American Soldiers Tease Iraqi Kids With Water.

What's a COS?

 

Well, they use FOB = Forward Operation Base, COB = Contingency Operating Base, and COS = Contingency Operating Station. A COS is a small ass base they throw out in the middle of nowhere. I'm currently on a COB who has motorpools bigger than the COS I was on. That COS though had units that lived off the perimeter. My Platoon was one of those. We lived on our own little airstrip. The COS supported us, I'm not saying they didn't but my platoon is the bastard child of Iraq in regards to units.

 

Hmm, must be an Army thing. My understanding was FOB>COP>BP. Foward Operating Base, Combat Outpost, and Battle Position.

How was your platoon able to guard an entire airstrip by itself? Seems like a lot of ground to cover.

 

Pretty disgusting display of prestige we're intended to exhibit. The only thing worse is support/sympathy for this sort of behavior... enablers are a dime a dozen these days. Way to go "troop".

 

it looks unbecoming of military standards...

 

Eh, I'm Army, and just now found out what a COS is....so, yeah.

I hear ya on the fobbits. It always pissed us off to hear them complaining about luxuries that we only dreamed of. Internet down, long lines, working 12 hr days, chow "sucked" etc etc. Everyone has their job in the military and we couldn't do ours without them doing theirs. But calling us dumb....completely ignorant. I scored high enough on the ASVAB to do any job I wanted, but chose Infantry. It's a lifestyle that's completely different than any other MOS, nothing compares. I would of LOVED shifts, or 12 hr days....that's heaven in my book.

As for the oringinal post, anyone ever think of the possibility that the troops had just enough water for THEM, and didn't need to be giving any away to begin with? We would bring X amount of water for X amount of days, and even less food because it leaves more room for ammo.

Something to think about.

 

Haha. When I'm at the bar and some girl actually finds out I'm in the Army (I never offer information, it's usually some knucklehead friend), I just tell her "yeah, I make bootlaces for Special Forces." They usually reply with "Youre Special Forces?!" I say, "NO, I just make their bootlaces."

 

Relax, Captain Sensitive. You don't even like the military, remember? They're evil and violent and imperialistic and yadda yadda yadda. I'm not even sure what you're upset about here. Does Iraq not have any water or something? Because the grown adults in the video didn't seem all that concerned with it. It was just the kids that were running after the truck. And the soldiers were having a little fun with them. The same way older kids mess with younger kids in good natured humor right here in America everyday. The guy even threw the kid the bottle at the end of the video because he had been chasing them for so long. If anything, it was the other kids that ran up and took it that were the bad guys. They didn't even chase the truck. They didn't earn it. But that's how kids are.

All in all, nothing to see here. Much ado about nothing.

 

If you have to compare the actions of the U.S. soldier to "kids" in America, that should explain things.

 

Yeah, the Army like to change acronyms every two seconds.

That my friend is OPSEC as the base has not yet closed. But nonetheless it was a handful.

 

Ooooohh, the horror.

 

I know right?

Reminds me of this little afghan kid, probably 9-11 yrs old or so. Would come up to my truck, beg for food/water etc. I gave him a few things once as we were rolling out.

Next time we went, he did the same thing, when I didn't have anything to give, he would throw a mini tantrum, and cry, and run off. I started watching him, and after he did it again (same trip), he ran off to his buddies and started laughing.

That was the attitude for many kids there. Most just want "trophies" to show off to their friends.

 

This is the type of thing that you just can't explain to people who have never been there. And I also know exactly what you are talking about, having seen things from both sides.

The guys and gals I work with often complain how rough things were either in the field, or on deployment. I look at both, and know how easy these people have it.

I spent 10 years as a grunt/ When we went to the field, it was with everything on our backs. And we did not live out of 10 man tents with electricity provided by generators, AC and heaters. We lived out of shelter halves, and running out of power meant your batteries died.

I have seen how both sides live. However, I also am not one to talk smack to somebody just because they deployed to a cushy position. Most of the time, the person actually has no choice as to where they go, or what their job is.

However, I do have issues with somebody that has it soft and talks down to those that have to deal with rough conditions. In the same way I have issues with people who do the reverse. We all do our jobs, and should not be talking down to others.

And for the originator, kids have been going up to and begging from soldiers probably ong before even the Roman Legions came into existance. If you look into any documentary of World Wars I and II, you will likely see clips of children begging for chocolate.

And this will never change. It is basically a game, and both sides know it. The kids are not starving to death or dying of thirst. The guys who give them out know this, but will often give them out (even when they have been told not to) because the kids often remind them of their younger brothers.

In fact, the kids generally know when new units come in and out of these bases. And I can guarantee that there are more of them when a unit has newly arrived to the camp. That is when they are more likely to give them something. Towards the end of their deployment, they have generally become immune to this behavior.

And for taunting, remember what I said about treating them like their younger brothers. That is also something siblings do to each other. As is begging from each other.

 

I saw that video many years ago on Pravda when it was new. A decade doesn't make it right, but it wasn't a crime.

Its funny how muslims here still think we have half a million troops there rather than a few trainers.