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April 10, 2010
U.S. Military Goes Hungry In Afghanistan
U.S. military goes hungry in Afghanistan
The United States Military is in the midst of a troop surge in Afghanistan, but the surge has caused the ratio of resources to troops to widen. Many American Forward Operating Bases are experiencing food and water shortages.
Sgt. Hill, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, has been in Afghanistan only a few months as part of the new troop surge into the country. The troops are mainly focused on training and promoting the Afghanistan army and police force. The training is the United States' attempt to "teach a man to fish," in the security department of the ever turbulent country, a country which is still undecided if it wants to break free from Taliban influence. With these larger issues at hand the need for proper amounts of food and water have fallen by the wayside.
Initially it was expected that resources for surging troops would be low, as many bases were unprepared for the push ordered by the Obama administration. The surge, it is argued, was far too swift and did not give the military time to lay the proper infrastructure and provide housing and other amenities for the troops. The reality of the lack of preparation has been felt by Sgt. Hill and other troops currently in Afghanistan.
Over weeks of correspondence Sgt. Hill has informed Digital Journal of the conditions the logistics of just being able to eat. General McChrystal announced that fast food places like Burger King and Pizza Hut were going to be shut down and moved to make more room for essentials the troops will need for war.
As reported on Digital Journal:
"Supplying non-essential luxuries to big bases like Bagram and Kandahar makes it harder to get essential items to combat outposts and forward operating bases, where troops fighting every day need to be resupplied with ammunition, food and water."
By closing up the outlets, the FRAGO’s design is intended to free up storage space, provide secure areas for equipment, and reduce flight and convoy traffic across the country.
This action may have made matters worse for soldiers who are on missions during designated chow hall times.
At Camp Mike Spann some soldiers have been forced to skip up to three meals a day, and are forbidden to eat Meals Ready to Eat (MRE's) unless they are on an evening mission to save on the lack of available rations. The Chow Hall at Camp Mike Spann is not open 24 hours and civilian and military workers are not happy if anyone attempts to even serve themselves prepackaged bowls of cereal when the cafeteria is not open.
The infrastructure has not been freed up a significant amount to allow for the proper shipping of food and beverages, Sgt. Hill says. At Camp Mike Spann, in particular, there have been times when they have run out of drinks and other food items. There is no potable water available so troops rely on bottled water for hydration.
The Camp chow hall is now closed for lunch and only serving breakfast and dinner to be able to stretch out the available food since another troop wave hit. Today Sgt. Hill casually mentioned the situation behind being able to get food. To be able to speak with me, he has to wait up to a half an hour in a line for 10 minutes on the computer.
Sgt Hill: The chow hall just now opened. While I'm here and the line is already (an hour and a half long). Guess I am not eating again..
Digital Journal: Wow. Somebody should do something about that. Maybe call congress?
Sgt. Hill: Nah. Conservatives think we should just suck it up because we are in a war zone, and Liberals want us all to die anyway. Nobody gives a F***.
Camp Mike Spann is not the only place dealing with a shortage of food and water. An article in Stars and Stripes brought to attention the hardships of one Marine Encampment. At Marine Combat Outpost Contu ,"there are no beds, no showers, no toilets and no electricity. Chickens and ducks roam the bare dirt yard amid scraps of trash and rotting animal dung. Fleas, flies and filth are the grunts’ constant companions." They doubt they will see permanent living crates or even cots. They sleep with flees and chiggers and have very little food available to them. They say living like pioneers in the 1800s has given them a new appreciation for things like a bath or a shower and clean clothes.
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Wild Thing's comment..........
Under Obama, feed Haiti but starve our Troops?!!!
There is no excuse for this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Damn Obama to HELL! Obama is more focused on the corpses than the corps and our Amry, Navy and Air Force.
Someone does need to be fired, and his name is Obama. This problem goes straight to the top. The war planners, SECDEF, and of course the President.
This has been my biggest fear since the madman took office. He loathes the military...our troops are nothing but a photo op to this POS Muslim America hating commie Obama.
Let's not forget this too. The money diverted from the military went to this:
U.S. troop funds diverted to pet projectsStudy finds $2.6 billion taken from guns and ammunition
Senators diverted $2.6 billion in funds in a defense spending bill to pet projects largely at the expense of accounts that pay for fuel, ammunition and training for U.S. troops, including those fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to an analysis.
Among the 778 such projects, known as earmarks, packed into the bill: $25 million for a new World War II museum at the University of New Orleans and $20 million to launch an educational institute named after the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat.
Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, called the transfer of funds from Pentagon operations and maintenance "a disgrace."
Mr. Coburn mounted a rear-guard action on the Senate floor to try to restore some of the money to its original purpose. One proposed amendment restored $100 million to the accounts by correcting the economic projections used in the bill to estimate future costs. That passed, but other amendments to prevent the use of O&M money to fund earmarks were soundly defeated.
Mr. Wheeler, who conducted the study, "Air Force and Navy combat pilots training to deploy are getting about half of the flying hours they got at the end of the Vietnam War," he wrote in his analysis. "Army tank crews get less in tank training today than they did during the low-readiness Clinton years."
Posted by Wild Thing at April 10, 2010 03:55 AM
Comments
We know Clinton cut military funding to fund his social programs but they're saying Obama is worse...unbelievable. We're fighting a war and this regime is diverting the funding needed for the fight.
Posted by: BobF at April 10, 2010 07:23 AM
I think this has all been done by design. The quickest way to kill morale is not to feed the troops.
Who the hell is in charge of Logistics, you know the guys in charge of supply, the 3-B's, Beans, Bandages and Bullets. The troops surge amounted to an additional 30 thousand troops spread out over a year and a half. The initial surge was to send 10,000 immediately. This tells me this type of shortage is not new. This has been going on for awhile. The extra troops added a couple a months ago, just exacerbated the whole situation. Now you got rationing of food and other creature comforts.
Congress is part of the problem, the Brass who sit on their asses in the Pentagon deserve some of the blame too. These meely mouthed bastards should try going 30 days, eating nothing but C's, no shower, no bed. Then have to deal with Rats the size of dogs,(one time somebody got some rat traps, and he caught the rat walking off with the trap, had to beat him to death with a stick, couldn't shoot'em) the bugs and weather thats another problem but then there is the enemy.
There is no reason for this.
Posted by: Mark at April 10, 2010 07:44 AM
he and his lapdogs are killing our country
Posted by: jan at April 10, 2010 08:21 AM
These shortfalls and funding problems are not surprising. I remember the articles about Congress reappropriating Defense funds to the congressmens' own pet projects. obama, of course, is happy to have the troops demoralized and confused. Mark is right on nhe states the military Brass is also to blame practicing CYA instead of putting the troops first.
Posted by: TomR at April 10, 2010 11:13 AM
On the North Slope we have what's called 'spike rooms'. Every company has one. Open 24-hours. Stocked with food. So, anyone working late or expecting to be in the field during lunch can fix up something to keep you going. At the larger FOB's, i can see the military's need for such a place. "An Army travels on it's stomach" doesn't apply to the Marine Corps?
Posted by: Jim at April 10, 2010 01:33 PM
BobF., yes I thought we saw the worst with Clinton and our military, but your right Obama is much worse.
Posted by: Wild Thing at April 10, 2010 04:41 PM
Mark, I agree so much. I think it is intentional too.
Posted by: Wild Thing at April 10, 2010 04:45 PM
Jan, they sure are, and this kind of thing is hitting hard at the heart of our country...those that defend it.
Posted by: Wild Thing at April 10, 2010 04:46 PM
Tom, I agree, it starts at obama and the Brass is to blame too. They should be screaming at obama and looking out for their men.
Posted by: Wild Thing at April 10, 2010 04:49 PM
Jim, thanks for sharing about your spike rooms.
Posted by: Wild Thing at April 10, 2010 04:50 PM
This is just terrible!!!!!
However this is just what I would expect from an American hating kenyan POS like B O!!! He is without a doubt the worst president this country has ever had and hopefully the worst we will ever have!!!!!
I pray for our finest troops in harms way wherever they are and hopefully this will get into the press loop somewhere somehow!!!
Everyone in America needs to know about what is happening and who is to blame for it, the sooner he is out of office the better all of us will be!!!!
Posted by: Richard at April 10, 2010 06:51 PM
What would Union General William Tecumseh Sherman
do?" That's right, an all out "WAR IS HELL" mission is simply... not politically correct these days, eh?
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at April 10, 2010 10:16 PM
Among the 778 such projects, known as earmarks, packed into the bill: $25 million for a new World War II museum at the University of New Orleans and $20 million to launch an educational institute named after the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat.
$45 million would buy a lot of supplies, I think? This is a disgrace and must end by 11/2/10.
Posted by: Bob A at April 10, 2010 11:48 PM
