Some US soldiers forced to steal water in Iraq

This is just more of what's been going on in Iraq part of the country never paid attention to.

Some US soldiers forced to steal water in Iraq

Rations and problems trigger desperate measures to survive intense heat

11:17 AM CDT on Tuesday, May 12, 2009

By JEREMY ROGALSKI / KHOU-TV Defenders

HOUSTON -- Take Houston’s heat on a miserable summer day and add 40 degrees, making temperatures 130 or more.


Next, add an extra 100 pounds of life-protecting gear to your body: bulletproof vests, guns and ammunition.

And then imagine not having enough water around to drink.

Stories of short supplies have haunted the U.S. military throughout the war in Iraq—things like inadequate body armor or unshielded Hummers. But while many soldiers say they had good access to water and even Gatorade, the 11 News Defenders discovered that others, stationed all over the country and during all phases of this desert war, say something else was often missing.

“We were rationed two bottles of water a day,” said Army Staff Sgt. Dustin Robey, referring to 1 to 1.5 liter bottles.

And he said that wasn’t nearly enough.

“You’ll see guys throw up, you’ll see them pass out,” he said.

Robey said it started early on in the war, and that he and other soldiers are paying the price to this day. In 2003, he said soldiers were given what was the equivalent of only a half gallon of water to survive on a day—all while dodging bullets in the blistering heat.
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Some US soldiers forced to steal water in Iraq

Linked from ICasualties.org