Troops in Iraq killed, wounded because of brass inaction

Jacksonville Daily News ^ | April 29, 2004 | David Hackworth

[Ranger]

Troops in Iraq killed, wounded because of brass inaction
April 29, 2004
DAVID H. HACKWORTH
KING FEATURES

The central theme of Sun Tzu's timeless book, "The Art of War," is for commanders to take care of their troops. If one of his generals had sent warriors into battle with defective chariots, I'll bet you a fortune cookie that the offender's head would have quickly decorated the end of a pike.

But that's far from the case in the 2004 U.S. Army. And a classic example of leadership negligence is our soldiers' current chariot, the Humvee.

As early as Oct. 3, 1993, the Ranger fight in downtown Mogadishu demonstrated the added value of armored Humvees. Subsequent shoot'em-ups in ex-Yugoslavia proved once again how effectively this rugged vehicle protects our grunts.

Yet the high brass, from SecDef Bill Cohen to Donald Rumsfeld to almost a generation of generals, never bothered to adjust their budgets to buy more armored Humvees. And today, troops are being killed and wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan because there aren't enough of these bullet-and-shrapnel-stoppers to go around.

Why is the armored Humvee in such short supply when after-action reports have been shouting its praises since 1993?

For sure, there's been no shortage of cash. Since the need for these obviously essential lifesavers became apparent, the Pentagon has ordered more than $5 trillion of toys - from irrelevant big-ticket items like Star Wars II, to fleets of VIP jets to fly generals and politicians to and fro, to Gen. Tommy Franks spending almost half a million dollars on a VIP show-and-tell stage he had sent from the USA to Qatar so he could spin the Iraq War in a slick "Today" show-like setting.

Meanwhile, in this high-tech day and age, the troops are actually back to the same old sandbags and jury-rigged plates of steel welded to their vehicles that my recon platoon used at the end of World War II when we were fighting Tito's insurgents in northern Italy.

And as the brass ease into the blame game, the thing that frosts me is that no one is being held accountable. Not one head has fallen as legs and arms keep getting blown off and more and more body bags are zipped.

The logisticians are saying the senior commanders didn't tell them what the requirements were. And the combat skippers are saying the nature of the war changed from slamming Saddam with an iron fist to fighting guerrillas who use rocket-propelled grenades and improvised explosive devices as their weapons of choice.

I don't buy this bureaucratic game of passing the hot grenade. Long before Saddam's statue came toppling down in Baghdad a year ago this month, it should have been clear to any career officer with any knowledge of guerrilla warfare that we were about to find ourselves smack in the middle of an insurgent war and needed armored vehicles to more adequately protect our warriors.

But the Pentagon's Cheap Charlie estimate back then was that a mere 235 armored Humvees would do just peachy-keen for the occupation phase of our misadventure in Iraq. Now, after 720-plus dead and thousands of wounded - and hundreds of Humvees destroyed or damaged - the same geniuses have suddenly concluded that we need more than 5,000 armored Humvees.

The brass' lame excuse is that they didn't expect things to turn violent in Iraq. And considering it took months for Rumsfeld to finally admit that our forces were engaged in a guerrilla war, upping the Humvee order early on might have interfered with the all-pervasive miasma of denial - and who knows how many precious careers.

The $180,000 vehicle is being built by Armor Holdings Inc. A year ago, the company was popping out 60 armored Humvees a month. This month, it will turn out about 200, and the goal is to kick up production to 450 units a month by November. If the Army can find the money.

But even if some gold-plated Cold War porker like the Air Force F-22 is canceled and the money is transferred to the armored Humvee account, the word is that Armor Holdings won't be able to meet demand until sometime next year.

In the meantime, more Americans will be blasted to pieces, while those responsible are promoted or check out of the military to cash in as defense lobbyists.

 

David Hackworth is a syndicated columnist and former Army colonel who offers advice, analysis and opinion on national issues and political affairs.

[narby]

Hackworth is a first class idiot.

Constructive criticisim is one thing, but this piece is a political document to make our current leaders look bad.

Hackworth is a traitor.

[Arkinsaw]

He's a loon. But it's true our troops don't have enough armored Humvees. But where does the blame belong? Perhaps the brass in the Pentagon have some blame to share. But how often is the Clinton administration mentioned in this article? Where are the names of the Senators who continually went on television yelping about the defense budget being too high and social program funding being too low?

[MEG33]

It just keeps going.I haven't bothered to read it.CIC wannabe Hackworth at work.

[fini]

Concur. He is the one that rails against "powdered princes" and then supports Gen Wesley Clark (the personification of a "powdered prince").

[ApesForEvolution]

Too bad the messenger is the traitor, The Hack.

He makes a couple of good points...

[Pukin Dog]

Hackworth doesnt know crap about Sun Tzu.

I would gather Sun Tzu has more good ideas every day than Hackworth, which says a lot, seeing as Sun Tzu has been dead for centuries.

[Blzbba]

"Too bad the messenger is the traitor, The Hack.

He makes a couple of good points..."


Too bad, indeed. It's th type of blind support of poor Pentagon policies seen in this thread that will get more of our troops killed. I don't care who this guy is - if our troops need more armored HumVees, than g*%$^$it, get them more HumVees! If our brass isnt' going to be 100% committed to doing this the right way while minimalizing American casualties by supplying the proper weaponry and equipment, then they should just pack up and leave.

Anyone who thinks differently is a traitor, Saddam-lover, Islamo-nazi, anti-American, and is supporting the terrorists.

[dts32041]

Hum wonder where those hummers where at when I spent about 18 of my twenty years in open top jeeps.

Of course never went up against a rpg 2 in an open top jeep he was smoking dope with his boys.

Hack use to be a relatively intelligent solider, but maybe all that old THC and the sheep dip has gotten to him.

[nicko]

roger that...who gives a s___ who's friggin' fault this is...fix it, yesterday...

[2111USMC]

Hackworth has lost it.

True, we could use more armored Humvees in theater. However, the Humvee was never intended to replace armored personnel carriers. It was intended to replace the Jeep.

If I'm wrong, I'm certainly open to anyone correcting me.

[dts32041]

You have that correct. It was meant to replace 5 vehicles and none of them were armored.

It was doing what it was intended to. I understand when you drop a ton or two of armor on them, they have a horrendous break down rate.

[F16Fighter]

Hackworth has no credibility whatsoever. He's the Arianna Huffington of "ex-military" men.

I won't EVER read his BS again.

[somemoreequalthanothers]

I agree whatever the soldiers need they should get asap, but Hack has been rubbing me the wrong way for a couple of years now. I thought he was pretty cool when I first saw him years ago, but he sounds like a democrat as of late. Lot of people dumping on Rumsfeld lately. Must be en vougue.

[raynearhood]

Two points:

1. Has anybody read Hackworth's book, STEELE MY SOLDIER'S HEART? I have never read a book so full of self endorsement in my life (save WAGING MODERN WAR, by Wes Clarke) The man did some great things as a Lt. Col. However, contrary to what he repeats over and over in his book, the only entity to ever recommend him for a Medal of Honor was himself. The book was his endorsement of his wife's investigation to 'upgrade' a Silver Star to a MOH. I had never heard of him before the book, and never care to hear of him again after reading it.

2. HMMWVs have a horrendous breakdown rate w/o the armor. We like to say that they wear out sitting still.

[Ranger]

This has been a story of too little too late. Let's just fix it asap. Get the troops what they need to finish the job. ... no excuses.

[x1stcav]

I've tried to never 'diss' a fellow serviceman but Hack is the exception. He was all right until about 4 years ago. Then I didn't see much of him since last summer.

Now, he has crawled out from under his rock. Man! I wish he would go away! We (by this I mean the troops) don't need this sh!t.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

John Kerry appreciates your support.

[Ranger]

This is about doing the right things for the troops. If discussing this devastating issue is detrimental to Bush as you have repeatedly imply, then the administration should be managing the problem properly. I don't recall surrendering my first amendment rights to you or anyone else. My support is for the troops in the field. Where is your?

[Blzbba]

"I don't recall surrendering my first amendment rights to you or anyone else. My support is for the troops in the field. Where is your?"


Ranger's exactly right. It's typical of the Bushbots to attempt to deflect the blame somehow to JFKerry. I couldn't care less about how Kerry did or did not vote. That isn't the issue. The issue is that we have under-equipped our troops in Iraq in a few key areas. First it was a lack of Kevlar body armor. Now it's a lack of armored HumVees.

I've said it already in this thread but I'll say it again- Give our troops the necessary equipment to do their jobs or get the hell out. There's absolutely no reason for this slackness, given the amount of time spent building up for Iraq (this certainly was no rush job) and given the amount of money we're rightfully spending on defense.

Again, anyone who wants to deflect attention to how Sen. So&So voted, rather than address the issue of how to best protect and equip our boys is an anti-American, traitorous, Islamofascist-supporting, false patriot. Feel free to address the many flip-flops and shortcomings of JFnK (you'll need alot of time for this) AFTER 100% of our troops are wearing Kevlar and riding in armored vehicles. Until then, you're only supporting the terrorists.