U.S. GIs Hit Rumsfeld With Hard Questions

[DemBones DemBones]

By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - In a rare public airing of grievances, disgruntled soldiers complained to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Wednesday about long deployments and a lack of armored vehicles and other equipment.

"You go to war with the Army you have," Rumsfeld replied, "not the Army you might want or wish to have."

Spc. Thomas Wilson had asked the defense secretary, "Why do we soldiers have to dig through local landfills for pieces of scrap metal and compromised ballistic glass to up-armor our vehicles?" Shouts of approval and applause arose from the estimated 2,300 soldiers who had assembled to see Rumsfeld.

Rumsfeld hesitated and asked Wilson to repeat his question.

more

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20041209/ap_on_re_mi_ea/rumsfeld

[grasswire]

1. you go to war with the army you have...

....when war is a surprise and a necessity.

when the war has been anticipated for years and is a war of imperialism, there is no excuse for going on the cheap.

[Inland]

4. Exactly. Rumsfeld doesn't even acknowledge one can plan a war

Even if I were planning a potluck dinner I would make sure we didn't have two potato salads and no entree. Rummy thinks an army just happens. Well, maybe it does for this failed Admnistration.

[steely]

2. Thanks for supporting our troops rummy you ****** bag.

How about, "we went to war with the asshole defense secretary we're stuck with".

I'm sure that asswipe had protection to get to the meeting.

Watch him bar questions in the future, or the troops will be attending by invite only.

Way to go Specialist Wilson!!

[merwin]

3. I would go for "asshat" over "wipe" or "hole" n/t

[Moderator]

5. DUplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1053879