Getting fat in Iraq

[unhappycamper]

Getting fat in Iraq
By Kelly Kennedy - [e-mail]
Posted : Saturday Dec 8, 2007 6:50:48 EST

ASAD, Iraq — Across Iraq, in dining halls the size of football fields, under glaring fluorescent lights, the array of food assaults the senses.

Pastries fill a glass case — and troops can have all they want.

Servers scoop ice cream every day at lunch and dinner.

And good luck fitting a vegetable on your plate after asking for a pork chop and receiving two, followed by a fist-sized heap of mashed potatoes or hush puppies.

If there is room for that vegetable, butter drips from the broccoli and carrots shine in sweet sauce.


Rest of this cholesterol tale at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/12/military_messhallsiraq_071210w/

[cboy4]

1. I don't understand how all of this food is available (and

most of it should be) -- yet, I hear stories about how the troops don't have some of the basic necessities like enough socks?

And I'm sure a lot of people there are eating unhealthy out of hopelessness and depression.

Just a mess all the way around.

[MADem]

2. The socks stories are kind of old, and dealt mainly with those at

Forward Operating Bases. Now the exchange service is reasonably well entrenched over there.

The food is a substitute for booze, ya see.

And fat servicemembers make it easier to do what's called "force shaping" when the conflict ends. Too fat? Well, we'll start "enforcing" those military readiness standards!!! It's how they unloaded a shitload of people during the Cheney-inspired drawdown in the early to mid nineties. In fact, during that time, all the Services, and most notably DOD, wrote MUCH harsher and more onerous physical readiness standard instructions/directives. Not accidentally, either--these helped to give them a reason to shitcan people.

[cboy4]

3. As long as they're fat and out of shape. We just can't have

'em gay with washboard stomachs.

[MADem]

4. Unless they HUSH up about it!!! Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! No TELLING!!! nt