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It sounds like the soldiers were more than willing participants because the matter they addressed is a real problem.

The matter they addressed has been fanned into a pseudo-problem by hysterical reporting on the part of the MSM.

Have jeeps ever been armored in any previous conflict? Have trucks ever been armored before? Did the "Red Ball Express" drive trucks with steel plate welded to the sides?

Whew, where to begin? First, if the question was planted, thats completely pathetic on the part of the reporter. But either way, it's a fairly legitimate question. So, let me add my two cents:

There were armored jeeps in WWII, some fairly famous pictures in the Battle of the Bulge. But, as many other FReepers have commented, armor severely slows down your mobility and seriously tasks the engines, which were not designed for that weight. As also commented, Hummers weren't designed to withstand roadside bombs, they were designed for mobility on the battlefield where they are needed in many environments. After the Task Force Ranger battle in Somalia, a recognized need was for a limited number of up-armored Hummers for urban combat.

Now, here's the interesting piece which virtually no one understands. The primary vehicles used by our Special Operations troops did NOT have any armor because they are needed for fast response. These are among the best equipped and best trained and THEY did not initially have these vehicles. Remember the initial Afghanistan ops, the guys were on horseback, with, wait, wait for it...NO ARMOR! Now there's a scandal!

I served in Iraq last year and my vehicle was a Toyota Pickup truck, bought after the 9-11 attacks since they are common in the Arab world. I never felt concerned about an IED since the tactic at the time was the RPG and I drove like hell! As the battle changed from the major combat operations, the emerging insurgents chose the IED as weapon of choice. W have to also change tactics and equipment as well. Did we not have enough, no we did not. Is the system working as hard as it can, I believe so.

Was it a legitimate question, yes. But, I really can't stand the hysteria focused on this SECDEF. IMHO, he's doing an outstanding job.