The Logistics Tail: "Some Wisconsin police are returning military vehicles"--Military Times

The Military Times reports that some Wisconsin police departments are returning MRAP vehicles they had previously been given by the military. If you only read the first several paragraphs, you would think that these agencies were returning the vehicles because their subjects believed the vehicles to be inappropriate for use by police. However, if you persevere with the article, the truth is finally revealed:

The vehicle is large, heavy and difficult to maintain, [Madison Assistant Police Chief Victor Wahl] said. 

“The MRAP we got from the military, but you can’t go down to the auto parts store and get spare parts for it,” Wahl said. “As things break down or as there’s issues with it, it becomes more and more challenging to keep it up and running and maintain it.”

Wahl was also critical of the vehicle's lack of maneuverability and how difficult it was to exit the vehicle.

       Small armies and guerrilla fighters use Toyota pickups because they are common and parts are readily available. That is not true with our military vehicles. So, the logistics of maintaining those vehicles is much more vulnerable to disruption. I'm reminded of accounts I have heard from the Vietnam War that the U.S. military was paying tolls to the Viet Cong that controlled key roads in order to allow through fuel trucks carrying fuel for the Army's helicopters and vehicles.