1115.org

Since we invaded Iraq almost a year ago, the media reports have been coming at a fast and furious pace. And, as is often the case, a certain amount of fatigue has set in. We hear of bombings and clerics, of Halliburton contracts and governing councils, and it all becomes part of the background noise.

It helps to be able to put a human face on the Iraq situation. Luckily for me, I was able to gain some perspective when talking to my parents last week. It seems that one of my stepfather’s business associates has a son who is stationed in Iraq. Recently the son—who is serving with the Marines—sent a letter to his father to ask for a few things:

1. Metal plates to be used in body armor. As some of you might have read in the news media, the military decided to send troops into Iraq without adequate supplies of body armor. Considering the frequency of attacks against our soldiers, you can understand why body armor is a big deal. Many soldiers, such as the Marine in question, had to ask their relatives to purchase the body armor and ship it to Iraq. Originally, I had thought that the body armor shortage only affected the Army Reserve troops (which is bad enough). To hear that Marines have to use other channels to purchase such a necessity… well, it boggles the mind.

2. Sunglasses How’s this for a smart move: the military sent tens of thousands of troops into a desert and didn’t think to provide eye protection for them! It makes you wonder what other “common sense” provisions have been ignored.

No matter what you think of the war, there should be no debate on this: If we are going to send troops to risk their lives in Iraq, they should be outfitted with the best equipment possible. We owe them that much.