Troops in Afghanistan told to wait for armored vehicles

[spindrifter]

By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, August 8, 2006

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan — A top Central Command adviser promised troops here Sunday that he would work to put more armored vehicles in Afghanistan, but said that the roadside bomb threat in Iraq still outweighs the needs in this country.

(Sgt. Jeff) Gray said airmen and soldiers in his unit routinely rely on “soft-shelled” SUVs when they travel off base, because of the lack of fully up-armored Humvees for the number of missions in country.

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Command Chief Master Sgt. Curtis Brownhill said commanders are aware of the problem and are working to get better protected vehicles to troops in country. But the insurgency in Iraq and its reliance on roadside bombs are still considered larger threats than Afghanistan’s militants.

“All of our Humvees are being up-armored now,” he said. “It’s just a matter of prioritization, and obviously Iraq is a pretty critical need. It’s based on risk and based on threat.”

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