 Slow Mail Delivery Bugs Troops By RON MARTZ Cox News Service With Charlie Company south of Baghdad — The U.S. Army is the world's most modern, most powerful, most technologically advanced military force in the world. Its scouts have long-range sights that enable them to see objects nearly 20 miles away. Its tanks can hit targets while on the move nearly two miles away. Its planners and war fighters can be half a world apart but still see one another and talk through the battle plan using computer-aided teleconferencing. Yet the Army still cannot do what it has not been able to do for centuries: get mail to front-line troops on a regular, timely basis. Although mail is considered a low priority on the battlefield, where bombs, bullets and spare parts for equipment take precedence, a few words from home mean a great deal to the morale and welfare of the soldiers responsible for fighting this war. Over the past 20 days, since the day before they left their desert encampment to get into position to cross the border into Iraq, the troops of Charlie Company have had one delivery of mail. That came Sunday. "And that was very meager, only 13 letters and two little boxes," said Sgt. Daniel Pyle, 26, of Clayton, Del., the noncommissioned officer in charge of the command post for Charlie Company. One problem is that as of Tuesday, Charlie Company was the most northern of all units in the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized). The main portion of the division, responsible for getting mail to the units, is so far to the rear that it cannot keep up a regular flow of mail. But those explanations don't cut it with troops who face the enemy around the clock. If the Army can spend so many billions on its weapons systems, they grumble, it could surely spend a few dollars to upgrade a mail system that has not improved much since World War II. "I guess rain, wind and snow won't stop the mail, but [rocket-propelled grenades] and machine-gun fire will," said Sgt. Andrew Coffman, 32, of Shawnee, Okla., a weapons repair specialist. Mail has become as rare as hot showers, hot food and news to these troops. But if it came down to a choice, they would rather have the mail. It provides not only words of warmth from loved ones, but packages with much-needed goodies. In greatest demand at the moment: cigarettes, baby wipes and shortwave radios. The radios keep troops in touch with what's going on in the outside world and give them news of the war effort they don't get from their superiors. The shortwave radios that several soldiers carried were long ago destroyed by the desert dust. The last one that came into the company two weeks ago is now falling apart. It has been kept together only through the skills of Capt. Jason Conroy, 30, of Apalachin, N.Y., the company commander and a former electrician. The baby wipes help soldiers maintain some semblance of cleanliness in an environment in which nothing is ever clean. Supplies are desperately short, and those who run out have to beg or barter for more. It is the same for cigarettes. In an environment where stress is a 24-hour companion and sudden death is an occupational hazard, many turn to cigarettes to help get them through. "Cigarettes have become the money, the barter item for just about everything out here. A lot of people have money, but they don't have cigarettes," said Coffman, who ran out of Marlboros on Monday. He is hoping the next mail delivery will have his pipe and some tobacco in it or, at the very least, some cigarettes. Personal items are not the only things lacking at the front. Spare parts and lubricants for armored vehicles are also becoming a problem. Road wheels and track for the armored vehicles and oil and other vehicle lubricants are becoming a bit of a worry as the supply lines back to Kuwait lengthen. But keeping soldiers happy is just as important, said Conroy. "If you see a guy get mail or get a picture from home or a package, he gets a big smile on his face. It makes a big difference about how guys feel about being here." Ron Martz writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. |
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