today, "You cannot tell me that this country is incapable in the next six months of building every single damn one of these vehicles that needs to be built."
History says Senator Biden is right. America's industry has stepped up to the challenge of quick, quality production before:
- In the spring of 1941, the first M3 combat tank rolled off the line at a Chrysler facility -- just four months after Chrysler received the blueprints for the brand new vehicle. (Source: The New York Times, April 24, 1941, Editorial)
- During World War II, the Ford Motor Company applied its mass production innovation to the production of B-24 bombers. By the end of the war, Ford was producing one B-24 every 63 minutes. (Source: "Airpower Classics," Air Force Magazine, June 2006)
- At the Richmond Kaiser Shipyards during the second world war, it was only taking a little over two weeks to assemble an entire Liberty ship. (Source: National Park Service)
What excuse is there for the shamefully slow production and shipping of MRAP vehicles? If our industry once was able to build an entire bomber in an hour and an entire Navy ship in two weeks, why does the Bush administration show no problem with it taking over a year to build 20,000 MRAP vehicles? Why hasn't the President himself taken responsibility and called industry and the Pentagon out on their BS? Where is the leadership? Hell, where is the outrage?
Troops lives are at stake. In the military, if I knew troops lives were at stake and I just sat and watched a problem that put them in danger, I would get a serious reprimand, probable demotion, maybe court martial. But, the president and civilians at the Pentagon? Nada. That is the definition of outrage.
P.S. I also wanted to highlight a new ad we're unveiling today at VoteVets.org. You can view it below. We're kicking it off in Maine in a few days, and then plan to take it to ten other states and districts. Oh, and unlike Ari Fleischer, I know the name of this veteran -- John Bruhns. I talk to him almost every day, as well as many, many other troops and veterans who also served in Iraq, like me.
Follow Jon Soltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jonsoltz
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We support Biden in this household. Ron Paul's approach also interests us.
I was a child in WWII and I know that we produced things really fast, but perhaps there is some truth in the claim that we no longer have an industrial base to turn out this equipment. But we COULD develop that base again if we had the will.
This blog and its comments should be read by everyone, as it brings out some important truths about the decline of America's industrial might and its slavish "outsourcing" to increase profits. This issue is a cameo showing in frightening terms the decline of America in the interest of profit-making.
"Troops lives are at stake"
Iraqi lives are at stake, to a degree 100 times that of our troops. We have created a huge mess in Iraq and in the region by being there. We don't need more stuff in Iraq as much as less stuff. We didn't ask the army to go over there. They seem to be taking their orders from rich people who want to take oil from other people, and are willing to sacrifice a lot of lives of other Americans and uncountable lives of others around the world to get it. Talk about the problem. Your solution is not really a solution to anything, it is just stay the course.
Mr. Soltz mentions in this article about the president saying we should have stayed in Vietnam, while he was defending the airspace of Texas from the VC. What Mr. Soltz doesn't mention is that Bush did a commendable job. Texas was never attacked by the VC.
Or by smelly hippies;)
Thanks so much Jon for all you do. I know that sometimes it's a thankless job,but there are alot of Vets like me that appreciate it.
Whose making the vehicles? I didn't know we had any manufacturing left.
Your right they are made in China, they'll be re-badged here and then sent to our boys. That's why it will take so long o:). That will certainly be the scenario in few years time. Then we'll need to get the permission of the Chinese to use them.
"In the military, if I knew troops lives were at stake and I just sat and watched a problem that put them in danger, I would get a serious reprimand, probable demotion, maybe court martial."
Isn't Bush the "Commander in Chief" of the armed forces???? Finally, a way to impeach his ass!!!!!!
I just don't know how much more disgusted I can get! I feel for these soldiers and their families.
The scumb that calls itself our government, has taken this country hostage... and we can't do a damn thing about it.... certainly not with Pelosi and her pathetic Democratic wimp robots!
Just sickening!!!
Henry Ford helped my grandfather (farm boy w/ 6th grade education) in the 1930's (father of 4) to return to school. Henry seemed to understand that when you give someone tools to work with all benefit. That included me- 20 yrs after my grandfather died - I graduated college Thanks to the investment by Mr. Ford. Can't speak as highly for the CEO's since.
Now mankind are mere 'leg up' stepmen.- quite easy to replace. The Horsemen rule a concentration camp for humanity
So if Mohammad will not come to the mountain, the mountain should go to Mohammad. Our Soldiers don't have anything to work with over there, come home and put the equipment to use here. Capitolists are penny wise, but pound foolish (and deadly to the rest of us)
Good article Jon, stay on the offense demanding respect for your fellow warriors.
Did you happen to notice when the Commander-in-thief addressed the VFW earlier this week he didn't address veteran’s issues as much as he rattled his saber.
Typically he used the old guys as props as he has done so many other times during his Administration. The only public places we see Georgie is a VSO event, a military post or a school, where the audiences can be controlled.
Listening to his remarks at the VFW I was hoping he would discuss his plans for the new Secretary at VA, or the signature wound of this war, Traumatic Brain Injury or even mention the Dole-Shalala Commission Report about the horrible conditions at Walter Reed.
None of his remarks addressed these or other veteran’s issues. Why should he, he was only at a veterans convention?
Jon .. . I suspect the vehicles desperately needed by our military in Iraq are being made by some cheney/chimp/rummy pals . . . these guys have repeatedly shown they don't care about the military, they don't care about the Iraqi's . . . they "speak with false tongue" . . . they only care about getting their greedy hands on Iraqi oil. Impeachment is the only answer . . . or the troops already exhausted, stretched beyond endurance and under equipped will be sent to die in Iran -- just to keep their criminal regime in power . . .
Supporting the troops is a nice little talking point complete with those cutesy doodads for the back of your car. It eases the conscience without anyone having to do anything. We should all be very ashamed. And we should all be grateful for the honesty, integrity and courage of men like Jon Soltz.
The government could have purchased those v bottomed vehicles at the inception of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The problem was they were being manufactured in another country. That meant that American manufacturers could not reap their billions. This is not inexcuseable, it is immoral and it is evil. The buck stops with Bush. Congress bears equal guilt and blame. They could have stopped this six years ago.
PLAON and SIMPLE BUSH runs this war as a game OUR TROOPS to him are like TIN SOLDIERS ( LIKE A BOY PLAYING WAR ON HIS TABLE).
BUSH sees no DEATH, BLOOD OR WOUNDS
WHEN our loses were 2,500 fallen he said
" MISSION ACCOMPLISHED"
WHEN OUR LOSES WERE 3,000 FALLEN HE SAID:
" WE MUST STAY THE COUSE "
WHEN OUR LOSES WERE 3,576 FALLEN HE SAID
" I WILL STAY THE COUSE EVEN IF LOURA & MY DOGE BELIVED IN ME"
WHEN OUR LOSES WERE 3,750 FALLEN HE SAID :
" I WILL SEND 50,OOO MORE TROOPS ( A SERUGE )"
WHEN OUR LOSES MEET 4,000 WILL BUSH CLOSE HIS TOY BOX OF TIN SOLDIERS AND GO HOME ?"
OR BLEED THE REST TILL THERE ARE NO MORE SOLDIERS LEFT ?.
LATER TO SAY :
" GOD SPOKE TO ME TO ATTACK THE MIDDLE EAST ".
Great post, great ad. Thanks.
I'll tell you why they aren't getting there in a hurry.
In January of 2008, the DOD decided they had better put a solicitation for MRAPS.
Normally, solicitations are request for companies to respond with their product and pricing. Usually cost is the deciding factor in winning but seeing this is a very important issue, design and proof of survivability would trump the lowest bid.
What does the DOD do, they pay 9 companies 30 million dollars each to develop prototypes. These companies then had 4 motnhs to produce them and have them tested at Aberdeen. Some of them were late delivering, some of them failed testing Some of them even had orders placed without proof the vehicles were good enough.
There was only one US company that made MRAPS. Force Protection.
They should have won the solicitation, WHY, they had the only vehicles that met the criteria in all categories. Their vehicles were the only vehicles battle tested in combat, 100% AMERICAN made.
Instead of selecting the best vehicle and ordering industry to churn out copy after copy of these units, the DOD wasted 6 months evaluating entry's from manufacturers who never made an MRAP.
This lost time, equates to about 3000 units which could have been shipped by sea.
TheDOD, geniuses that they are, decided to not only pay other companies to develop something Force Protection did on its own ( they had 14 employees in late 2003 and now have 1000 ), they allowed competitors to basically "steal " Force Protections design.
Seems like politics are influencing this cash cow. MRAP 2 is underway and the DOD is screwing that up again. Now vehicles won't be ordered till December.
The Cougars have had literally thousands of IEDS hit them and no deaths. If you think of the cost, 10 soldiers per vehicle and thousands of excursions. Force Protection should be praised for saving so many.
The BEST US made product ( in the world ), and the lowest cost to boot ( 475K ), isn't being built by the thousands.
SHAME.
It is an outrage. It has been an outrage for 7 years. We didnt even have to build new vehicles as Rumsfield didnt send the APC's and Tanks we had to Iraq in the first place.
http://www
This website has much information about what we could do with what we already have. The problem is that it doesnt cost enough to take an M113 that we already have and add on armor upgrades.
And we have thousands sitting around in storage.
Contractors are not going to make big bucks doing this. They make big bucks trying to add armor to a HMVEE that was never designed to carry that much weight.
I have never been in the Military but this is a technical problem and anyone with a brain and grasp of High School Physics can understand it given the right information.
I guess thats why so many Bush Loyalists just dont get it!
No solution is perfect but we could have done so much better. People dont even begin to understand the enormity of what has been done in Iraq by the Bushies.
Sad day..
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