I’m not sure the human body can adapt enough for the middle east with that equipment, stress, heat, humidity.
Coming back on the base, in nominal safety, we bought ice cold Cokes from an Iraqi cart vendor outside the gate. Come in, drop our kit to t-shirts, sit on a grassy hillside in the shade, and cool off.
An AQI suicide bomber blew up the fella and his cart some months later. For ‘supporting the infidels’. No more icy sodas.
Often, we’d go see the medics/Corpsmen for IVs. Maybe a bag (1L) or half a bag (500ml). When there was electricity, the docs had very cold refrigerators. Nothing like a refreshing, chilled, bag of ringers to cool the body down.
It is interesting that you and others like you lived a life over there that many people in this country simply have no appreciation for or even any conception of.
I guess those who lived it...know! And you know who you are...:)