Pretty much sums it up
This discussion is like complaining about the way the sausage is made that we ate for breakfast. Its a messy business. A couple of greasy points to add. The current procurement system was so slow to adapt and respond that it would have lost WWII had it been active then. Second, hold your nose, but it was Congressional pressure that put a blow torch to the Pentagon's ass. If it hadn't the body armor and armored humvee issue would have been swept under the rug or drug on for another year. Third, civilians can be blamed as well as the fossilized DoD process. Congress is bad, but in this "war" it gave unprecedented carte blanche to the civilian administrators at DoD. As a result spending, or lack thereof, was manipulated around the Nov. election. It was only when the process became untenable that a supplemental was both requested and immediately granted before this presidential election. The cost of this war is being swept under the rug. Additionally, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz couldn't sell bread to their own family much less get another unearmarked appropriation from Congress. It will be specific or nothing. Blame Kennedy was you might, it is a Republican Congress that has had enough smoke blown up at it from Rummy and Wolfy. Bush may want them, but Congress is fed up with them. Fifth, maintenance for vehicles and so on have got to be stepped up as will new equipment procurements regardless of the political party in power. So we're going to eat the Jimmy Dean's sausage one more time and smile. Real reform in procurement hasn't even begun.