Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had a tough day Wednesday, and rightly so.

Instead of facing questions from the typical assortment of well-trained Pentagon correspondents, Rumsfeld was confronted by men and women bound for Iraq. His trademark curtness and rhetorical flourishes did not play very well.

Spc. Thomas Wilson, who serves with the Tennessee National Guard, asked the secretary of defense why troops had to roll into combat using vehicles with metal plates and bulletproof glass scavenged from landfills – what soldiers sometimes call “hillbilly armor.”

Rumsfeld stumbled, asking Wilson to repeat his question, which was greeted by loud applause. Wilson dumbed his question down: “Why don’t we have those resources readily available to us?”

The tough questions continued, and Rumsfeld appeared rattled. Soldiers, preparing to risk their lives, put the secretary of defense on defense.

The reason for his terse response is simple. There is no excuse for sending soldiers into a combat zone without adequate equipment, but that’s exactly what’s happening. And it is happening because Rumsfeld, along with the top ranks of the Bush administration, failed to appropriately plan for the occupation of Iraq. They took it for granted that it would be a “cakewalk.”

Now the truth is costing lives. The administration has been slow to realize the need for more soldiers on the ground and to recognize the hardships of the soldiers whose tours of duty have been extended multiple times. National Guard units are being forced to carry a disproportionate responsibility. These part-time soldiers are seeing a lot more of the fight than they should.

Wilson spoke for the men in his unit and for the thousands of National Guard soldiers serving in Iraq without the equipment, armor and supplies they need. Perhaps Rumsfeld will finally listen.