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DEL.ICIO.USAmerican greenbacks buy comfort items
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Forward Operating Base St. Michael, Iraq — Members of the 48th Brigade Combat Team’s finance department arrived here Monday and soldiers started lining up to see them an hour in advance.
Few of the Georgia soldiers brought much cash to Iraq and there aren’t any ATMs around these parts.
The finance department’s arrival enables front-line soldiers to draw against their earnings and buy the big-ticket items they believe will make their lives more comfortable here. Television sets, refrigerators, PlayStation2s, satellite phones and international cell phones are all on the shopping list.
The local PX, or post exchange, stocks a few of those goodies. But discriminating shoppers tend to patronize the “hajii shop,” a locally owned and operated concession run by an enterprising Iraqi family. The owners, who asked not to be identified by name, have a knack for procuring just about anything the soldiers want ranging from electronics to foam mattresses to pirated DVDs.
They don’t offer credit, though, so they’re expecting a surge of business from soldiers suddenly flush with American cash.
The discussion of what soldiers planned to buy quickly shifted to talk of what they wished they could buy but can’t. In no particular order, here are some of the things they listed:
The color green; dogwoods; azaleas; toilets that flush; three-ply toilet paper; running water; Desperate Housewives; walking outside without body armor; clean sheets; their own beds; peanut butter & jelly sandwiches; fried chicken; bass fishing and golf.
Sgt. Joe Dyer, 33, a Polk County police officer from Cedartown, scoffed at his fellow soldiers’ list of absent creature comforts.
“The only thing that matters to me is being away from my boy and my wife,” said Dyer. He and his wife, Raleigh, have a 7-year-old son Ethan and another child on the way.
“You could say I miss golf, too,” Dyer continued. “But it’s the people I play with - not the game itself. The rest is just a bunch of insignificant details.”
From the Absurdity File, Part 1
Despite extremely limited space for equipment and personal gear, soldiers were required to bring bulky biological warfare protection suits to Iraq. No matter that the military has long since given up looking for weapons of mass destruction here.
From the Absurdity File, Part 2
A group of junior enlisted soldiers were swinging a sledgehammers and manually breaking concrete on a sweltering morning when their sergeant informed them, with a straight face, that they were required to perform 30 minutes of daily “PT,” or physical training, because higher-ups were concerned they weren’t getting enough exercise.
Comments
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By Becca
June 7, 2005 09:04 AM | Link to this
SGT Hass, Desperate Housewives is on the way… :) Also, the Apprentice season finale. Enjoy! Hope it makes it there in one piece! Love you, Becca
By Rhonda Carlson
June 7, 2005 04:17 PM | Link to this
Do you guys ever get pics of the Task Force 118, HHB at Camp Taji? That is where my son based. I would like to see some pics of the 118th!
Thanks for keeping us informed!!
By Jennifer
June 7, 2005 08:13 PM | Link to this
Curtis - Thank you for all of the recent pictures of the 108th Scout Platoon. Keep up the great work! You and Dave are incredible! Thanks again for all you are doing to help the soldiers and the families during this deployment.
By Marcell McGee
June 7, 2005 09:08 PM | Link to this
Not everyone got “greenbacks”. They ran out of money and will not have any for another month. We are scrambling to get money over there because you are right about one thing, they left with little. Something needs to be done to treat our guys a little better in that area.
By Angie Willis
June 7, 2005 10:05 PM | Link to this
If the only reason the courageous troops are over there is to do daily PT, well then, by God, send them all home because my husband is needed at home for a lot more reasons than “daily PT!!!!!!!!”
From a loving wife and 2 children that miss and need their husband and father more than ever!!!!!!!!By Eric
June 8, 2005 05:29 PM | Link to this
After reading this,I have to add my two cents…I was on that little detail. We were actually wearing our armor,but had taken off our long sleeve shirts,and grounded them near our weapons,which were under guard. We were then informed we had to “get back in uniform”,but heres the punchline…we could all go back to our tents,change into shorts and short sleeve shirts,with kevlars,and armored vests of course,and continue the detail. Im still trying to figure out how working in short sleeves in ACUs is not acceptable, but PTs are.
By Chris
June 14, 2005 07:49 AM | Link to this
RE: From the Absurdity File, Part 2
Interesting spin on a good intention. Did the soldier hammering in the hot Iraqi sun need the additional PT session? Common sense says no.
Does the soldier who sits in the cot, possibly internalizing stress about family seperation need a push in a direction that might relieve stress? Common sense and repeated studies on military stress says Yes.
I think that if the Supervisors cannot apply common sense to the orders of the “higher ups” than they don’t need to be supervisors.
I also think an outside observer like Mr. Hirschman should be able to understand that based on his experiences so far. If not I’d consider that for The Absurdity File, Part 3.
R/ Chris
By Beverly Wiggins
June 14, 2005 05:45 PM | Link to this
Talk about ABSURD! How is it that Camp Liberty and other camps that host the “Higher-Ups” can boast of swimming pools…while the fighting soliders at Camp Row and other FRONT LINE areas are being rationed ONE BOTTLE OF WATER A DAY for hygienic purposes, because they have no running water? TRUE… AND ABSURD!