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As one of the "nay sayers".

My argument has never been that the striker was not effective.

My argument has always been, is it the best? It was the only alternative considered. When you design the test to pick what you want, thats what you get. Especially if you make sure the evaluators know what you want. GEN Shessinki (sp?) made sure every one knew he wanted wheels.

As to the OR rate. How much of this is due to the civilian contractors attached to the SBCT? And at what cost? What is the Total Cost of Ownership? Is this accomplished with only organic maintenance?

As I have posted before, another brigade or two should be equipped with an alternate vehicle and a competitive trial conducted. Not the current one choice only method.

Sorry, didn't mean to include those, like you, who contribute to a substantive debate over the best vehicle and have well-thought out positions. I meant those, like the Washington Post, who eagerly leap on any piece of negative info they can find in order to further their political agenda.

(spelled Shinseki)

As I have posted before, another brigade or two should be equipped with an alternate vehicle and a competitive trial conducted. Not the current one choice only method.

I hear this argument frequently, it is part of the mantra of our acquisition system. More testing, more development, more money, more time. All of this will produce effective weapons systems and I'm sure that we will have a fine Future Combat System by 2014, or perhaps later, but eventually.

The problem, of course, is that all of this does nothing for the men of 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry and the others currently engaged in the fight. If you and the other naysayers had won the argument, there would be no Strykers in Iraq and more soldiers would be dead. Be careful what you ask for.

This argument has been ongoing for several years now - point, counterpoint. While many of the opinions have been formed by ignorance or colored by agendas, some on both sides of the issue have been made by people who know something of combat and of armored vehicles. I'm just glad to see the opinions of soldiers who have some actual combat experience with Stryker. They have some real credibility and trump all of the rest of us.