Regarding the May 13 front-page article “Out: Earmarks. In: Required ladder briefings”:
The real story is that these lightweight ladders aren’t already in the hands of our troops. Special Forces have them because their procurement process involves less red tape. The United States excels in the manufacture of advanced composite material, yet it is difficult to sell such composites to the military, whose standards are written around metal components. Sometimes it takes getting a few people excited, such as a congressman, to integrate these game-changing assets into our armed forces.
Eric Greene, Annapolis
The writer, a naval architect, develops composite material designs.