Marines seriously underequipped in Iraq

Historically, the Marines  have always been stuck with b-list equipment. But this is  remarkable, from the Boston Globe:

WASHINGTON -- Marine Corps units fighting in some of the most dangerous terrain in Iraq don't have enough weapons, communications gear, or properly outfitted vehicles, according to an investigation by the Marine Corps' inspector general provided to Congress yesterday.

The report, obtained by the Globe, says the estimated 30,000 Marines in Iraq need twice as many heavy machine guns, more fully protected armored vehicles, and more communications equipment to operate in a region the size of Utah.

The Marine Corps leadership has ''understated" the amount and types of ground equipment it needs, according to the investigation, concluding that all of its fighting units in Iraq ''require ground equipment that exceeds" their current supplies, ''particularly in mobility, engineering, communications, and heavy weapons."

[...]

The report says that about a quarter of the Second Marine Expeditionary Force's Humvees lack sufficient armor to protect troops against roadside bombings, including 1,000 vehicles that have yet to be fitted with armor plates to protect the undercarriage.

Check out the accompanying graphic:

Read the article. But here's the question that it leaves me with:  Why is this happening? I don't mean that rhetorically. I mean, is this just another example of how in reality our military just can't keep up its current rate of operations?  And if Marine commanders have 'understated' the problem, then why?  There's a larger context going on here, and I'm not sure I grasp it.

(HT: Stygius)

Comments

[Ammonite]

It seems pretty clear that the larger context, apart from having woefully underestimated the likely resistance in Iraq, and not wanting to admit it, is that Rumsfeld and company are starry eyed about:

1) Privatizing a lot of military tasks, which is both really expensive and impossible to plan -- cost overruns and all that.
2) Wet dreams about various high-tech programs that will revolutionize warfare. Who wants to spend money on armor and machine guns when you can do lasers, advanced warfare techniques, and all that kewl stuff?

[Zathras]

My chiropractor likes to say that the five deadliest words in the English language are:
"maybe it will go away."

The Marines did not expect to be committed to this fight in this way in 2003, or 2004. Their senior leadership is still not expecting that they will be there for years to come, as indeed they should not. As the commitment itself was improvised rather than planned for, so are the steps being taken to carry the commitment out.

[Stygius]

I was half-watching a Marine General's testimony on supply on C-SPAN yesterday. I think the way he put it answers your question. Paraphraase: "We went in there to kick the doors down and then get out of the way." That was his explanation for the supply problems.

Basically, the Marines were supposed to be doing Marine things, expeditionary warfare after which the Army, with its civil assist units, heavy armor, and all that other stuff, would take care of the rest. Now they are expected to do long-term occupation missions. From another Seapower recently had an article on Marine Recon's evolving mission in Iraq:

http://www.navyleague.org/sea_power/jun_05_10.php

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