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More electronic countermeasures to jam or predetonate remote mines.

I was wondering why we can't do more of this type of thing. Aren't they set off with cell phones mostly?

If this continues, I'd say we need to get rid of cell services in Iraq until our guys are out of there.

Nothing has changed -- or really will -- in the military procurement system.

As far back as my first naval aviation squadron in the mid 50's, early on, I was assigned and served as Material Officer, a very small department, that interfaced for the Maintenance Department with the Naval Aviation Supply system.

The first thing my "Chief Storekeeper" told this young "jg" was that the system does NOT WORK! Once that was understood, I commenced a weekly "parts run" -- flying down to NAS Jax from our hangar at Nas Norfolk with a pocket full of blank stub requisitions -- and, once there, headed straight to Overhaul and Repair -- and met my civilian buddies -- with a push cart and a spare-parts shopping list.

We yanked the precious reworked parts right out of the system before they ever were re-introduced into the regular supply chain. And, at Christmas, I bought the O&R guys a case of whiskey -- all out of govt. funds -- and delivered in by hand!

Of course, the squadron had superb aircraft readiness as a result; but our contemporaries were sucking air, due to the part shortage I helped exacerbate by my shenanigans.

This problem seems to be eternal -- and if it were not armor for the humvees, it would be something equally serious. In my view, Rummy is correct; but I do not forgive him for placing himself in that ludicrous "pr" position.