Touted Army vehicle suffers heavy blows (Stryker-5 Lost Less than a Week)

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer/AP

A string of heavy losses from powerful roadside bombs has raised new questions about the vulnerability of the Stryker, the Army's troop-carrying vehicle hailed by supporters as the key to a leaner, more mobile force.

Since the Strykers went into action in violent Diyala province north of Baghdad two months ago, losses of the vehicles have risen steadily, U.S. officials said.

A single infantry company in Diyala lost five Strykers this month in less than a week, according to soldiers familiar with the losses, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to release the information. The overall number of Strykers lost recently is classified.

In one of the biggest hits, six U.S. soldiers and a journalist were killed when a huge bomb exploded beneath their Stryker on May 6.

"We went for several months with no losses and were very proud of that," a senior Army official said in Washington, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to comment publicly. "Since then, there have been quite a few Stryker losses."



Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20070515_Touted_Army_vehicle_suffers_heavy_blows.html

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an "official" speaks on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to comment publicly. I have to seriously wonder out loud, is he authorized to comment anonymously?

So I doubt he's authorized to comment anonymously either. In this case.

is unfortunate.

I know that the vehicles are so named in apt tribute to two genuine, American war-heroes bearing that name, respectively in WWI and WWII, but it is also very reminisicent of the name of one of Hitlers' most viciously-twisted henchman, Julius Streicher; a name with which most of the Western world is more familiar.