Here is a picture of the humvee I was driving when it was hit by an IED. The bomb exploded under the left front tire.
Our Marines NEED
UPARMOR KITS for the humvees. They have saved many of our men's lives. I took the time to write this because I am appalled at the fact that our men are being asked to do a dangerous job, and are not getting the protective gear they need. Forget the smart bombs and fancy UAV's- it is our men on the ground who need the gear, and they need it NOW and DESPERATELY.
There is a picture of my left foot after the explosion, covered in blood.
I do not blame the U.S. Marine Corps for what happened. The Department of Defense should have mandated that ALL
humvees in Iraq be equipped with uparmor kits as soon as it became evident that IED's would be the weapon of choice for the insurgents. The Marine Corps has always done more with less. The blame should fall on those who make policy and direct our Armed Forces to undertake such a mission, and fail to act when that mission turns out to be a recipe for slaughter for our men and women in uniform.
Another picture is of me sitting in the back seat of another humvee, winking at the camera. I started cracking jokes to keep others calm. The situation was chaotic, but to keep everyone from freaking out, I tried to keep myself collected and make light of my injuries.
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