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Kuwait Kot Kollapse Krisis | |
2004-02-24 | |
Itâs become an all-too-familiar pratfall here at Camp New York. Tired soldier loaded with gear plops down on his cot after a long day of training. Crash! He lands on the floor with an embarrassed thud, while his buddies laugh themselves stupid. Some things never change, the Roman Legions would have done the same. âTheyâre junk, thatâs all they are,â griped Pfc. Jonathan Bell, 20, of the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, whose cot collapsed under his 205-pound bulk. âThe legs just cave.â The cot casualties are mounting. Spc. Shaun Smith, 27, of Atlanta, a supply clerk with the Georgia National Guardâs 277th Maintenance Company, estimated more than 500 have been turned in for replacements in the past week. That doesnât count many more collapsed cots that soldiers still are using, propped up with boxes or their own rucksacks. Obviously, this demands a congressional investigation! I nominate Ted Kennedy to chair the committee, heâs spent more time falling on the floor than anyone else. The collapsing cots do not respect rank. Lt. Col. David Hubner, the Task Force 1-77 commander who stands 6-foot-4, broke one. Capt. Jason Goodfriend, 6-3 and 235 pounds, has crunched two. In most places, soldiers are using standard Army-issue khaki cots. They arenât pretty, but theyâre strong. But Camp New Yorkâs come from a private contractor in Kuwait. The brightly colored blue and green cots fold up simply and come in easy-to-carry bags. They are made in China and carry the Saudi brand name Al-Sanidi. They look more suited for weekend camping than the rigors of Army life. A Saudi cot from China? Thatâs what happens when you go for the low bidder, should have gone for the Mark VII Haliburton Cot.
Built to last, not for looks. Wouldnât surprise me if their fathers slept on the same cots being issued. Soldiers are hoping when they head north to Iraq soon, theyâll leave behind the newfangled cots. âIâd rather sleep on the floor,â said Bell, of Franklinton, La. âThis is the worst camping trip Iâve ever been on.â If a soldier ainât bitching about something, they arenât happy. | |
Posted by:Steve |
#1 Sounds like a job for the bed down czar. |
Posted by: Seafarious 2004-2-24 1:36:10 PM |