Lawmakers: Soldiers have problems with combat gear

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Lawmakers: Soldiers have problems with combat gear
By RICHARD LARDNER
Associated Press Writer
Dec 15, 7:04 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Troops are being sent to war zones without proper training and suitable gear, according to two senior Democratic lawmakers who say they've been told by soldiers about problems ranging from their backpacks to their rifles.

In a Dec. 10 letter to the Pentagon's top leaders, Rep. Ike Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Solomon Ortiz, who heads the subcommittee on military readiness, said they are "greatly troubled" by what they learned as the Obama White House begins escalating the U.S. presence in Afghanistan.

Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has not seen the letter yet, according to Air Force Capt. Elizabeth Aptekar, a spokeswoman. "However, we appreciate the concern and the support the representatives have in our men and women in uniform and we will look into this matter," she said.

Soldiers are being issued a rucksack made of plastic that is not comfortable or effective in combat situations, Skelton and Ortiz found during a recent trip to Germany and Italy where they met with members of the 503rd Infantry Regiment and the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team.

Troops carry heavy loads on their backs and the plastic straps cut off circulation to their hands and arms, "making it virtually impossible to fire their weapons," they told Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.


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