NEW YORK - Operation Truth Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff today expressed disappointment in the continuing reluctanceby Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to take the concerns of the troops into account, even when confronted by them publicly today in Kuwait.

"The issues the troops in Kuwait raised with Secretary Rumsfeld today are nothing new - in fact, troops on the ground have been expressing their dissatisfaction with how the war is being run, in this way, for a long time. What is new, is that after years of ignoring the voice of the troops, the Administration had to deal with it in a public and embarrassing way. Frankly, they deserve it," said Rieckhoff, who served for 10 months in Operation Iraqi Freedom as an Infantry Platoon Leader with the 3rd Infantry Division.

Today in Kuwait, a number of troops publicly raised objections to the way the war in Iraq is being waged, when Secretary Rumsfeld spoke to them. The soldiers raised issues ofthelack of protection for the troops, treatment of Reservists and Guardsmen, andthe military's "stop loss" policy. According to press reports, at one point, "A big cheer arose from the approximately 2,300 soldiers in the cavernous hangar who assembled to see and hear the secretary of defense."

Said Rieckhoff, "Secretary Rumsfeld's answers to the troops' concerns are not satisfactory. The Secretary is wrong when he says that there is no armor that can lessen the damage done by the insurgents' weapons of choice. He is wrong when he says Reservists and Guardsmen don't get second-class treatment. Further, saying we go into war with the'Army you have,' not the onewe need,is defeatist and ill-serves the troops. Secretary Rumsfeld's job is to make sure that we have the most ideal protection and planning possible before going into war, and not to accept the status quo."

He continued, "The last thing any member of our Armed Forces wants to do is challenge a commander, let alone in a public way. For the most part, our men and women on the ground have complained to each other within the military confines, hoping something would be done to improve the situation. That some troops decided to challenge the Secretary publicly is proof that our men and women overseas are at a breaking point. This time, the Administration would be wise to listen to them. It is time for the Administration to provide concrete and detailedsolutions to help our men and women on the ground. The time for excuses has long, long passed."

Operation Truth is a non-partisan, non-profit Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans organization, bringing the voice of the soldier to the American people.