U.S. Marines go hungry

Cylinder said:
Do you think it is uncommon for deployed persons to request food items from home?
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No, I've seen the M*A*S*H episode entitled "Adam's Rib". ;)

Seriously, I really don't know. Is that all that is going on here? Is this guy merely requesting food from home? Or, are he and his unit in a situation where they have limited access to food? The article doesn't give enough information.
 
Rob Lister said:
We are clearly not on the same wavelength.

I've assertained this however: It is unlikely you understand this thread nor any post within it; possibly not even your own.
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Typical, a weak and limp-wristed ad hom.
 
*yawn* read it yourself. You clearly thinks it implies something everyone else here is missing.

Perhaps you should put forth what you think it means if not a 'food shortage'.
 
Rob Lister said:
*yawn* read it yourself.
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I have.

You clearly thinks it implies something everyone else here is missing.
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"Clearly"? I'd like to see your defintion for "clear". I've already said of the article and the issue:

"The article doesn't give enough information."

"But that aside, I am not claiming that there is a food shortage, only that this unit is in such a situation that they need to request food from home. What does that mean? So far I've seen a lot of spin from the True Believers, but very little substance."

"No it [the article] doesn't [claim there is a shortage]. All it does is relay an anecdote of one soldier (and his unit) going hungry and asking his mom to send food.

Perhaps you should put forth what you think it means if not a 'food shortage
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I don't know what it means jackass. That's what I'm asking.
 
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Cylinder said:
I did. I was looking for evidence that fits your standard - that is, first-hand claims made from someone in Iraq that has been in this particular Marine unit.
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The article exceeds that standard. It has a statement made by the guy on the ground that the food "wasn't cutting it". Does that mean they aren't getting enough? Does it mean there is a shortage? Does it mean this guy and his unit are a bunch of pussies?
 
Tony said:
The article exceeds that standard. It has a statement made by the guy on the ground that the food "wasn't cutting it". Does that mean they aren't getting enough? Does it mean there is a shortage? Does it mean this guy and his unit are a bunch of pussies?
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Where did you find that information? I didn't see that claim made by anyone currently in Iraq and serving in this particular Marine unit.
 
Cylinder said:
Where did you find that information?
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Then you didn't read close enough:

So Nick Andoscia went to Iraq. And hunger soon followed.

"I got a letter," says Karen. "And he had called me before that. He said, 'Send lots of tuna.' "

Nick told his mother that he and the men in his unit were all about 10 pounds lighter in their first few weeks in Iraq. They were pulling 22-hour patrol shifts. They were getting two meals a day and they were not meals to remember.

"He told me the two meals just weren't cutting it. He said the Iraqi food was usually better. They were going to the Iraqis and basically saying, 'feed me.' "
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True, his mom is probably paraphrasing what he said in his letter. But the food he was getting obviously wasn't up to scratch. Or, are you going to claim his mom is lying?
 
Tony said:
Or, are you going to claim his mom is lying?
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No. I am claiming that her assertion does not fit your own strict rule for the validity of evidence here. It kind of points out the stupidity of the whole chickenhawk redux.

Complaining about food and requesting food from home is SOP. It was there when my dad was serving 50 years ago and it was there when I served 10 years ago.

What you don't seem to understand is that a chronic food shortage would never be tolerated without a damn good tactical reason - not by President Bush or Sec. Rumsfeld but by squad leaders, section leaders, platoon sergeants, first shirts and chiefs where-ever they are found. It's not something you would understand - the importance of regular chow - unless you've been around it. It's just not something that would be tucked away like that.
 
Well, this "limp-wristed" vet with 20 years active military duty, most of which served overseas and many of which served during various deployments and conflicts and campaigns, agrees that Tony's otherwise completely novice arm-chair analysis of this this singal political-biased article probably best represents the actual facts of the matter.

Something is going on here that should get congressional attention.

I think Tony should be called as an expert witness.
 
Cylinder said:
No. I am claiming that her assertion does not fit your own strict rule for the validity of evidence here.
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I know, it exceeds it.

What you don't seem to understand is that a chronic food shortage would never be tolerated without a damn good tactical reason - not by President Bush or Sec. Rumsfeld but by squad leaders, section leaders, platoon sergeants, first shirts and chiefs where-ever they are found. It's not something you would understand - the importance of regular chow - unless you've been around it. It's just not something that would be tucked away like that.
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And what you refuse to understand is that I never once mentioned or alluded to a "chronic food shortage".
 
Rob Lister said:
Well, this "limp-wristed" vet with 20 years active military duty, most of which served overseas and many of which served during various deployments and conflicts and campaigns, agrees that Tony's otherwise completely novice arm-chair analysis of this this singal political-biased article probably best represents the actual facts of the matter.

Something is going on here that should get congressional attention.

I think Tony should be called as an expert witness
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I see you like whine with your straw.
 
If the guy is getting packages from home, then there is no supply problem.
 
Luke T. said:
I'd like to see a more reliable news source. One that I've heard of. Don't know. Need more info.
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This was a feature story by Bob Kerr distributed through Scripps-Howard News Service which is a U.S. newspaper chain:

http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=TROOPS-HUNGER-05-02-06

Any other newspapers that run this will run the same thing. This story has been used on anti-American propaganda news sites crafted to demoralize our troops such as this:

http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m23143&hd=0&size=1&l=e
 
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a_unique_person said:
Reminds me of "Chickenhawk". Warehouses full of stuff, guys at the front line seriously short of essentials.
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Not at all unusual. For every unit currently patrolling baddie land living off whatever dried and tinned crap they can fit in thier basic pouches there will be another unit sitting in some base area up to thier tits in roast chickens....thats life in a warzone.

As for the letters home begging for tins of something...thats more likely due to a craving for something that is not available than a shortage of calories. I used to write home begging for jars of real coffee ...The issue coffee was like desicated ground camel dung....
 
Jeeez. Depends on how you say it, doesn't it.

1) Some US Marines are sick to death of issue MRE's - the complete meal without any taste sensations worth remembering. They're used to apple pie and hominy grits and baby-back-ribs.

2) Or the supply line hasn't come past their dugout or command post for a bit. Someone will open a mess-line soon, but right now, they're feeling peckish.

3) A friendly Iraqi has his road-side stall going, trying to make a living in these hard times selling his delicious quick-cook food to the passing trade. Which consists most notably of the aforesaid big-framed peckish Marines.

4) With money.

5) A sale satisfactory to both parties is rapidly negotiated. Tastes sated, happy vendor.

6) Reporter rewrites incident as an op-ed piece with a distinctly different slant...

Too easy.
 
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