( USA Today ) - The Army, which rushed to get new armored vehicles to Iraq after being criticized for moving too slowly to protect U.S. troops from roadside bombs, will probably not need all of the 10,000 armored vehicles it had requested, a top commander here says.
Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno , the No. 2 commander in Iraq, said in an interview that because of improving security, the Army will use a mix of the new Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and the military's workhorse truck, the Humvee , rather than eliminating Humvees .
Odierno's comment that the Army's requirement for MRAPs "will probably drop" follows the Marines' Nov. 30 announcement that they are cutting their plans to order 3,700 of the vehicles by 1,400.
Security in Iraq has improved with the addition of 30,000 troops here and an emphasis on a counterinsurgency strategy that stresses protecting the civilian population, Odierno said. Tips from civilians about bombs and caches of weapons have soared, while U.S. casualties have declined for six consecutive months.
Field commanders have praised the MRAPs for protecting troops from improvised explosive devices ( IEDs ) and giving their units additional mobility. "The MRAP gives confidence to your soldiers," says Army Col. Ricky Gibbs, commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.