As with just about everything else coming from the "support the troops" crowd.
Cross posted from Sancho Press. http://sanchopress.com/
FINALLY! This is an issue that has been discussed for some time now.
In a Jan. 22 internal report, Franz Gayl, a civilian Marine Corps official, accused the service of "gross mismanagement" that delayed deliveries of the mine-resistant, ambush-protected trucks.
(MRAP's)
http://www.military.com/...
This is another case of money taking priority over our troops. On Sancho Press we most often talk about money taking priority over helping our returning troops, veterans and their families regarding health care and other benefits they earned but are not being provided at all or sufficiently.
We have also discussed the situation with proper body armament and that boiled down to a money issue.
Here is another example that has undoubtedly cost lives of our troops on the ground in Iraq. Again, money over lives!!
Gayl's study, which reflected his own views, said cost was a driving factor in the decision to turn down a February 2005 "urgent" request from battlefield commanders for the so-called MRAPs.
Gayl, a retired Marine officer, is the science and technology adviser to Lt. Gen. Richard Natonski, who heads the department.
The AP first reported Gayl's report 15 Feb 08 before it had been reviewed by his superiors. Gayl has had disagreements with superiors in the past and has filed for whistle blower status.
Although the Marine Corp. requested the Pentagon Inspector General do an investigation, they had little choice after Gayl's report made the press. Several high ranking Marine Corp. officials are on record with numerous excuses for the reasons these vehicles couldn't be supplied. In reality, it is easy to read between the lines of their excuses, money was the real issue and not the bullshit they are spewing.
If the top dogs demanded suppliers get these produced, they surely would have. Here is proof in fact of that.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates declared the MRAP the Pentagon's No. 1 acquisition priority in May 2007. Defense contractors are now producing close to 1,000 vehicles a month.
1,000 a month but one General used the excuse that Gayl's report didn't take into account the defense contractors ability to produce the MRAP's.
"If the mass procurement and fielding of MRAPs had begun in 2005 in response to the known and acknowledged threats at that time, as the (Marine Corps) is doing today, hundreds of deaths and injuries could have been prevented," Gayl said. "While the possibility of individual corruption remains undetermined, the existence of corrupted MRAP processes is likely, and worthy of (inspector general) investigation."
HUNDREDS OF DEATHS AND INJURIES. Add that to the hundreds of deaths and injuries from inferior body armament. Besides hundreds of our bravest dead, unknown numbers maimed, injured, burned and more, we have literally severals thousands of families and lives forever shattered.
Sens. Joe Biden, D-Del., and Kit Bond, R-Mo., called for an investigation after reviewing Gayl's report.
The shit may hit the fan on this one and if Gayl's report is correct the punishment for those involved in the two year delay can not receive sufficient punishment. They don't allow criminal trials of military personnel. If Gayl's report pans out, murder trials would be approprite in this case.