Article

2008-11-30 Iraq

US Military In Iraq Face New Enemy. Good Food.

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Posted by Anonymoose 2008-11-30 00:00|| || Front Page|| [1 views ] Top

#1 The fried chicken, and the garlic bread at the pasta bar, and the late-night ("mid-rats") onion rings were my main enemies, and I think the result was a stand-off. I might have gained a pound or two, at most. If work had been a little less insane - and I had been more disciplined - I'd have easily burned off the extra at the palace gym, or Liberty pool (I left before the days of suddenly competent, er .... Iranian-led and trained .... mortar attacks on the IZ, so the pool was open).

There was actually quite a bit of fruit available (and salads, either fresh or 3-bean sort, depending), so one could do the right thing if one had the will or inclination. By the second year there were even dates harvested from the palace grounds, which had a "library" of date trees (I think the best/biggest in Iraq).

The food the employees brought in was usually stellar, either home-cooked or commercial (oh, the baklava from the several famous bakeries in Mansour .... mmmmmmm).

Amidst this paradoxical culinary plenty, and in a building that was a 24-hour military HQ as well as an embassy and much else, the enduring mystery: lousy coffee. A Green Beans coffee bar opened in the palace ballroom, offering a quality alternative (and great "gift cards" good only in Iraq, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, etc.), and many offices/individuals had beans they ground and brewed on their own. But KBR's failure on coffee was striking, given the tremendous job they did (IMHO) on food in general.

Another amusing detail: the Iraqi employees who helped themselves to plenty of bacon at breakfast time. Man, do I love bacon (like most), and I've never had it available every day of the week. I recall before going over, wondering if there'd be pork at all ..... !!!

And I still recall the pulled-pork sandwiches that were offered now and then the second year. In the heart of the ancient caliphate, a foreign invader amidst the dust, heat, and mostly dud mortars and rockets - and the pulled-pork sandwich was damn close to something you'd get at Parker's in Wilson, NC, just to pick a great one at random .... THAT is American power on display.

Posted by Verlaine 2008-11-30 03:44|| 2008-11-30 03:44|| Front Page Top

#2 Does griping about the stellar quality of the food mean that we won?

Posted by One Eyed Glaith2735 2008-11-30 03:49|| 2008-11-30 03:49|| Front Page Top

#3 Well Verlaine, is there anything bacon can't do?;)

Posted by Spot">Spot 2008-11-30 08:38|| 2008-11-30 08:38|| Front Page Top

#4 Food in Vietnam was ok but not sensational. Some of the food downtown was strange, but pretty good. And MREs are WAY better than K-rats or C-rats. The best chow hall food I've ever had was at the chow hall at Bolling AFB, in DC. The worst was at a transit lounge on Okinawa. Most food, at most bases, was at least edible, and some of it was well above average.

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2008-11-30 12:56|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/] 2008-11-30 12:56|| Front Page Top

#5 "Good Food" > HERESY, HERESY I SAY! How are soldiers going to defeat an enemy army iff they're happy with their food - ITS JUST NOT DONE, PEOPLE, LIKE HAVING JOHN WAYNE PLAY "HAMLET" OR "ROMEO", OR GODZILLA NOT STOMP TOKYO!?

* "OHH Juliet, my Juliet, wherefor art thou, PIL-G-RI-I-I-M"!

HERESY, D *** YOU, HERESY!

Posted by JosephMendiola 2008-11-30 17:52|| 2008-11-30 17:52|| Front Page Top

#6 Has Gawd as My Witness, Ima start playing the lotto. It's the only chance I got for a sudden outbreak of serious monies.

gOTTeM huuuuge desire suddenly to rent a 747 and make about 12 stops.... before the run from San Diego to Guam... an then we will have the clarity, the understanding we need to continue during time of the 2nd Seventies.

Ima also stomp HEREESY while Ima in nieghborhood.

Posted by .5MT 2008-11-30 19:34|| www.cybernations.net]">[www.cybernations.net] 2008-11-30 19:34|| Front Page Top

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