IN MICHIGAN, 'STRYKER' USUALLY REFERS TO THE MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY COMPANY, but in the military it refers to a rather new 8-wheeled light armored vehicle. After much fanfare and controversy, the Strykers were deployed to Iraq in late 2003 and some have been there ever since. They've performed very well, far better than most of the programs critics would have ever thought possible. Though not cheap and not able to meet all the requirements originally set out, they've been able to get the job done right.

Now, some lawmakers are proposing that some units in the Michigan National Guard get the vehicles. The only National Guard unit scheduled to get them is the 56th Brigade Combat Team in Pennsylvania, but this recent talk proposes to split another brigade between the Michigan and Indiana National Guards.

I'm in favor of it. For more info, see Murdoc Online.