As Iraqi weather worsens, troops try to keep warm (Stars & Stripes)

[kskiska]

In Iraq, the weather has suddenly and shockingly dipped from 100-degree days to near-freezing nights.

One might think this would be the perfect time for soldiers to pull out their brand-new, toasty-warm $99.95 Polartec U.S. Army Spear jackets. They are among the favorite pieces of gear from the Rapid Fielding Initiative, a Christmas-like cascade of high-tech presents showered upon the 138,000 troops as they arrived in Iraq last spring.

But most jackets remain in soldiers’ duffle bags around the country.

The brass in Baghdad have barred soldiers from wearing the jackets because, according to one sergeant major in the know, they do not have rank and unit insignias on them, and because they are the wrong color (black).

more…
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=25891

[alittlelark]

1. Bizzaro. The 'official orders' are ridiculous

at least some commanders have common sense..

<snip>Some unit commanders have quietly shuffled this order to the bottom of the stack, opting to overlook troops’ donning of the forbidden fleece to stop their teeth from chattering while on all-night combat patrols in unheated Humvees.


In other units, though, the order is being strictly enforced. Which has set officers and soldiers alike to rolling their eyes and muttering about rule-making by the garrison-bound. <snip>

[Rose Siding]

2. I bet the brass in Baghdad are keeping toasty warm

As for that little morale problem? All they need is a visit from the Commander In Jacket.

[leftchick]

11. of course they are!

They are living large in the Green Zone with all of the accoutrement's our soldiers can only dream of!

:(

[bemildred]

3. More help for morale.

Mindless worship of regulations.

[Sin]

4. By any chance are they.

Black Hoodies...
like say in a recent video.

Other then that yea orders like that are quite evil
ughh guess they want them chilly when they die so they can take there time getting them to the meat lockers.

[villagechild]

5. Frost Bite, Cold Injuries

For VA purposes, it's called Diagnostic Code 7122 . . .

Cold Injury has a long, military medical history. Both Napoleon and Hitler made tactical mistakes trying to take Russia, and lack of planning put them deep into Russia as the weather turned cold. Their armies suffered as much from freezing to death as anything else!

But the BRASS is worried about the Wrong Color Jacket, sick.

[booksenkatz]

6. I also feel sorry for the mothers trying to keep their infants warm

And with their homes bombed to rubble, and no clean water to drink... no jobs... not even MREs to eat. Burying their dead in their gardens.

At least our soldiers don't have to be there. But for the Iraqis, it's the only home they've got, bombed-out squalor or not.

[Supersedeas]

12. they prepared for all the contingencies, didn't they.

[KDLarsen]

7. "suddenly and shockingly" you say?

.. I thought it was pretty common knowledge, that the desert at night is the equivalent of a freezer.

[Cooley Hurd]

8. Next, can't wear the winter boots...

...because they don't "shine" enough. What tards! :grr:

[dbt]

9. Obviously, we learned nothing from the first Viet Nam.

Mindless obedience to regulations ---> fragging. Coming soon to a desert near you!

:freak:
dbt

[Rush1184]

10. Learn somthing from vietnam?

it was obvious we did not learn shit the second we attacked iraq!

[reprobate]

25. Very surprised the fragging hasn't started already.

Never witnessed a fragging incident, but heard of several. Of course in the air farce fragging simply wasn't done.

You simply disabled his ejection seat.

[Solly Mack]

13. A couple of things. Not everyone got a jacket. It's a lie to

say they did.

Also, a lot of people who got them wore them ...and wore them with no hassles.

And this was from April 2003 to April 2004. So what changed?

My husband served in Iraq during those dates and laughed just now when I showed him this article.

His unit never received the jackets. Never even offered them. The group his unit was assigned to did get the jackets...and wore them.

[insane_cratic_gal]

14. If you wanted

Some of the requested items that soldier's ask for is heating bags that hunter's use for feet and hands. blankets as well.

anysoldier.com They request mail too. I never write those thank you for your service letters.(they get a million of those.. from war mongers) I write about news going on at home. I send magazines, With articles relating to politics.

My daughter's school is doing a drive to raise breakfast items for a deployed unit here in town. They don't get breakfast apparently just 2 MRE's a day.


I Hate the war, hate the administration, but I have tried to seperate the two. I still try to remember that my own is possibly facing deployment, it's a small thing to send a magazine or hand warmers.

[Solly Mack]

16. Thank you for your words and your actions

They make a difference.

Yes, it's true in some places the soldiers (still) only get 2 MRE's a day.

I continue to send care packages to soldiers deployed even though mine is now home.

[DS1]

15. Ahh, the uniformity defense

It's shit like that which gets commanders shot in the back - gleefully I might add - because this isn't just telling someone to tuck their shirt in at Wal*Mart, this is people who are cold. Cold sucks. Gun barrels are warm, these boot Louies better figure that out quick.

[neweurope]

17. First we ought to look at the victims...

...as Patsiefied says. The poor Iraqis fare a lot worse than the troops. And they have no choice in the matter whatsoever.

And yes, I feel - a little - for the soldiers, also. Not all of them are bloodthirsty killers, and I know that some of you have sons and nephews over there and fear for them.

Erm... in World War II the German government initiated "Winterhilfe". Hand warmers for the troops and the like. All "Winterhelp" accomplishes is prolong a war - and of course warm troops are not so liable to shoot their commanders in the back, as DS1 points out... *coughs and swallows any further remarks*

[insane_cratic_gal]

18. The sad thing is(long but important)

How can you help the Iraq people? With the patriot act 2 and the TSA goodness gracious sending donations would end up in Cuba. Adding and ebedding or some crap.

Don't misunderstand me, I do have sympathy for the innocents of this war, i have a bleeding heart and often wear it on my sleeve.

I think pinning the anger over the plight of Iraq should hang not on the head of soldiers, they are the weapon, of American's stupidty.
Neon lights for the administration should be hung upon those who insisted upon it.
Remember that even democrats had false information in regards to Iraq.

I have to point out a few things that I don't believe people are understanding. It's been grating on me. It's clever stragtey that was totaly taken advantage of. Think in marketing terms.
9/11 People toted paritotism like it was a pair of Levi jeans. everyone seemed to have a flag. Youngins joined up in droves to "protect" their families and america from terrorists.

Fox news and Bush .. the "liberal" media slobbered all over blue collar workers. EMT, Firefighters, police, after they moved on to military troops. Bathed them in attention they never had before. Sold them on the idea they were fighting for freedom. Sold them on weapons of mass destruction. The manipulated the public, embedding media with troops, so you could see for 3 weeks or more live footage of troops storming after Saddam.

I know from being part of the military,(a wife anyway) people trying to lend their sympathy to you. How they try to make you feel proud. Instill pride for your dedication. Now did anyone help me take care of my daughther when all of this was going on? Hell no.. I had nothing but worry for months at a time. My own Husband bought into the fever of it all. I'd say it was wrong he'd tell me to move to Canada lol.. but after he returned from shooting Cuba. His mind on the war changed. Your seeing the truth of it come out now. How people were treated when they were first captured. He saw it 2 years ago. He voted for Kerry, so did I.

It takes a long time for the truth to reach it's full span. Your seeing it now, it's coming, but it's trickling. You saw it today with Rummy. The soldiers are fed up. They are getting over the attention and focusing on the truth. Will they still serve, yes. Because they believe ? No, but because their friends are there. War binds you like nothing else. They aren't there to protect Bush or Rummy. They are their to support their mates. It's when they come home that truth begins to reach your ears. In war, you act in a way you wouldn't normally. You need a clearly defined enemey. They have to condend with the guilt of mixing that up with a civillan.

The reason why i stress this so much, I have before.. is when I declared the war wrong. I was told I was a tratior to my country. By the idoits. It was treason to speak critically of Bush. I had no place to hang my hat. What concerns me here, I still see it some what, people puttin their noses up at me. Thinking I'm a tratior for supporting troops? Am I? No, not at all.. I want the truth, I want them to trust we aren't going to turn our back on them. Do you know how many vets are against this war? More then those who are for it. How many are starting to raise their voices and question? It is coming, who will support them? Reps? who insist they are traitors for rasing their voices? O'Reilly who will plumment them with Shut Ups.? Or you, who will lend them sympathy and welcome them right beside you with your picket sign?


This is your new demographic, these men and women who see first hand and had to commit acts in the name of some bogus idea. These men and women are your hope for the new democratic party. (so long as dems don't turn on them. So long as the sitting dems in congress support them. Did you see Cali yesterday.. Bush's speech.. not many of those marines with the camera on them, bought what he was saying. They know it's all lip service and he could care less about their lives.
I'm interested to See how they will Greet Kerry when he visits, if Rummy is any indication. I'd guess the greeting will be a good one.

[neweurope]

21. Hi insane_ cratic_girl, I like your post, but...

I agree with your last paragraph: "These men and women are your hope for the new democratic party. (so long as dems don't turn on them." There's truth to that.

I agree with your statement concerning the clever strategy. In my opinion Rove is downright diabolic.

I also agree with the phrase "Neon lights for the administration should be hung upon those who insisted upon it." I want to see them at The Hague.

I'm further willing to concede that soldiers - in a way - are victims, too. BUT.

You say "I think pinning the anger over the plight of Iraq should hang not on the head of soldiers, they are the weapon, of American's stupidity."
Forgive me for pointing out here that it is not "stupidity". In the eyes of the world it is a crime.

You see: I have at home a list with all the wars the US ever fought and another one with all the dictators and evil governments the US ever supported/set up. I find these lists sickening. In my eyes (and of course being not an American I see things differently) and in the eyes of literally all the people I know the US Army has almost always been an army of aggression. Since you don't have a draft anymore every soldier of this army has become a weapon of his/her government voluntarily.

The victims are what the army calls "sandniggers".

Oh my, I do hope I don't make enemies here. I have gotten warm welcomes and I must say I like people on this board very much. And reading here for the last weeks has reminded me once again that the other America exists; the America of ecologists and Woodstock and moral courage and, yes, deserters (oh yes, we admired American deserters during the Vietnam War over here) and compassion and education and openness; has reminded me that the US not only have the brutal face that we so often see.

I admire you,insane_cratic_girl, for being against the war in that patriotic craze - and that as a military wife - cannot have been easy. So please forgive me for voicing my opinion.

[insane_cratic_gal]

22. Not to worry

You have every right to your opinion as do the others.

My position is not an easy one. I don't support the war at all. I do see all of the hype that was used and contorted for Bush's invasion. It drove me crazy it still does.

I hate the fact, that any Iraq has to die for some brand of foe democracy we can't even get right in this country. I hate it.

But I also I need to understand it. War is such a senseless thing, killing and violence does nothing but breed more killing and yet more violence. I'm a humantrian by nature.

People do volunatry go into the army. A percentage of those joined to fight in Afghanstan, to go over Binny. Instead of seeing time there they were quickly thrown over to Iraq. With stop loss they are in it. There isn't any getting out. Even those who offically resign their rank are being summoned back "their papers were lost" bs but it's happening.

Is it not easy for me to sit here and argue for vet/enlisted support, with my views on the war. I do feel strongly that when they come out talking as they have been trying to. They deserve that shoulder to lean on. If we are not offering it, and neither are the dems. Who is?

They are the only voice that reps brainwashed by the media are going to believe. We can fail against the war and I have, but we will not change their minds. It is these men and women trying to come forward that will bring the truth. If only the damn administration would stop doing a publicity stunt to assure the public (bush in cali and Rummy in Iraq) they have the support of the troops. They take away that spot light every dam time. They don't want the public to know. But it will come. As it did in Nam .. it is coming.

In my blogs i've done.. I have been openly against recruiting. Do you know what my husband does for a living? He is the public affairs officer for the Navy recruiting district in PA. My views and opinions I have expressed could land him into some trouble. I promised him today though he never asked me to, stop posting on the matter. I didn't want him to land into trouble for my opinions relating to those he works for.

To shutup on the matter of how I feel about recruiting, well i'll probably bust, though he never asked me or hinted and he even provided me with some research leads, I'll shut up about it. Allow those to form their own opinions on the matter.

This issue for me about taking in soldiers who want to come forward, is not an easy pill to swallow. I never thought it would be, I am certain given some remarks, that maybe I'm an idiot for believing they need a voice with us. I know war is a crime against humanity. Call me an idiot but I see nothing wrong with giving them a spot next to me if they want to speak their mind about the war.

For me in my own mind, it has always been the democrats who raise people up. Who listen, who fight for what is right. Otherwise only white men would be casting votes on Nov. 2. It is truley the spirit of democracy in all colors, sexes, ages, social status and yes, even morals; who have fought successfully and unsuccessfully for the rights of victims. Or at least that is my sad ideal image, of the democratic party.

Agree or don't agree, I'm not angry with anyone. You have right to say what is in your heart and not be punished for it. That is after all, what America believes to be a foundation, a freedom. I hold no ill will against anyone for saying their own mind. Am I distrubed by some things I read? Yes, sometimes I am. But I'm finding democrats question everything and everyone. It is why they are who they are, and I of course admire that, even if it doesn't jive with my own opinion.

[neweurope]

24. Oh insane_cratic_gal I actually cry after having read your post.

And I have not cried when those towers came down. You understand that I'm not an American Democrat. If I were I'd support you.

I have spoken as a foreigner who has suffered under the influence of your country. Everything that you said gave me something to think about.

And the sentence "They are the only voice that reps brainwashed by the media are going to believe." - that sentence is one hundred percent right I believe. I do think you're right and the democrats - or well, at least people like those on this board - should really try at least for tactical reasons if not for compassion to reach out to those guys.

However I still don't think "Winterhilfe" is the best idea.

I reach out to you. Only together can we all overcome these dark times.

[PurityOfEssence]

19. Don't worry, we'll take Moscow by Christmas

Oh...that's right...we already did...

[TahitiNut]

20. Baghdad Today - High: 63° Low: 48°

Today Tomorrow Fri Sat Sun


Showers Rain Partly Cloudy PM Showers Scattered Showers

High: 63° High: 63° High: 62° High: 63° High: 62°
Low: 48° Low: 42° Low: 40° Low: 45° Low: 42°

http://weather.yahoo.com/forecast/IZXX0008_f.html

[truthisfreedom]

23. somebody send them some spraypaint and sewing kits so they can fix

this mess. SHOW SOME INITIATIVE AND A LITTLE GOOD OLD AMERICAN INGENUITY, KIDS!