Boston Globe: Marines Shown to be lacking Basic Equipment

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

WASHINGTON -- Marine Corps units fighting in some of the most dangerous terrain in Iraq don't have enough weapons, communications gear, or properly outfitted vehicles, according to an investigation by the Marine Corps' inspector general provided to Congress yesterday.



The report, obtained by the Globe, says the estimated 30,000 Marines in Iraq need twice as many heavy machine guns, more fully protected armored vehicles, and more communications equipment to operate in a region the size of Utah.


The Marine Corps leadership has ''understated" the amount and types of ground equipment it needs, according to the investigation, concluding that all of its fighting units in Iraq ''require ground equipment that exceeds" their current supplies, ''particularly in mobility, engineering, communications, and heavy weapons."


Complaints of equipment shortages in Iraq, including lack of adequate vehicle armor, have plagued the Pentagon for months, but most of the reported shortages have been found in the Army, which makes up the bulk of the American occupation force.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2005/06/21/marine_units_found_to_lack_equipment/

Note: Where is all that money going? This war is hateful, but it is more hateful to not equip those men and women adequately.

[NewJeffCT]

1. of course it is all John Kerry's fault

He voted against the $87 billion Iraq spending package 2 years ago.

[Gunit_Sangh]

7. nope ...

It's not Kerry's fault ... it's Clinton's penis fault

[NewJeffCT]

9. true

that is the overarching thing that is responsible for all the evil throughout human history...

[sunnystarr]

16. and we learned from Paula Jones that BC's penis is crooked! (nt)

[KansDem]

21. Actually, isn't it suppose to be Sen Durbin's fault?

Sen. Durbin was not comparing American soldiers to Nazis or suggesting that Guantanamo is analogous to a gulag. What he said was that the interrogation techniques described by the FBI agent in his e-mail call to mind techniques used by repressive regimes, including the Nazis and Soviets. In fact, many of the techniques that were explicitly authorized by Secretary Rumsfeld and remain in use at Guantanamo actually were used in Nazi camps and Soviet gulags and are used by other repressive regimes. For example, the Nazis used food, sleep, and sensory deprivation, and the Soviets used forced standing and sleep deprivation.
http://talkleft.com/new_archives/011124.html

At least, "his fault" for this week? After all, isn't it all about "supporting the troops?"

[Kelvin Mace]

23. Who's at fault?

The Marine Corps leadership has ''understated" the amount and types of ground equipment it needs, according to the investigation, concluding that all of its fighting units in Iraq ''require ground equipment that exceeds" their current supplies, ''particularly in mobility, engineering, communications, and heavy weapons."

See, it's the Marines fault they don't have enough guns, ammunition, armor and commo gear. Why do the Marines hate America?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

24. Why do the Marines hate America?

Ha ha!

[acmavm]

2. And this is news how? This has been the case since the first soldier

hit the ground over there.

Where's the money going? Same place it's been going, to Halliburton, KBR, Custer Battles (who even though they're not supposed to get work in Iraq still are) and the rest of the crooked bastards.

[Karenina]

5. At that time they were not provided

SUFFICIENT DRINKING WATER.

[Oversea Visitor]

3. Commander-in-chief

Sleeping on job
His fault x(
Fired him

[Ravy]

4. He doesn't have the right equipment, either.... (n/t)

[Oversea Visitor]

8. Oh Yeah

Me forget Him Chimp
But real chimp smarter
Me saw SUPER SURLUS GRAPH Clinton make
Then see how fast chimp make it fall
Me guess running downhill dont need brains
But me think he dont know how to drive
Better take him out of seat
Dont think he know how to use brakes :(

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. Support Our Troops

Just buy another car ribbon and everything will be all better.

[meganmonkey]

17. Off Topic - but I saw something hilarious on my way to work today...

and you reminded me of it with your ribbon comment -

I live in a red area and on my way to work today I saw a minivan with a W '04 sticker and a yellow ribbon, something I see dozens of daily. But as I got closer, I noticed black writing on the ribbon. Along one side it said "BUSH" and on the other it said "MORON". Next to the W '04 sticker was a decal of Calvin peeing on it :P

Not a fan of the Calvin peeing decals in general, but it cracked me up

:D

[rainbow4321]

10. Anyone remember the Friday night dump a few weeks ago??

Would it have killed the Dems, ANY Dem, to be throwing this in the face of the MSM the Monday after this was released??? Money has been given to shrub hand over fist for his war, yet the troops are still "endangered" from crappy training, deteriorating training ranges. I found it buried online that Friday night, yet nothing was reported the following week in MSM (what a shock, right?)


http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=1047307

Many U.S. military training ranges are deteriorating, providing troops a less-effective training experience and in some cases endangering them, says a report from Congress' investigative arm.

The Government Accountability Office says many training ranges have suffered from a lack of maintenance and modernization

In its report, the GAO says "military training ranges are in varying degrees of degradation or lack necessary upgrades to meet current training needs, a condition that, in turn, adversely affects training activities and jeopardizes the safety of the military personnel using them."

For example, at Fort Hood, Texas, home to tens of thousands of soldiers, GAO investigators found degraded tank trails, too few sniper and machine gun ranges, and a training area for urban operations that is geared for preparing soldiers to fight in the narrow streets of Eastern Europe rather than the walls and courtyards of Middle Eastern cities. At the Navy's Southern California Offshore Range, a malfunctioning communications system has rendered much of the range useless for submarines.

----------------

The report(pdf):

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05534.pdf
----------------------

[Bozita]

11. Dad picks up $600 tab to get Marine battle ready

http://www.azcentral.com/news/columns/articles/0618evthomason18Z10.html#

Dad picks up $600 tab to get Marine battle ready

Jun. 18, 2005 12:00 AM

John Tod of Mesa had been prepared to face Father's Day worrying about his son's pending date with the war in Iraq.

Then Uncle Sam stepped in with more disappointing developments.

Marine Pfc. Jeremy Tod called home with news that his superiors were urging him and fellow Marines to buy special military equipment, including flak jackets with armor plating, to enhance the prospects of their survival.

The message was that such purchases were to be made by Marines with their own money.

more...

[BrotherBuzz]

12. Buck up boys!

"As you know, you go to war with the Army Marine Corps you have. They're not the Army Marine Corps you might want or wish to have at a later time." - Rumsfeld

Ooh, ooh, I get to use the new DU sarcasm thingy! :sarcasm:

[MichiganVote]

13. If the marines are hurting, the Guard and Reserve are worse off

[Melodybe]

14. Kick, I wish everyone knew about this.

[DS1]

15. Not necessarily

The Marines are the only service I know of who have to replace their own gear with their own money.

Rip a pair of cammies, you're buying a new set. Put a scratch on your boots that makes them unpolishable in an area, you're dropping 60 bucks for a new pair.

And on, and on, and on.

[MichiganVote]

20. Reserve and Guard are given Class B equipment, stuff that's left over

or items that are hand me downs. The Guard and Reserve regularly use M-16's that are left over from Nam'.

[RamboLiberal]

18. Remember those two incidents last week which killed 10 Marines?

5 in each IED attack. I remember hearing that at least one of the vehicles lacked armor.

From the report:

But the report says that about a quarter of the Second Marine Expeditionary Force's Humvees lack sufficient armor to protect troops against roadside bombings, including 1,000 vehicles that have yet to be fitted with armor plates to protect the undercarriage.

[geniph]

19. And the profits from those damned car ribbons are going where?

If the people pushing those damn things meant what the ribbons say, they'd be using that money to buy those troops armor, or drinking water, or fucking Chapstick.

I hate hypocrites worse than poison, I really do.

[mbperrin]

22. Why does the Marine Corps Inspector General hate

'Murika?