GI's Lack Armor, Radios, Bullets

Tuesday, November 2, 2004 at 03:07AM
TheSpook

Two weeks ago, a group of Army reservists in Iraq refused a direct order to go on a dangerous operation to re-supply another unit with jet fuel. Without helicopter gunships to escort them over a treacherous stretch of highway, and lacking armored vehicles, soldiers from the 343rd Quartermaster Company called it a suicide mission.  The Army called it an isolated incident, a temporary breakdown in discipline, and an investigation is underway.  But the 343rd isn't the first outfit to be put in harm's way without proper equipment, and commanders in Iraq acknowledged that the unit's concerns were legitimate, even if their mutiny was not.  With a $400 billion defense budget you might think U.S. troops have everything they need to fight the war, but that's not always the case.  Correspondent Steve Kroft talks to a general, soldiers in Iraq, and their families at home about a lack of armored vehicles, field radios, night vision goggles, and even ammunition - especially for the National Guard and reserve units that now make up more than 40 percent of U.S. troops.  [more]

Article originally appeared on (http://brownwatch.com/).