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Dec. 10, 2004 Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's talk to National Guard troops in Kuwait who are deploying to Iraq has drawn the usual criticism from Democrats. Soldiers brought up the issues of inadequate armor for Humvees, stop-loss enlistment extensions, and pay problems. Rumsfeld's remarks were called: "callous", by Rep. Ted Strickland (D-OH); "contemptuous", by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ); and, "stunning", by Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-CN). Rep. Gene Taylor (D-MS) stated, "When I visit Iraq, I ride around in an armored vehicle, and I am sure the secretary does as well. If it is good enough for the big shots, it is good enough for every American soldier". The remarks of these lawmakers really irritate me. Military personnel always have to jump through hoops for politicians. Of course Rep. Taylor would be trucked around in an armored vehicle during his congressional tour of Iraq. Politicians always expect the red carpet treatment, and complain long and loud if they don't get it. I don't know how many "facts" he found out during his tour, but during that time- spell there was one less armored vehicle for the troops that would still be going out on patrol long after he was back in Washington running his mouth off. HMMWV's (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles), known as Humvee's, were introduced into service in 1985. They are built on an M998 vehicle chassis that was used for 1-1/4 ton trucks. The stated purpose of the Humvee was to replace the jeep, 2 types of ambulances, the 1/2 ton Mule, and the 1-1/4 ton Gamma Goat. The Humvee's come in 11 variants. None of the vehicles being replaced were armored, and none of the original Humvee's was armored. When armored vehicles were necessary Armored Personnel Carriers (APC), Amphibious Tractors, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, and Light Armored Vehicles were to be used. Humvee's are armored in one of two ways. The Humvee can be augmented with an add-on kit of armor, or an armored version can be manufactured. The M1114 Armored Humvee carries 3,000 pounds of armor. While it is true that any armor is better protection than none, how effective is armor really? Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG's) were designed to penetrate several inches of armor. An awful lot of APC's were knocked out with RPG rounds. Mines have knocked out M-1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks. Both are a lot sturdier than Humvees. Low availability of armored Humvee's was stated to have been a matter of production, not finances. AM General, in Mishawaka, IN, is the sole worldwide manufacturer of Humvee's. From a production rate of 15 per month in the fall of 2003, production has increased to 450 per month. There are around 1,500 armored and 12,500 unarmored Humvee's currently in Iraq. Much is being made about troops having to scrounge around and improvise their own armor protection. Scrounging around to beef up inadequate protection is nothing new. It was done in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, and probably every other conflict our troops have been in. American military personnel are inventive. As for older gear being issued to Guard and Reserve troops, that is nothing new and should not come as a surprise to any member of congress. Extended enlistments under a stop-loss order are not new either. Many World War II vets found themselves recalled to active duty when the Korean War began. Too many people seem to overlook that when they sign their name on that dotted line, they are signing their life away to the federal government, to use as it sees fit. As in any job, recruiters always highlight the better aspects of the job, and neglect to point out the down side of it. Serving in the military requires commitment, sacrifice, and a high degree of selflessness not faced by those walking the hallowed halls of Washington D.C. Of the 130,000 troops in Iraq, 45 percent are Reserve/Guard troops. Many made more in their civilian jobs than they make in the military. While I can sympathize with their plight, I have to state that this is an all-volunteer military. Nobody forced them to enlist, and nobody forced them to stay in. I think it behooves every parent to have a sober talk with their child before that child enlists in the military. They have to understand the consequences of their actions before they sign on that dotted line. Yes, they can learn a trade and get educational benefits. They can also come home in a body bag, or wind up physically or mentally crippled. Donald Rumsfeld was correct when he said, "You go to war with the army you've got, not with the army you wished you had". The Democrats labeled his remarks callous, contemptuous, and stunning; they are actually what is known as realpolitik. Where does the culpability lie? It was said that Harry Truman had a plaque on his desk that stated, "The Buck Stops Here". To paraphrase Lloyd Bentson, William Jefferson Clinton, you are no Harry Truman. We are reaping the seeds you sowed for your "Peace Dividend" and "Balanced Budget". I saw the demoralized state of the armed services at the close of the Vietnam era. I watched the buildup and resurgence of pride and morale during the Reagan years. I saw the gutting of the military during the Clinton years. When I was told that small-arms training conducted by Army Rangers was not military training and I would not be paid for it, and then was paid for a mandatory family picnic, I decided I had enough. I put in my papers and retired. To me, that epitomized the Clinton culture towards the military. Political correctness and social programs outweighed military necessity. Without statistics, however, what I say is just another opinion, and, as the saying goes, everyone has one and they all stink. So, here are some statistics on the Clinton gutting of the military. - Total Active Duty Force was reduced from 2.1 million to 1.6 million. - Although the Total Active Force was slashed by almost a third, deployments increased by almost 300 percent. That means fewer people were available to do an increased workload. One result of such an imbalance was deterioration in equipment. - Army: reduced from 18 full-strength Light and Mechanized divisions to 12. - Navy: reduced from 546 towards 300 ships (the smallest Naval force since the pre-World War II period). - Air Force: reduced from 76 to 50 flight squadrons. - Elimination of 232 strategic bombers; 2,000 Air Force and Navy combat aircraft; Iowa-Class Battleships. - A military pay freeze resulted in 80 percent of the Total Military Force earning an annual salary under $30,000. Most personnel are stationed in high cost of living areas. As a result, many military families had to subsidize their income with food stamps. - Vice-President Gore's "Reinvention of Government" removed 305,000 people from the federal payroll. Ninety percent of them (286,000) came from the Department of Defense. To compensate for the loss of active duty personnel, the roles they had played were given to the Reserve and Guard units. Now that those Reserve and Guard units are playing a significant role in the conflict in Iraq, the Democrats have the gall to bellyache. This is the monster you created, Dr. Frankenstein. Instead of running off your mouths, why don't you be constructive and come up with ideas to fix the problems? ------------ About the author Joseph Boudreau: I spent just under 24 years in the Navy, 9 on active duty, the rest in the Naval Reserves. From paygrade E-1 I advanced to paygrade O-4, and retired as a Lieutenant Commander. 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