America's Military Says It Best: We Rushed To War Without Fully Equipping Our Troops

John Kerry For President ^ | April 26, 2004

[Cannoneer No. 4]

26, 2004

For Immediate Release

While the President’s campaign focuses on smearing John Kerry’s patriotism, the head of the US Army Forces Command in Iraq, Larry Ellis, wrote to Army Chief of Staff General Schoomaker today to complain that the military went into Iraq ill-equipped and specifically said that Humvees are not providing enough protection to US troops.

This memo is just the latest example of this Administration's continuing disregard for the men and women who put their lives on the line every day in Iraq. The Bush White House went to war without being prepared and it has got to devote itself to making sure that the troops in Iraq have the equipment they need to win the peace. John Kerry knows what it is like to fight in war and will make sure American soldiers are protected as much as possible when they go into battle. The American military’s men and women deserve nothing less when they are in harm’s way.

In his memo, Ellis wrote that “Commanders in the field are reporting to me that the Up-Armored High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeling Vehicle (HMMWV) is not providing the solution the army hopes to achieve. It is imperative that the Army accelerates the production of Stryker vehicles to support current operations…even though ‘we are at war’ some Army members and agencies are still in a peacetime posture… If our actions…impede our ability to train, equip, or organize our soldiers for combat, then we fail the soldier and our nation.”

[Cannoneer No. 4]

The objective is to convince the mothers of America that it is beyond the call of duty to operate or ride in an unarmored vehicle.

We love our troops, and want them to have the best. The trick is to know what is best, and not let the best be the enemy of the good enough.

Force protection is not the mission in Iraq or Afghanistan. Sometimes accomplishing the mission is detrimental to the welfare of the troops.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

You do good work. John Kerry thanks you.

Lay down with dogs, wake up with fleas.

[Semper Paratus]

And if my votes were decisive you wouldn't have half of the firepower you have now.

[68skylark]

This press release is quite funny. No one is going to be swayed by this -- except maybe a few swing voters who will laugh at the idea that George Bush doesn't care about the U. S. military.

If this is the best the Kerry campaign can do, they're in weaker shape than I thought.

[MJY1288]

Send the Kerry Campaign this link

Guard, Well equipped in field

[laotzu]

Where, exactly, does it say we rushed to war?

[MJY1288]

LOL, I linked the article you posted. I think John Kerry should keep his pie hole shut on matters to do with todays Military, that scumbag betrayed the Military back in 1971

[oyez]

Did we ever get into a war the we were really prepared for?

Kerry and company not only are poor at lying their memory is too damned short. We all know Kerry voted against nearly ever military bill that crossed his desk. When are the Republicans going to bring this out? The media sure as Hell won't.

[rudypoot]

The Bush White House went to war without being prepared and it has got to devote itself to making sure that the troops in Iraq have the equipment they need to win the peace.

Kerry has overseen military spending appropriations in the senate for 2 decades. What did Kerry do to help prepare our troops? Can he point to a list of bills, bills that he sponsored or bills that he voted on in the past? His latest act is voting agains the $87 billion supplimental bill to continue the fighting in Iraq.

Hell, I don't even think Bush needs to run campaign ads. Just wait long enough and watch Kerry kill his own campaign. Or do i give the sheeple too much credit?

[kitkat]

Hi Mike,
Can you believe the consummate gall of these people? Kerry, of course, is the one who voted AGAINST the funds to equip the troops.

[MJY1288]

That's just John Kerry lying again...... get used to it :-)

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Freeper Ranger On The Radio -- LIVE THREAD

"It's difficult to believe that planning for the war failed to anticipate the need for better protective vests and more effective armor on Humvees," Kennedy said. "No soldier or Marine should have to serve in Iraq without it."

"I couldn't be happier with the efforts Kennedy has taken to address this issue,"

[nothingnew]

kerry is completely delusional

FMCDH

[dead]

John Kerry knows what it is like to fight in war

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Please read

[Cobra64]

We all know Kerry voted against nearly ever military bill that crossed his desk. When are the Republicans going to bring this out? The media sure as Hell won't.

Republican ads are illustrating Kerry's anti-military voting record on munitions and weapon systems.

[Sacajaweau]

Body armour AND chem suits and over 100 degrees. Tough on our boys. Humvees with the shields are weighted down. It's a choice.

[pogo101]

We Rushed To War Without Fully Equipping Our Troops

Uh huh, right. Instead, we should have taken several more years, telegraphing the fact that we were going to invade. Them's goooood military strategy.

And, we should have equipped our troops with more of the things that Kerry repeatedly voted AGAINST funding for.

Did I miss anything?

[pierrem15]

Pssst, hey John-bo, here's a secret: it's eight years of a Democratic Admin that explains why we don't have armored Humvees, why we don't have enough tracks for our Bradleys, why the deffered maintenance on the USS Kennedy caused a catapult failure, why or tanker fleet is now 40+ yeras old, etc., etc.

[MJY1288]

Hi kitkat,

As I have said before, John Kerry has spent that past two decades giving nuanced speeches on the Senate Floor that were designed to leave the listener wondering how he would vote, unless of coarse it was a Defense Bill, than he was clear "NAY".

John Kerry has never had to stand solid for anything in his life, and he's not about to start now. I believe John Kerry sealed his fate when he said he voted for the 87 Billion before he voted against it. There is no recovering from such a blunder. The simple fact is that John Kerry wasn't ready for prime-time and he needs to understand that leadership is more than just a word used in a speech, you can't claim you're a leader, you have to behave like one, and John Kerry is not a leader