I got to talk with a random solider in Iraq.

[CalebHayes]

It just reminds me that the best way we can support the troops is to elect leaders that will get them home soon and in one piece.

Q: Were you surprised by anything when you first got there, if so what and why?

A: I was surprised by the destruction. People live in what we would consider a junk yard. But it used to be their homes. There just isn't anything left of them. Cows graze in garbage. They have a really loose interpretation of highway safety. Several times we had cars driving down the wrong side of the road. There was nothing left of their homes it was just a pile of rubble

Q: from us? from the former regime? both? unknown?

A: I tend to think us, because they don't have much in the way of weaponry.

Q: Did your personal opinion of the war change when you got there, if so how?

A: I am not sure I had a good opinion of the war in the first place. But, I certainly had a hard time looking at what we had done to people's homes. At the same time I struggled with hearing about my fellow soldiers getting injured and dying because of people that lived in those homes. Was is hell. It is hard to feel good about it.

Q: Does hallberton feed you well?

A: No. The food here is horrible. The dairy products are local, so they don't taste the same. No cheddar cheese, no sour cream at all. I only eat in the dining facility once a day at most.

Q: So, where do you get the rest of your food? Go out to eat?

A: People send care packages so I eat a lot of nuts, dried fruit and canned fish. There isn't any place to go out to eat here. I also just eat a lot less. I only eat once or twice a day.

Q: So when the war is going "poorly" or there are lots of attacks does "morale" really go down and what does that consist of (in other words, whats is like)?

A: People get discouraged. They feel frustrated. Some develop mental problems. A lot struggle with depression. Some get in trouble for finding outlets that aren't condusive to the Army. For the most part, people are resigned to their plight.

This is about all I can share with you. He will be back in 2005 as at least thats when he is scheduled to be back. As you may know they have been keeping many of them much longer than scheduled. And also he assured me that he would be OK because "the Iraqis are really bad shots."

[zbdent]

1. Ew, gawd. "The dairy products are local" - camel's milk?

How many dairy cows are there still in Iraq? (seriously!)

[WVhill]

3. The military tries to buy food locally.

Milk is one of the products with a limited shelf life that gets bought that way. I doubt the stuff came from Iraq but it was purchased somewhere in that part of the world and shipped in. I can remember seeing milk in a weird shaped individual serving cartons (tetrapod?). It tasted different from US milk because of the very high cream content. It was the best milk I've ever drank.

[1monster]

4. Hasn't Halliburton heard of Parmalot milk? It has a SIX-MONTHS shelf-

life, for goodness sakes! And that is without refrigeration.

[WVhill]

7. If you've ever drank Pamalat,

that might explain why the soldier is complaining about the taste. Milk processed at higher temperatures than pasteurization has what some consider an off-taste.

[1monster]

11. I've had it... So we send the guys some Hershey's chocolate syrup to

sweeten it up some.

From the interview, though, I got the impression that the soldiers were being given (Iraqi) local dairy products.

[NMDemDist2]

2. that is so sad

those poor guys, living on nuts and tuna sent from home

[0007]

5. Why is he going back? Doesn't he know that junior is a crook?

[Cleita]

6. Nice to know that the best equipped and most efficient military in the

world has been turned into a third world force because of privitization. Way to go you corporate, criminal thugs.

[watercolors]

8. e-mail from my grandson in iraq

" Thanks so much for packages and letters of support, They have ment alot, and it keeps all of us fed when food supplies run short here."

Needless to say we were upset to hear supplies run short. We have sent a pkg. every other week of food, gatorade powder, books etc. Our whole family has been supporting him with food supplies, he has shared with many of his fellow troops. We just got word he will be leaving June 25. The air force wants them out before the turnover the 30th. We will certainly feel better once he is back on US soil! It has been a LONG wait! A sigh of relief!

[AP]

10. I don't think working class people should be sending soldiers care...

...packages. I think Bechtel and Halliburton management and shareholders should be sending them care packages.

Or, at least, families sending care packages should send their receipts to Halliburton and Bechtel for reimbursement.

Someone more ambitious than I am should start a web site which allows you to automatically produce and invoice for reimbursement for your care package expenses which is sent to one of the companies making millions off of the war.

[AP]

9. Of course we destroyed their homes. Needed excuse to pay Bechtel millions

to build them back up.

[CalebHayes]

12. kick