Is hunger an issue at Camp Bucca? (xpost from Veterans)

Is hunger an issue at Camp Bucca?
Staff and wire reports
Posted : Friday Apr 25, 2008 12:23:38 EDT

Rep. Mary Fallin, R-Okla., said she is investigating allegations that members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 45th Infantry Brigade are not being regularly fed in Iraq.

Fallin, R-Okla., placed a formal request Thursday for the Army to look into the accusations, her spokesman Alex Weintz said.

The father of an Oklahoma soldier notified Oklahoma City television station KOCO after receiving an e-mail from his daughter, Kristy Fleshman, a member of the Oklahoma National Guard serving in Iraq.

“I have the ultimate respect for our military and for the job they do and for the sacrifices they make for the well-being of all of us,” Howard Fleshman told KOCO. “And, so it’s only out of this concern and the concern for the well-being of Oklahoma soldiers that I’m raising this issue in the first place.”

Weintz said Fallin’s office was told that members of the 45th at Camp Bucca were working nine-hour shifts without being served lunch.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/04/ap_nolunch_042508/

This part:
Fallin said by telephone late Thursday that she would do what she could to ensure that if the situation exists, it will be rectified.
“When I went to Baghdad recently, they had a big buffet of food at every stop,” she said. “It may just
be an isolated incident at the location where they are stationed or it could be an issue of quantity.”

Of course when congresscritters show-there's ALWAYS a big dog and pony show put on.

... Halliburton didn't set the hours the Army works the soldiers.

The OP said, "...members of the 45th at Camp Bucca were working nine-hour shifts without being served lunch."

Blaming Halliburton would be like like blaming McDonalds for not feeding you if your boss didn't let you go to lunch.

At all the camps where I've been based, soldiers come in with big coolers to get take out boxes for all of their comrades who are not able to make it to the dining facility. Wonder why that's not happening there?

And, BTW, there's ALWAYS a big buffet of food at every stop, whether there's a VIP coming or not. I didn't gain 25 lbs during my first four months in Iraq by starving myself!

making money off of NOT feeding the troops would seem logical. Just like health Insurance makes money off of NOT providing health care.

from a military mom - from Oklahoma, I think - from several YEARS ago. :(

Her son was getting one MRE a day, and drinking water was rationed and in short supply. (and yes, halliburton was in charge of food.)

When she tried to mail him care packages to keep him fed, it turned out those weren't getting through either. (Guess who was in charge of delivering mail.)

Iirc, Camp Bucca has had ongoing problems in several areas. This isn't surprising. :(