Supporting the Troops, on the cheap edition

Bill in DC brought us this story last week about members of the 343rd Quartermaster Company in Iraq refusing to go on a re-supply mission because of inadequate equipment and support. Now Bill brings as this story; General Reported Shortages In Iraq.

The top U.S. commander in Iraq complained to the Pentagon last winter that his supply situation was so poor that it threatened Army troops' ability to fight, according to an official document that has surfaced only now.

The lack of key spare parts for gear vital to combat operations, such as tanks and helicopters, was causing problems so severe, Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez wrote in a letter to top Army officials, that "I cannot continue to support sustained combat operations with rates this low."
....snip....
In what appears to be a plea to top officials to spur the bureaucracy to respond more quickly, Sanchez concluded, "I cannot sustain readiness without Army-level intervention."

Of course the Pentagon says it's all fixed now.

Lt. Gen. Claude V. Christianson, the senior logistics officer on the Army staff at the Pentagon, said the readiness problems in Iraq peaked last fall but largely have been addressed. He said they were caused by a combination of problems in the supply pipeline and an unexpectedly high pace of combat operations as the Iraqi insurgency flared last year.

So, "an unexpectedly high pace of combat operations". Once again troops die because of a lack of planning and a failure to grasp reality. Supporting the troops my ass.