Army says it can’t handle massive Air Con donation

[lebkuchen]

Citing “prohibitive” shipping costs and its own plan to boost living conditions in Iraq, the Army has turned down a Delaware mom’s offer to donate thousands of air conditioners to troops about to go through a second searing summer.

In a letter dated Dec. 15 to Frankie Mayo, the Delaware-based founder of “Operation Air Conditioner,” Col. John Della Jacono, chief of staff for the Office of Personnel Programs and Policies for the 3rd Army at Fort McPherson, Ga., thanked the donor for her offer, but said the Army has its own plans to keep troops comfortable.

<snip>

Mayo has been trying to secure the U.S. military’s help sending her air conditioners since August, “but they’ve been giving me the runaround,” she said in a Dec. 16 telephone interview.

Mayo said she considers Della Jacono’s response to be final, and that she is turning her efforts towards securing private funding to mail the air conditioners.

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=19490


Bush said he wanted Americans to volunteer, but now he won't come through on his end.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. 175 USD per unit

but it would do wonders for morale

Oh never mind...

[DuctapeFatwa]

2. They are there to kill, not keep cool. hotter heads will mean more kills

and more kills is what the voters want, and has the added benefit of reducing the population to facilitate maintaining security of oil installations that are important to US business interests.

[KeepItReal]

3. Halliburton/KBR wouldn't stand for free A/C for the troops

It *ain't* in their contract! Matter of fact, I'll bet their contract forbids stuff like that... damn