Report : Buying reinforced Humvees , not MRAPs , possibly cost lives . Defense Department knew of roadside bomb risk ahead of Iraq war , report says . Comment: Department did n't immediately take available steps to get MRAPs . A civilian whistle-blower working with the Marine Corps on the MRAP program wrote a scathing report about delays in the procurement process in early 2008 . MRAPs are designed to shield troops from mines and other explosives .
Report : Buying reinforced Humvees , not MRAPs , possibly cost lives . Defense Department knew of roadside bomb risk ahead of Iraq war , report says . Comment: Department did n't immediately take available steps to get MRAPs . MRAPs are designed to shield troops from mines and other explosives .