Preparing to Fight the Last War

The faux armor crisis in Iraq was not an example of failing to plan for the post-war. We reacted pretty darned fast, in fact, and that is the real story. Indeed, despite our success in armoring our vehicles to help cope with the threat level, when the war is over we'll need to strip armor:

The fact of the matter is that no one expects another situation like Iraq. Don’t believe it? Check the historical record. For some pretty unique reasons, roadside bombs have been used more extensively in Iraq than in past wars.

Bombs and money all over the place inside Iraq fueled this tactic. So remember this, if in the years to come we up-armor everything on wheels as a lesson of this war, we will be preparing for the last war--and wearing out the heavier vehicles and failing to spend money where it is needed for the future threats.