December 2004
Rumsfeld's Rationale
"As you know, you go to war with the Army you have. They're not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time."
—Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, at a town hall meeting in Kuwait, responding to a soldier's question about many units not having proper armor for combat
At a December 8 town hall meeting in Kuwait, soldiers preparing to be deployed to Iraq question Defense Secretary Rumsfeld about their improvised vehicle armor. Using "rusted scrap metal and compromised ballistic glass", as one questioner puts it to applause, soldiers have constructed "hillbilly armor" not suitable for urban combat in Iraq. Some officers have refused to go into battle with improper armor. Rumsfeld's performance is later parodied on Saturday Night Live.