CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait It's not the usual follow-ups to a Donald Rumsfeld pep talk.

The secretary of defense is in Kuwait, telling soldiers preparing for deployment to Iraq they should ignore criticism of the war.

In a question-and-answer session afterward, Army Specialist Thomas Wilson asked Rumsfeld why some soldiers have to "dig through local landfills" to supply themselves with vehicle armor. Other soldiers cheered loudly.

After a hesitation and asking Wilson to repeat the question, Rumsfeld replied that "You go to war with the Army you have," not the one you might want. He also said, all the armor in the world won't prevent a tank from being blown up.

Another soldier asked Rumsfeld if the Army will continue its policy of preventing some eligible soldiers from leaving the service. The defense chief said it's a "sound principle" but promised it will be used as little as possible.

AP