Pentagon: GIs Short of Gear

WASHINGTON — American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have experienced shortages of key protective equipment, including armored vehicles, roadside-bomb countermeasures and communications gear, a Pentagon survey released yesterday shows.

The Defense Department Inspector General's Office polled roughly 1,100 service members and found they weren't always adequately equipped for their missions. The troops were interviewed in Iraq and Afghanistan last May and June.

Those surveyed reported shortcomings with vehicles outfitted with armor; "crew-served weapons," which are weapons it takes more than one person to handle, such as artillery or a large machine gun; electronic countermeasure devices, such as equipment designed to foil roadside bombs by interfering with cell-phone signals that may be used to detonate them, and communications equipment.