BIDEN/BOND/ROCKEFELLER/KENNEDY Call for Investigation into Delays Getting Wartime Equipment to the Frontlines

February 27, 2008


Washington, DC - United States Senators Joe Biden (D-DE), Kit Bond (R-MO), Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Ted Kennedy (D-MA) sent a letter today to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, calling for the Department of Defense to investigate repeated delays in getting wartime equipment to our troops on the frontlines.


The Senators wrote: "Our front line forces must be supported by a modern system that quickly meets their needs, not a slow and lumbering bureaucracy better suited to the last century. As important, our military men and women and their families deserve to know that we are giving them the best possible equipment when they need it."


The full letter is included below:


February 27, 2008


The Honorable Robert M. Gates

Secretary of Defense

1000 Defense Pentagon

Washington, DC 20301-1000


Dear Secretary Gates:


As we begin review of the budget request for the Department of Defense for Fiscal Year 2009, we remain concerned that the rapid acquisition systems designed to support our fighting forces are not working as well as they should. A Naval Audit Service Report on the Marine Corps Urgent Universal Need Statement Process issued September 28, 2007 concluded, "The UUNS process, at the time of our audit, was not effective." Since that time, the Marine Corps authorized one of its senior civilians to conduct case studies on several items urgently requested by commanders in Iraq, including the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. These case studies, while not definitive in and of themselves, also point to trends and problems in the system as a whole.


We know that the Marine Corps has made some improvements, but we are concerned that they and the other services have not come far enough. For example, an urgent needs request for Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP) protection was submitted on February 17, 2005 as part of the first MRAP Urgent Universal Needs Statement. On January 13, 2007 that request was renewed, yet we are still five or six months from fielding even limited quantities of EFP protected vehicles. In addition, the Army's delays in initially fielding better body armor, up armored humvees, and MRAPs appear to be symptoms of the same problems.


It is essential that we fix this system. The enemy is quick and adaptable, which makes it imperative that we are too. Our front line forces must be supported by a modern system that quickly meets their needs, not a slow and lumbering bureaucracy better suited to the last century. As important, our military men and women and their families deserve to know that we are giving them the best possible equipment when they need it.


It is difficult to reform while engaged in the fight, but we believe we must if we are going to win the fight. We applaud your decision to initiate an IG investigation of the MRAP issue, but we urge you to conduct a thorough and comprehensive evaluation of all of our wartime acquisition processes, in all of the services and at the joint level, building on the work done by the Army with the Commission on Army Acquisition and Program Management in Expeditionary Operations.


Such a comprehensive, Department-widereview should, at a minimum, address the following questions: Are we capturing the lessons learned? Are we measuring performance appropriately? How much influence do budgetary constraints play on decisions? Is there an appropriate balance between urgent wartime needs and long-term military readiness? Do we need to modify laws or regulations to become more nimble, while still providing the accountability and reliability the American people expect? In answering these questions, the MRAP and related case studies will be informative as examples of problem areas and, as the past year showed with MRAP, ways in which problems were overcome. We believe the existing case studies done within the Marine Corps and reviews like that done by the Naval Audit Service will also be helpful.


If the effort to provide EFP protection is any guide, unfortunately, we are still not accelerating our development and fielding efforts adequate to meet the current threat. It is time for a comprehensive effort to give the American military the full benefit of the nation's production and development capacity.


Sincerely,


Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

United States Senator


Christopher S. Bond

United States Senator


John D. Rockefeller

United States Senator


Edward M. Kennedy

United States Senator

You know it makes me damned angry that we send troops to foreign soil without the proper equipment. It is a disgrace.

Then when they come home injured we ignore their health and welfare.

If the Untied States government is going to send it's troops to war it must provide the proper equipment and support both during their service and after it as they transition back to civilian life and it is essential, no matter how you feel about the war that we all speak out in support of our troops. Tell your representatives in congress that the actions of the United States government, particularly the veterans administration are wrong.

Families here state side have been active in sending troops deployed communication equipment, bullet proof vests and boots among other things. You'd think the government that sends these men and women into a war zone would provide them with the necessary tools. The armed services have fallen shamefully short of the mark meanwhile billions of dollars in war funding has simply gone missing.

It makes me feel ashamed that some of the most gung-ho supporters of the war are the same people who recently voted against the new GI Bill for instance.

If you do nothing else today take a minute to e-mail your representatives and ask that our troops be properly equipped and supported.

Or, those war supporters aren't sending tangible support maybe they should help out with some gifts of armor.

Yea, I can not believe how much money is going out to other countries, but my mind doesn't register monies in that quantity- anyway they should be leaving with all that protective gear b4 they leave the states, ya know?

okay, I do support the war...but I also know that we are not protecting our troops like we should be. they should be equipped with the latest and greatest weoponary and protective gear. And i dont think they are.
also, I do question the surrounding hospitals, first aid gear and availablity of medical supplies.
i dont give a crap about money...and I have none to give.
But i do think it is horrendous that these boys are not being given the very finest of everything. Im in favor of whatever one could possibly do to better protect our troops

This is more more than parisan attacks & a waste of taxpayer money.

Pathetic.

In 2005, this bill to investigate war contractors was defeated by Senate Republicans. Recognize any names?
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00316

To establish a special committee of the Senate to investigate the awarding and carrying out of contracts to conduct activities in Afghanistan and Iraq and to fight the war on terrorism.

NAYs ---53
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
----------------->McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Talent (R-MO)
Thomas (R-WY)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)

There you go again... Blaming the French.

yeah so you say REPS waste our money on doing what it's suppose to do...protect this nation.

All DEMs like to do raise bogus charges & investigations. WOW! Like that's really important to spend money on. LOL

How many conspiracies can DEMS investigate in a lifetime????

Like Whitewater that turned into a blow job investigation? That was money well spent.