Oklahoma soldier in Iraq says meals cut

[lily]

Shameful! (http://newsok.com/oklahoma-soldier-in-iraq-says-meals-cut/article/3234556/?tm=1209077378)

Oklahoma soldier in Iraq says meals cut

By The Associated Press
Thu April 24, 2008


Congressional lawmakers from Oklahoma are looking into allegations that
members of the Oklahoma National Guard's 45th Infantry Brigade are not being
regularly fed in Iraq.

U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin, R-Okla., placed a formal request Thursday for the
Army to investigate the allegations, Fallin spokesman Alex Weintz said.

The father of an Oklahoma soldier first notified Oklahoma City television
station KOCO after receiving an e-mail from his daughter, Kristy Fleshman, a
member of the Oklahoma National Guard serving in Iraq.

"I have the ultimate respect for our military and for the job they do and
for the sacrifices they make for the well-being of all of us," Howard
Fleshman told KOCO. "And, so it's only out of this concern and the concern
for the well-being of Oklahoma soldiers that I'm raising this issue in the
first place."

Weintz said Fallin's office was told members of the 45th at Camp Bucca were
working 9-hour shifts without being served lunch.

"Having heard those reports, our office contacted the Oklahoma National
Guard, and Rep. Fallin herself contacted (Maj.) Gen. Galen Jackman at the
Pentagon," Weintz said.

Jackman is the Army's Chief of Legislative Liaison and works with members of
Congress.

U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., also was notified and is looking into the
matter, a spokeswoman for Cole's office said Thursday.

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard's 45th are serving at Camp Bucca,
which is near Umm Qasr, a port city in southern Iraq, Weintz said.

[Troubadour]

"I have the ultimate respect for our military and for the job they do and
for the sacrifices they make for the well-being of all of us," Howard
Fleshman told KOCO. "And, so it's only out of this concern and the concern
for the well-being of Oklahoma soldiers that I'm raising this issue in the
first place."

I find it disturbing that the father of a soldier being underfed is so afraid of the military that he has to preface an apparently justified complaint with obsequious praise. It is true that if he hadn't, he and his daughter would probably become targets for Republican slander and character assassination, but the tone of the statement is clear - that of a family beseeching captors not to harm their child. Of course, even with the servile hyperbole, they will likely be targeted anyway - soldiers who make them look bad are hated with special animus in the regime.

[apdst]

Too bad the media never follows up on reports like this, so we'll know whether, or not, those soldiers are actually getting fed right.

I'll bet that this chick wrote home saying, "we don't get a hot meal for lunch", leaving out the part that they get an MRE, or sammiches for lunch and dear daddy took the ball and ran with it.

When I was in Desert Storm, a kid wrote home to mommy and daddy and said, "we only get one hot meal a day". Mommy and daddy took that to mean that we only got fed once a day and called their congressman. At that point, the fecal matter impacted the rotary oscilating device at extreme volocity. We spent an entire day writing sworn statements to the fact that we were indeed getting fed three times a day, had plenty of clean socks and underpants, had sunburn cream, were getting water whenever we wanted, medicine for our crotch rot, etc.

It is true that if he hadn't, he and his daughter would probably become targets for Republican slander and character assassination, but the tone of the statement is clear - that of a family beseeching captors not to harm their child. Of course, even with the servile hyperbole, they will likely be targeted anyway - soldiers who make them look bad are hated with special animus in the regime.

I'm sure that he chose his words in such a way so as not to look like some dickweed Liberal that is bitching just to have something to bitch about.

[sbannon]

The media likely won't follow up, but I can add this much--4 years ago a good friend was serving in Iraq and a large group of our friends here at home wanted to ship some care packages for him and his unit members.

When asked what they needed or wanted the only request made was packs of Ramen Noodles.

I didn't ask him why that was the only request made at the time, and I never will have that chance now. But I can only assume that when soldiers serving away from home are given the option to request anything in the world and their only request is food there is a problem.

[apdst]

There's not a problem. The reasont hey request the Raman noodles, is because they taste alot better than MREs. Anyone that's been in the service will tell you that asking for, "pogy bait", from home is perfectly normal.

[PatrickHenry]

There's not a problem. The reasont hey request the Raman noodles, is because they taste alot better than MREs. Anyone that's been in the service will tell you that asking for, "pogy bait", from home is perfectly normal.

OK...I get it. Soldiers get food on a regular basis.

dog food...

[potter]

whining about 9 hours without food....I'm certain our soldiers are made of sterner stuff than that....:unreal:

[PatrickHenry]

Can't they get Snickers from a machine on their post?

[potter]

Can't they get Snickers from a machine on their post?


They can get a cheese Haliburger for only $39.95. Sure, it's a months take home but I hear they are pretty yummy.

[apdst]

Are either of you talking from first hand experience? Or are you spewing about something you know nothing about, as usual?

whining about 9 hours without food....I'm certain our soldiers are made of sterner stuff than that

It's a soldier's god given right to bitch. It's almost a part of their duty to bitch. There's an old saying in the military, "When a soldier stops bitching, something is wrong".

[lily]

Too bad the media never follows up on reports like this, so we'll know whether, or not, those soldiers are actually getting fed right.

I'll bet that this chick wrote home saying, "we don't get a hot meal for lunch", leaving out the part that they get an MRE, or sammiches for lunch and dear daddy took the ball and ran with it.

When I was in Desert Storm, a kid wrote home to mommy and daddy and said, "we only get one hot meal a day". Mommy and daddy took that to mean that we only got fed once a day and called their congressman. At that point, the fecal matter impacted the rotary oscilating device at extreme volocity. We spent an entire day writing sworn statements to the fact that we were indeed getting fed three times a day, had plenty of clean socks and underpants, had sunburn cream, were getting water whenever we wanted, medicine for our crotch rot, etc.





I love how you hoorahs sit behind your computer screen and make fun of a soldiers.Obviously her father, Rep. Mary Fallin, Gen. Galen Jackman, and Rep. Tom Cole, take this very serioulsy and are looking into her "whining"....but hey....it's only the National Guard.....it's not like they are "real army" or anything......not like YOU!

[apdst]

I love how you hoorahs sit behind your computer screen and make fun of a soldiers.

No one is making fun of our soldiers. I'm only saying that there is probably more to the story than we're getting--or less, however you want to look at it.

Obviously her father, Rep. Mary Fallin, Gen. Galen Jackman, and Rep. Tom Cole, take this very serioulsy and are looking into her "whining"....

As well they should, it's their job to look into these types of situations.

but hey....it's only the National Guard.....it's not like they are "real army" or anything......not like YOU!

Thise soldiers aren't in the national gaurd. They are in The United States Army. It says so right on their blouses. It says, "U.S. Army".

I'm not saying that it shouldn't be investigated. It should be, because if these soldiers aren't being fed properly, there is obviously something wrong within their chain of command and someone needs to be relieved at the company, battalion, or maybe even at the brigade level. However, I doubt it's quite the crisis that would want everyone to believe.