24 DEC:
Just in time for Christmas, a Christmas comic!

Some historical humor just in time for the holiday. Back in December of 2004 –10 years ago as of this writing– then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld went to Kuwait to speak with troops getting ready to deploy to Iraq. In a crowded aircraft hangar where he was giving a little speech, he opened the floor to questions. One question was asked by Army Specialist Thomas Wilson:

Army Spc. Thomas Wilson: Why do we soldiers have to dig through local landfills for pieces of scrap metal and compromised ballistic glass to up-armor our vehicles? And why don;t we have those resources readily available to us?

Rumsfeld: It isn’t a matter of money. It isn’t a matter on the part of the army of desire. It’s a matter of production and capability of doing it. As you know, ah, you go to war with the army you have—not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.—You can have all the armor in the world on a tank and it can (still) be blown up…*

–In this comic, I again take liberties and change a few things around. I have Mr. Rumsfeld talking to the 213th Battalion in Iraq, rather than Kuwait, and I have a not-exactly-identified soldier who could be Joe Rock ask the pertinent question.

Either way, I hope Mr. Rumsfeld is happy with his lump of coal.

*Quoted from the website “Crooks and Liars”:
http://crooksandliars.com/2006/12/15/remebering-rumsfeld-you-go-to-war-with-the-army-you-have-not-the-army-you-might-want-or-wish-to-have-at-a-later-time

Interestingly enough, the original cartoon this one is based on, a hastily-drawn ballpoint pen creation posted in Iraq, was mentioned in the Capitol Hill newspaper, The Hill:
http://thehill.com/homenews/news/11216-never-enough-you-always-want-more

Hope everyone has a great Holiday season!