Survival in the outskirts

[unhappycamper]

Sgt. Lonnie Richards and Cpl. Asa Akins close the door of a Light Armored Vehicle at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq. The Marines and their LAVs recently returned from an 87-day patrol of the Iraqi border, and plan to leave for another patrol after a few days of rest and vehicle maintenance.


Survival in the outskirts
By Ashley Rowland, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, February 19, 2009

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq — The most important piece of equipment on Cpl. Asa Akins’ Light Armored Vehicle is something that might be stashed in your garage back home.

Small enough to fit in a hungry Marine’s hand, a Coleman stove was nearly all that stood between him and a three-month diet of Meals, Ready to Eat, he said. Same for the other 27 Marines of Company F, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, who recently returned from an 87-day patrol in Ninevah and Anbar provinces.

During the patrol, they lived and traveled in seven-man LAVs. Sometimes they bought food from local markets, but mostly they ate prepackaged food or cooked Ramen noodles and macaroni and cheese on their stoves. Sometimes they mixed in tuna, or heated water to make coffee.

"You get used to it if you’re out there for so long," said Sgt. Lonnie Richards.

During presence patrols meant to discourage insurgent activity and smuggling along the border, the Marines rode in four-vehicle platoons and took turns keeping watch inside the LAV and sleeping outside in two-man tents.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=60806



uhc comment: And in a pinch, you can always take apart Claymore mines to get some C-4. Roll it into the shape of a small dog turd, light it with a cigarette and you can heat pretty much anything. (Just don't try to stomp out the fire.)

[izquierdista]

1. A cigar butt?

A piece of ziti? A cocktail weenie? An eraser? A breakfast sausage? A chicken McNugget? A wad of chewing gum?

No, you had to write "the shape of a small dog turd". :rofl: