Some US soldiers forced to steal water in Iraq

[sabra]

Source: 11 News Defenders

Rations and problems trigger desperate measures to survive intense heat

<snip>

Stories of short supplies have haunted the U.S. military throughout the war in Iraq—things like inadequate body armor or unshielded Hummers. But while many soldiers say they had good access to water and even Gatorade, the 11 News Defenders discovered that others, stationed all over the country and during all phases of this desert war, say something else was often missing.

“We were rationed two bottles of water a day,” said Army Staff Sgt. Dustin Robey, referring to 1 to 1.5 liter bottles.

...

“It really hit me the day I was with my commander and we’re stealing water,” Robey said, describing how they raided supplies at the Baghdad International Airport.

To get there, they had to take one of the riskiest routes in Iraq at that time, riddled with road bombs and roadside insurgents.

But they reached the airport and found plenty of water. It was in the hands of civilian contractors, who Robey claims were supposed to be distributing it to soldiers.

...

But 11 News identified another problem with water in Iraq—dirty water in sinks and showers soldiers used.

...

Turns out, at many similar bases, the water was supposed to be processed by Houston-based company KBR. In an internal KBR report, the company sites “massive programmatic issues” with water for personal hygiene dating back to 2005. It outlines how there was no formalized training for anyone involved with water operations, and one camp, Ar Ramadi, had no disinfection for shower water whatsoever.

Read more: http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou090511_tnt_water-shortages-iraq-soldiers.16ebba1d.html

[JonLP24]

1. WOW!

When I was over there in '06-'07 we had unlimited amounts of gatarode, water bottles, and Rip-its.

All that overuse is starting to have an effect.

We had large amounts of this type of bottled water.



Other side.

[babylonsister]

2. This is beyond disturbing and disgusting. Rec'd so everyone

knows another way we're supporting the troops.

[WhiteTara]

3. War Profiteering is a CRIME

I am so sick of nothing being done. I want to see some executive perp walks!
:grr:

[Titonwan]

4. Wah? I disagree on one point.

Unshielded hummers are one of life's greatest pleasures! (I keed I keed!)

[HopeHoops]

5. Geeze, that sounds like something out of Hogan's Heroes!

It is taking WAY too long to get Halliburton/KBR and other Cheney war profiteers out of Iraq.

[Soylent Brice]

6. KBR responsible for distribution of water???

no fucking wonder they don't have enough.

if you ask me it sounds like KBR is running a few ponzi schemes of its own.

they're contracted to build shit. shit doesn't get built. they're contracted to distribute water. troops are left w/o enough and end up stealing it.

too much of a coincedence if you ask me.

K&R

[sabra]

7. they were even contracted out to "burn shit" ...

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/28/burn.pits/

Halliburton, KBR sued for alleged ill effects of 'burn pits'

* Story Highlights
* 6 lawsuits filed Tuesday; 3 more are scheduled to be filed Wednesday
* Suits filed on behalf of veterans, contractors, their families
* Suits blame health problems, deaths on emissions from burn pits
* No long-term danger from smoke from Balad Air Force Base pit, military said in 2008



WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A series of civil lawsuits against defense contractors KBR and its former parent company Halliburton claims the companies endangered the health of U.S. troops and contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan by unsafely burning massive amounts of garbage on U.S. bases.

Six lawsuits were filed Tuesday and three more are scheduled to be filed Wednesday in state courts on behalf of current and former military personnel, private contractors and families of men who allegedly died because of exposure to the fumes from the burning garbage. Attorneys for the plaintiffs also are seeking to file a class-action suit.

The lawsuits are the first coordinated effort by plaintiffs to extract damages for the claimed health effects from the burn pits. The military has acknowledged the concerns but said its own test of the most notorious case, the Balad Air Force Base burn pit, found there is no prolonged health risk for those who were exposed for a year or less to the fumes.

But the military's report on the fumes also acknowledged it cannot account for all the items burned in the Balad pit. At one point the open pit burned everything from plastics and food to medical waste, with jet fuel used as an accelerant at times.

[Soylent Brice]

10. JET FUEL???

[LiberalFighter]

8. What happened to Pauly Shore's "Water Purifying Unit" in the movie "In the Army Now"?

[Blue_Tires]

9. the bigger question is why no one on capital hill has the guts to yank all KBR contracts

because stories like these are nothing new, but KBR, Halliburton, Blackwater, etc keep getting more billions despite all the scandals...

[undeterred]

11. Cheney style military provisions.