Posted on 12/16/2011 6:43:21 AM PST by Evil Slayer
If the U.S. military held a yard sale, the rummaging would look a lot like what has been going on in Iraq.
Troops are leaving a bounty of leftovers as they exit the country this month, abandoning dining-hall tables and chairs, tents, air conditioners and old vehicles.
Unlike a traditional American yard sale, the military bric-a-brac is free. The stuff likely would be dumped back home. For an Iraqi force moving into once-bustling U.S. bases, the accouterments are just the thing to make the soldier’s life a little more comfortable as he takes on the full load of fighting insurgents against the government.
The State Department, which inherits the lead U.S. role in Iraq on Jan. 1, also is accepting hand-me-downs, such as armored vehicles and surveillance electronics to protect its turf.
“We’ve gone through a very extensive review process to determine what we need to take back to the United States, what gets reconditioned, what we can afford to transfer to the State Department, or to state and local governments back in the United States, or to the Iraqi government,” said ArmyMaj. Gen. Jeffrey S. Buchanan, the top U.S. military spokesman in Iraq.
“It’s really the leftover things we’ve transferred to the Iraq government.”
The command estimates that it has bequeathed to the Iraqi government more than 4 million pieces of this and that, valued at $580 million. However, the military is saving more than $1 billion in shipping costs.
Here is some of what Iraq is getting when it assumes control of all U.S. bases:
• Containerized housing units, air conditioners and gym equipment.
• Generators, water and fuel tanks, cars and stoves.
• Tables, washers and dryers, portable chemical toilets; and large, portable concrete walls and barriers.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Definitely right. Anyway most of the stuff will now appear in the Iran, yes I said Iran, marketplace.
Which road do you want the troops to drive to Afghanistan? You obviously did not take geography in school?
Exactly. No FLIPLs. Or the answer to every FLIPL. Sorry, we left that in the FOB.
For those non-military softies: FLIPL = Financial Liability Investigations of Property Loss
Yes. And what the pic doesn’t show is, there were scores more of them hovering overhead or on their way, often packed to the gills with VNAF personnel getting the hell out of Dodge with friends and family.
Loads of ‘em overhead, fuel getting lower every minute...not a lot of choice in the matter. Land ‘em, unload, shove ‘em over, repeat step 1.
“Unlike a traditional American yard sale, the military bric-a-brac is free.”
Uh... no.. no, it’s not “free.”
Actually, it’s all been paid for, at retail prices, by the US Government’s own personal Cash Cow, the American Taxpayer.
But, let’s not quibble - after all, Uncle Sugar always knows how to spend our hard-earned money far better than we do, ourselves.
Or, at least, that’s the current, Marxist doctrine.
Like they said, it isn’t cost effective to move a lot of it. Do we really need to move concrete walls and old desks and tables?
Yup I remember those stores with fondness.
Today they just sell cheap reproduction crap.
The South Koreans wanted to offer M-1s and M-1 carbines to American civilians. The 0bammunist admin. blocked that, for the same reason they pursued Fast & Furious: They want Americans to be disarmed and unable to resist the coming Soviet regime.
Certainly more plausible than reporting air conditioners and concrete barriers as "eaten by termites."
I wouldn’t mind having a few leftover SOPMOD M4 kits.....Merry Christmas!
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