I still don’t know where my Soldier Son is, but I got a CD of pictures from him today which was a very nice surprise. They were taken while he was in Kuwait and his unit was preparing to push north.
The photo below is of the Burger King at the base in Kuwait. I’m told that in addition to Burger King there is a Taco Bell, a movie theatre and a Harley Davidson dealership, among other staples of American daily life.
The theatre and most of the stores are in hugh tents. The tents don’t do much to break up the bleak - desert - lack - of - scenery, but I suppose it’s better than nothing. I don’t know, but I think the tents are also their living quarters. They are air conditioned, which I imagine comes as a great relief in the heat of the desert.
This is the Army’s version of bringing a little bit of home to the Soldiers in the Middle East. At least it’s an attempt to bring a little of the comforts of home to our Soldiers. A little of the familiar for them in a very unfamiliar world.
It seems to me that when we talk about the sacrifices our Soldiers make for our country - and for us - we talk about those sacrifices in an abstract form. I’m not sure that many of us really have a well formed idea of what those sacrifices really are or what they look like.
Most people seem to think of the sacrifices in terms of casualties or the time spent in battles. Those are the most obvious and severe sacrifices, but there are also the sacrifices of living in enormously uncomfortable conditions for months on end, of putting everything in your life on hold for a year or more, of endless hours of extreme boredom and loneliness and home sickness, of families left behind, of lovers left behind.
This Burger King doesn’t look like what we think of as Burger King here in the States, but I’m told it’s like a Burger King inside. The tents don’t resemble what we think of as a movie theatre, but I’m told they feel like one when you are inside.
It’s not ALL the comforts of home, but it’s something.
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The World According to Carl - Music that Supports our Troops.
Leaning up Straight also looks at music that is patriotic and dedicated to our Troops.
linked with: Church & State, Amboy Times, Stuck on Stupid, Argghhh!
Thanks for sharing these pics and this post, Beth. It is easy for us here in the states and other places of comfort to ignore the obvious DIScomfort of the soldiers fighting in our country’s interest. It is great to be able to picture to some extent where Joshua is/has been recently. He is such an amazing individual — the soldiers under his command are fortunate. Pass along assurances of our love, support,and prayers to him when you have opportunity to communicate.
Thanks Girl for sharing. Its the stark reality of what they actually endure .God bless them one and all
I cannot thank our soldiers enough for all that they have sacrificed for our freedom. They’ve given time from their families, comforts of home, calm nights, “normal” days, privacy, peace and quiet, and on and on…
Been there and done that. As an ex-Soldier who was in-the-middle-of-nowhere Kuwait in 96, I can say that ANYTHING beats MREs and a cot next to a tank in the sand. I hope you get pictures of the Persian Gulf…it’s beautiful…
We didn’t have tents when I was there…it was the inside of a tank in 130 degree weather or out on your cot…
Here’s nothing but the best to your Son and Your Family. Thank You and your Son from an Army Veteran.
Thank y’all
Uncle Mac - I’m going to pass on what you said. He might find it reassuring that once he gets to the Persian Gulf there will be something besides sand to look at! lol
take these devils oway from our land. you are waring people.
I’m tellin ya, ENSURE he takes pisc of the gulf…it’s beautiful…and send some to me
Once he’s away from civilization over there, just ask him about the night sky. I’ve never see so many stars in my life. It’s really too bad that the most evil religion in the world lives in a place of great beauty.
i have a couple of pics of the gulf up on my site. i was in that camp today. want pics? let me know and i’ll go take them!
and all of those stars are in our sky too. you just have to get out to real dark to see them. they look like that at sea on a warship…. no lights. or country dark in the US.
they stars are ours too.