Wartime supply problems are to be expected but that doesn’t mean that fixing them shouldn’t be our highest priority:

The 32-page document - labeled “For Official Use Only” - was prepared by the staff of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force after they returned from Iraq in February.

The document was to be presented in March to senior officials in the Pentagon’s defense research and engineering office. The presentation was canceled by Marine Corps leaders because its contents were deemed too contentious, according to a defense official familiar with the document. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Marine Corps had no immediate comment on the document.

Herschel Smith, whose son is currently serving in Iraq, isn’t in the mood for excuses:

The Marines have always been on the short end of the stick when it comes to their share of the DoD budget. Reasons for this include the fact that they feel (with good cause) that if their share increases, along with the money will come political pressures and other meddling from which they are currently somewhat more insulated. Of course, at the much more personal level, there are fundamental issues of fairness to be addressed that have nothing to do with the Marine’s share of the pie. Why shouldn’t Marines be allowed to purchase and use commercially-available ballistic glasses if they meet or exceed military specifications?

But in terms of the supply and logistics bureaucracy, there is simply no excuse for failure to provide badly needed gear and equipment to the front. Request for gear is not tantamount to griping and complaining, and critical reports to field grade officers or logistics higher-ups in the states is not the same thing as insubordination. A more professional and open-minded approach is needed by those who should already be behaving that way.

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