Bored US soldiers fight 'Baghdad bulge' in Iraq

[Thrill]

Idle US soldiers fight 'Baghdad bulge'

THEY call it the "Baghdad bulge". Standing outside a Burger King on the Camp Liberty military base near the city's airport, a group of American soldiers ponder whether to order a second Whopper.

"Not me, man," said Specialist Joe Lorenzo, "I put on so much goddam weight, who knows if my wife will recognise me when I get home?"

Now US troops have been withdrawn from Iraqi city streets and are spending more time behind barbed wire awaiting withdrawal, commanders are struggling to keep them entertained.

Offering ever-increasing food options is the first line of defence in the fight against boredom.

The favourite is lobster night at the D-Fac - American military vernacular for the official "dining facilities". Thousands of sea creatures are regularly taken to the Iraqi desert by cargo plane.

For soldiers prepared to spend their own money on the base, there is also SGVillage, an upmarket mall with restaurants clustered around a car park that opened three weeks ago. The most popular eatery is the red-walled Royal China, boasting a chef from Hong Kong who offers Szechuan-style chicken (£6.90), beef and green peppers (£7.80) and stir-fried noodles with vegetables (£ 4.20).

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.

End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.

His uniformed customers sit on wooden deckchairs by a newly planted lawn. But SGVillage faces competition from Camp Liberty Bazaar, where soldiers while away the day surrounded by branded American eateries such as Taco Bell, Subway and Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits.

Behind them is the Post Exchange, or PX, a military supermarket where they can buy T-bone steaks and pork loins along with a Smokey Joe Silver 14-inch barbecue grill (£16.70) and bags of charcoal (£2.80 for 7.2lb).

In the evenings, wisps of smoke rise from behind the soldiers' housing containers and the surrounding concrete blast walls on what they call Echo Valley Road. "You make the best of the situation," said Private Jonathan Roane, as he stirred embers with a pair of tongs. "We used to eat to fight. It's not like that any more."


Since 2003, the number of overweight soldiers has doubled, with one in 20 now clinically obese.

Commanders are tackling the new enemy with an unusual array of measures. Rather than making soldiers run around the base in the midday heat, they offer them yoga classes, salsa dancing lessons, pedicures, book clubs, and karaoke nights to temper them. "They didn't tell me about this at the recruiting station when I signed up," said Specialist Ron Lopez.

"I mean, I expected many things going to war, but not this."

A preoccupation for the soldiers in the coming weeks is preparation for Thanksgiving - the holiday on the fourth Thursday in November.



http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/idle-us-soldiers-fight-baghdad-bulge/story-e6frg6so-1225797229462

[virgogal]

1. Hmmm! KInd of like the Freshman Fifteen.

[elleng]

3. DITTO, virgo!!!!

[elleng]

2. Like the freshman 15, eh?

A small thing to laugh about, I guess. OK tonight as we learn more about having a REAL THINKING PRESIDENT!!!

[dschis]

4. Time to come home

[Historic NY]

5. High fat diet of junk food...they would be better off with the MRE's.

[Captain Hilts]

7. MRE's are VERY high calorie. nt

[msongs]

6. US corporations fleecing the troops, while giving them toxic food. taxpayers are suckers nt

[backscatter712]

8. This is awesomeness that isn't making the news.

Not the Baghdad Bulge, but the reason behind it - soldiers are being pulled off the streets of Iraq, and they're gonna be leaving Iraq entirely.

Hopefully, Obama's rejection of the troop-increase battle plans for Afghanistan means he's starting to look for ways to get us out of there two, but at least we're soon going to be in only one dumb war instead of two.

I'll say it again... THE IRAQ WAR IS DRAWING TO AN END!!!

:hippie: :party: :toast: :bounce: :beer: :fistbump: :headbang: :yourock: :woohoo: :applause: :patriot:

[FarCenter]

9. I thought that boredom was countered by the digging of 6x6s

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. these soldiers are engaged in the food for freedom program

and this is not boredom related. Call me a cynic

But come PRT time many of them will be released from the service for ahem cause. (Yes, being obese is cause)