Iraq Vets Take on 'Myths' of Supply Problems

Contrary to what we hear from the MSM, the veterans of both the Afghanistan and Iraq wars are satisfied with their training, equipment, and supply lines.

The following article is from CNSNEWS.com..

Iraq Vets Take on 'Myths' of Supply Problems
By Nathan Burchfiel
November 12, 2007

(CNSNews.com) - Veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq on Friday rebutted perceptions that troops in the region were undersupplied during their stays and said troops now have the supplies they need to fight terrorists effectively.

"There actually were some pretty impressive things going on with the supply system," Maj. Jason Amerine, who served in Afghanistan immediately after Sept. 11, 2001, said during a panel discussion at the annual American Veterans Center conference in Washington, D.C.

"My experience was a system that worked very well, from ordering saddles in Texas that got dropped by airplanes ... to ordering other kinds of vehicles and equipment like that," Amerine said, acknowledging that "in the years that followed we found a supply system that was under a lot of stress."

Sgt. Jeremiah Workman, a Marine who fought in the second battle of Fallujah, said Marines are trained to fight with the equipment they're given and didn't think twice. "First of all, I wouldn't have known what was good gear and what wasn't good gear," he said.

"Over the last couple years we've really gone from this to that," Workman said, referring specifically to going from low-armored vehicles to heavily armored Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. "I think they're really looking out for the well-being of every service member."

Maj. Heidi Urben, a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, said knowing what equipment was needed was "not necessarily inquisitive in the very early days of the two campaigns" but that "for all our faults we can adapt and we can learn."

All the panelists agreed that the troops currently fighting on the ground in both countries now are well-equipped, well-trained, and improving their methods. "We still, I think, are trying to figure out what are the best solutions," said Urben, who moderated the discussion.

"We're definitely moving in the right direction as far as gear," Workman said, adding that Marines are motivated to accomplish their mission. "Motivation was not a problem, at least where I was in Fallujah - at all."

Amerine said whether or not success is reached in Afghanistan and Iraq is up to the leadership's dedication to keeping a strong troop presence in the region. "It isn't a question of whether the troops are capable of it," he said.

"I think our services are actually very good at counterinsurgency," Amerine said. "I disagree with this notion that there's this huge learning curve."