Marines: Story that said lack of MRAPs led to deaths ‘mischaracterized’ report

[unhappycamper]

Marines: Story that said lack of MRAPs led to deaths ‘mischaracterized’ report
By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Sunday, February 24, 2008

ARLINGTON, Va. — Just because a report is written by an official doesn’t make it official, according to the Marine Corps.

The Marine Corps has protested an Associated Press story on a report written by a civilian employee working for the Corps, who concluded the Corps could have prevented “hundreds of deaths and injuries” if officials had approved a request for MRAP vehicles in 2005.

The Jan. 22 report, which was posted on a government watchdog group’s Web site Wednesday, was written by Franz Gayl, of the Plans, Policies and Operations Department of Headquarters Marine Corps.

Gayl wrote the report at the behest of his superiors after he made “public accusations” about failures to provide MRAP vehicles to troops downrange, said Corps spokesman Maj. Jay Delarosa on Friday.

“In the past, Gayl has leveled serious charges about the wartime acquisition process; therefore his supervisors provided him an opportunity, on government time, to identify and substantiate his concerns,” Delarosa said in an e-mailed response to questions.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=52769