Like many Americans dismayed with the apparent lack of results in Iraq and the deaths of many fine young people, I've wondered if there is any hope. A reason for optimism is the MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle). The new vehicles provide much improved protection, specifically against Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), which cause 70% of all U.S. casualties in Iraq. The IEDs are armor piercing and the MRAP offers some hope that our troops will be better protected. This is a step in the right direction. 58 of the 62 members of the House Armed Services Committee voted on 9 May for a $508.3 billion military authorization bill for fiscal 2008; the MRAP is a part of the new appropriations.
The day after the appropriations, the Pentagon announced plans to phase out its armored Humvees in Iraq and Afghanistan and send in vehicles that better withstand roadside bomb blasts, according to Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
The shift in appropriations means that modernization plans would be put on hold but given the seriousness of our troops vulnerability, this seems like sound planning.
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