So what do you take to a war?

This was the most asked question by us back in the US. I’m not talking about military gear. Everybody knows that. I’m talking about personal stuff. The best kind of wallet to take is an Army nylon camouflage wallet with a hidden compartment and a clear plastic cover on one side where you can put your ID card in for easy location and viewing. You take American money – it’s good anywhere! Also, one or two credit cards. Remember, if you can get online, you can order stuff! All you need is a mailing address, which the Army provides very soon after you get settled. Pictures of your family, lots. Especially if you’re invading an Arab country. Arabs always start a conversation by asking to see pictures of your family. You should buy a large shaving kit. Should be flexible, made of nylon, and be a mini drug store in addition to your personal hygiene items. You never know when you might need medical help. Take aspirin, antihistamines, cold medicine, lots of anti-diarrhea medicine, Tylenol, etc. The only thing you won’t need is a laxative. Trust me. Your main concern will be staunching the flow, not breaking the logjam. In a desert environment, you need lots of baby wipes. They are the best for wiping the grit off your body. I’ve driven three miles in a Hummer first thing in the morning after leaving my house and used three baby wipes to wipe the grit off my face and neck. Also, you need an all-in-one tool with a carrying case for your belt. One of those tools with a set a pliers, scissors, corkscrew, etc. You’ll use it almost every day for something. Bring a camera. Sunglasses. The Army provides really good insect repellent. You can’t get this stuff at Home Depot. It works like a champ. You can also impregnate your uniform with it. Bugs stay away for good. Speaking of uniforms, the other cool thing about being in a war zone is that when your uniform gets torn (barbed wire, climbing in and out of vehicles, just running around, crawling, etc) the Army issues you new ones free. The supply sergeant takes care of it. Every three months or so I’d come home to my room and fresh uniforms and boots if I needed them were on my bed. Also, sweating clean through your uniform (it’s 130 degrees the entire month of August in Iraq) several times a day can over time ruin any material. After three days, if you didn’t wash your uniform, it was so stiff that you could literally stand it up in the corner. Really gross. And you can plainly see the salt lines from where your sweat pooled up against your body when it hit you belt or straps from your web gear.

Also, when you go into the combat zone initially, you have all the proper gear that the Army supplies you: full backpack, canteen, ammo pouches filled with magazines for your M-16, flak jacket, etc. That stuff weighs a lot and it’s hot! It starts to hit 100 degrees in April in Iraq and stays above 100 until October. After I’d been there awhile, I would wear the following on patrol: Helmet, flak jacket, small 9-mm Beretta in my pocket (not Army issue, one I found there – it could fit in the palm of my hand and had a walnut stock), cargo pockets in my uniform stuffed with ammuntion magazines, and water bottles carried in the vehicle. That’s it. No backpacks, no canteens, no ammo pouches. Just stripped down, protected, loaded with guns and ammo.