Stripes letter: Such a waste downrange (waste, fraud and abuse in Iraq)

[lebkuchen]

Such a waste downrange

I must agree with “Waste not, want not in Iraq” (letter, Sept. 8), about the waste issue going on at Logistics Support Area Anaconda. Many of the units here will be finishing their rotations and going home. I, too, have seen bed frames and wood in the trash. The American Forces Network channel on television is always telling us to report fraud, waste and abuse. Well, it is going on here in Iraq.

My roommate and I both have lofts in our room. Before we leave Iraq we will have to tear them down and throw them in the trash, a waste of perfectly good lumber. I can understand that furniture and items in the room have to be signed for, but why tear down a good room set-up, throw it in the trash so that the next soldiers coming in can request more lumber and rebuild lofts that will be almost the same? Why not leave the lofts in the rooms, and if the incoming soldiers do not like the room set-up, they can change it and sign for furniture from KBR? I think this would save on some lumber costs for all units.

I also have a deck outside of my room that was built after we got here and, from my understanding, has to be chopped up and thrown in the trash. Once again, a waste of perfectly good lumber. Why not leave the deck there for the incoming soldiers? Hey, they might like it. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s nice.

I really think the military needs to do some re-evaluating on the housing rules because there is a lot of lumber being wasted that could be put to good use by the next unit and not just be thrown in a trash bin to end up at the burn pit.

Sgt. Jennifer Wood
Logistics Support Area Anaconda, Iraq

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=31815

[stellanoir]

1. Nothing like wasting lumber in the desert.

The colossal absence of common sense of this misadministration and their minions is consistantly astounding.

Ingenius stupidity.

[tanyev]

2. Well, if you keep re-using it, then Home Depot won't get as much

money as they should. Hubby and I had to go there today for something and there was a sign by the register with an American flag saying, "Please tell us if you are using a federal government credit card." I figured it was so they could do a 400% mark up on those purchases.