Probe: Marine Corps officials abandoned urgent 2005 request for MRAPs

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Probe: Marine Corps officials abandoned urgent 2005 request for MRAPs
By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, December 10, 2008

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Defense Department Inspector General has found that Marine Corps officials abandoned an urgent 2005 request for MRAP vehicles to protect Marines in Iraq.

Officials had determined that the commandant’s decision in June 2005 to field up-armored Humvees to Iraq meant the vehicles were "the immediately available solution to the IED threat," according to the report, obtained Tuesday by Stars and Stripes.

"As a result, in August 2005, the stopped processing the February 17, 2005, MRAP (Urgent Universal Need Statement), even though the M1114 up-armored HMMWV did not adequately protect Marines from under-body IED attacks, which were increasing in Iraq," the report said.

At the time, most roadside bombs used against Marine tracked and wheeled vehicles exploded to the side of the vehicles, but in summer 2006, insurgents started detonating more roadside bombs beneath vehicles, the report said.

Gen. Michael Hagee, the Corps commandant in 2005, opted to field up-armored Humvees in response to a commander’s request for a "capability to increase survivability and mobility of Marines operating in a hazardous fire area against known threats," said Marine Corps spokesman Col. David Lapan.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?article=59313