When I was in Iraq a few years ago, there were some soldiers out there who were being stupid. They complained about everything.

They said:

Well, I can’t go use the phone very often.

I don’t get time to use the internet when I want to.

We are supposed to have a day off every once in a while.

The CHU’s (Containerized Housing Units) are not very fun to stay in.

I can’t go to the PX very often.

We are supposed to be working shorter days than we have been working.

I can’t have any beer.

The list of complaints goes on and on for miles.

The people over in Iraq who are complaining so much, you need to count your blessings.

My dad was in Vietnam. They stayed in a large tent with at least 50 or more people. You are in a metal housing unit. Granted, it is small, but better than a tent! You have air conditioning, unlike in Nam.

You can get on the internet any time you want when you are off duty and E-mail your buddies back home. The internet did not even exist in the 1960’s!

Lap top computers and even desk tops weren’t invented yet.

On the rare occasion that they got to make a phone call back to the states from Vietnam, they did not have pre-paid calling cards; they could use coins in a pay phone or make a collect call. Then they had to decide: Well, who should I call this month (NOT Today. They only got to use the phone once or twice a month). Then they only got to talk on the phone for a short period of time. Then they could talk to either one of their friends or a relative, but that was it for a long time. In Iraq, people go to the phone center on post and use the phones as long as they want.

Soldiers complain that they do not get very much time off out there as well.

My dad worked some times 14 hours a day, Seven days a week. He did not get a day off very often at all.

The one thing that they did have in Vietnam that was not allowed in Iraq was: BEER.

Come on people, if you have half a brain, you will figure out how to get alcohol over there! Just don’t get caught with it! If you did not figure it out yet, here is the trick: Have your relatives pour a bottle of Vodka or Rum into a different bottle and send it to you. These two things work best, because they are clear and look like water. Now if they x-ray the box, all they see is a bottle of water. If someone sees you drinking it, it looks like you are drinking water.

Another, better, safer idea is to just talk to the Iraqis. The Muslim religion forbids drinking alcohol, but they still do it. Even if they don’t drink it, a lot of them you see on the bases over there do have it and they are happy to sell it to Americans. However, you did not hear that from me. LOL.

Just look at what you have got out there and how easy you have it. Count your blessings, it could be much worse.

Another thing to think about is that in Vietnam they were exposed to hostile fire and bombs and things like that every day and all night. The Iraqis did not fight back very hard in the first place. Now it is not really a WAR, it is a police action. The actual war ended years ago. It only lasted about a month. Granted, the enemy is still shooting once in a while, and unlike in Vietnam, you have solid armor trucks and body armor in Iraq. In Iraq they are not spraying poisonous chemicals like Agent Orange all the time.

Half the time, when they need to find the enemy, they don’t send people very close to them, unless they have to. Then most of the time it is Infantry or Special Forces, etc., People who know what they are doing. Most of the time they will use an unmanned aircraft (Drone) to recon the enemy. They can even use a satellite in space to keep tabs on the enemy.