Actually, the troops did cheer the question. In every war, things like this have happened. The Tanks in WWII stunk. Korea was a nightmare of miscues. This Humvee problem is serious, but Iraq has been pretty damn good compared to other American wars.
These guys aren't in a Korean Winter with no food or ammo, they aren't in crappy tanks getting massacred by German Panzers. All in all, things have been better than average. The whining has been greater than average, The Media has been terrible. The loyal opposition has been traitorous.
The Humvee thing should be addressed. The troops have more body armor than ever before in Human history-- perhaps some units don't have as much as other units (and that is an issue) but they have more body armor than any American infantry units have ever had in previous wars.
There is no doubt, we would be better off if the Clinton troop cuts hadn't happened. And we'd be better off if the adminstration and Pentagon after Mogadishu had uparmored the entire fleet of Humvees and light and heavy trucks. It's a tough order to ask Bush to undo all the harm that was heaped on the militay in the 8 years of Clinton. It's hard to ask Bush to snap his hands and fix it all, but it is legit to say, "You could have done a better job fixing the damage Clinton created."
I figured that was painfully clear to all.
I was wrong.
"The Humvee thing should be addressed." It's being addressed as best as it can. As I said there is only one plant doing the work of up-armoring the Hummers. We need more plants to do the work. We need more soldiers to fill those vehicles.
" It's a tough order to ask Bush to undo all the harm that was heaped on the militay in the 8 years of Clinton. It's hard to ask Bush to snap his hands and fix it all, but it is legit to say, "You could have done a better job fixing the damage Clinton created."
How much of an increase in spending for this stuff do you think the last Congress would have passed given the deliberate stalling of any and all legislature in the Senate?
As much as it stinks politics played a lot into this over the last 4 years. Trying to get fixed and upgraded what needs to be fixed and upgraded during war is akin to trying tair up a flat tire while moving down the highway at 70 m.p.h. I think the full measure of what the Clintoon Pentagon wraught on me and my fellow soldiers has only come to light since 9/11.
It will take more than the 8 years of W to fix what was done. It's always easier to tear down than it is to build up.