Posted on 03/26/2010 10:40:31 AM PDT by Titus-Maximus
OTTAWA -- Canada’s Tim Hortons coffee shop at Kandahar Airfield will remain open despite a shutdown of Pizza Hut, Burger King and other U.S. outlets deemed too luxurious by top American commanders of NATO troops.
“Kandahar Airfield Tim Hortons is an initiative to support our men and women in uniform for serving in Afghanistan,” Defence Department spokeswoman Megan MacLean said. “There are no plans to close the Tim Hortons.”
Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, who leads the International Security Assistance Force, has ordered most fast-food outlets on the boardwalk inside the airfield base shuttered.
Command Sgt. Maj. Michael T. Hall revealed the plan in a post on an ISAF blog last month.
“Many of you have heard that there are plans to shut down some of the ‘amenities’ throughout Afghanistan,” he wrote. “This is not rumour. It is fact. This is a war zone -- not an amusement park.”
Sgt. Maj. Hall said he and Gen. McChrystal had been looking for ways to do things more efficiently and to optimize ISAF resources from the moment they arrived in Afghanistan last summer. Gen. McChrystal is overseeing the surge in U.S. troops and resources over coming months.
“One of the ways we’re going to do that -- in order to accommodate the troop increase and get re-focused on the mission at hand -- is to cut back on some of the non-essentials. That includes some of the morale, welfare and recreation facilities throughout Afghanistan. In the coming weeks and months, concessions such as Orange Julius, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Dairy Queen and Military Car Sales will close their doors.”
He said commanders across the battlefield are implementing additional cutbacks while still providing services within individual nations’ interests and regulations.
The Tim Hortons is located next to the American concessions, many of which will be closed. Operated from a 12-metre trailer, Canadian military support staff manages Tim’s and profits go to health and welfare programs for Canadian Forces members.
He said Green Beans Coffee would remain at bases across Afghanistan, and bazaars and businesses which employ Afghans and feed the local economy will still continue to operate.
Sgt. Maj. Hall also said there would be fewer first-run movie showings and a reduced amount of canned and bottled goods coming into the country.
“What it comes down to is focus, and to using the resources we have in the most efficient and effective ways possible. Supplying non-essential luxuries to big bases like Bagram and Kandahar makes it harder to get essential items to combat outposts and forward operating bases, where troops who are in the fight each day need to be resupplied with ammunition, food and water.”
Thanks for making this point in a far more eloquent and rational way than I ever could.
Yes George Washington rallied the troops that didn’t even have essentials. Do you believe that he did that on purpose? Do you think he would have closed down a inn that was supplying food to the troops because he thought it was too much of a luxury?
I'll give a brief anecdote from my own personal "hockey experience" to make my point . . .
JOE: "Hey [Alberta's Child], you gotta lay off the other players on this team. Nobody likes to hear you yapping about how to play the game, who needs to get better, and all that nonsense."
ME: "Hey, don't shoot the messenger, man . . . I'm just telling y'all what's wrong with this team."
JOE: "Look, dude . . . this was a close group of guys on this team, and we don't need that sh!t from you. I talked to that guy Mark who played on your last team, and he warned me that you were a complete @sshole and we wouldn't want you around here after the first month of the season. I think he was right."
ME: "Did Mark also tell you about the three trophies he has sitting on his mantle at home? He likes to complain about me all over this league, but he conveniently forgets what it took to get those trophies. 'Cause I'll tell you something right now, pal . . . that team Mark and I played on won three championships in five seasons -- after guys like Mark stopped whining about me being a hard-@ss, and who learned to shut the f#%& up and do what needed to be done to win. It's funny to have a bunch of guys here tell me I'm an @sshole because they don't like what I have to say -- especially since this team hasn't had a winning season in seven years."
THAT WAS WHY THEY LOST.
nah.
I was there. dutch got a little crazy every now and then,..but they,..along with the canadians fought pretty good. and grabbing a breather helps take the edge off,...for the next op.
That reminds me of the scene in the movie “The Battle of the Bulge” where the German General thinks the Americans have no stomach for battle because they have chocolate cake sent in.
Wow! What part of MWR do these people not understand?
That is one of the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Our countrymen were fighting for their freedoms and DESPITE the odds they overcame not because of the odds. The British lost because they were just following orders.
Yeah cause that is just like battle.
Hey everyone did you know that the war for independence was won because our troops didn’t have supplies and the British soldiers did? This is news to me!
(A) Joe
(B) Mark
(C) Alberta's Child
(D) Hell yes, I'd want Alberta's Child!
Are you responsible for protecting my freedoms? If you are thanks for your service. If you aren’t, then stop comparing your GAME to the military.
No, I'm busy sleeping here at Valley Forge . . . with NCAA basketball on the plasma TV, a cloud of cigar smoke in the air, and a bunch of empty beer cans scattered around my feet.
;-)
No telling where they will go this summer after spending a lot of time in Europe last summer.
I can't stand those arrogant people.
hahahaha AARP?...wonder if they will get alot of response there. Need to run it in the Stars and Stripes.
Who cares. I was in the 90-91 Gulf War. Bottled water and a trip to a Saudi Hardee’s in Al Jubal on my first birthday away from my wife of one (1) month helped save all of our sanity. What ever happened to eat, drink and make merry for tomorrow we die.
“P.S. Hockey (or any other competitive sport) is a lot more “like war” than you think”
In war, if you lose you can’t come back the next week. You most likely will be dead.
They are unlike wach other in every way that is important.
And I have played hockey, before they outlawed fighting.
“One of the ways we’re going to do that — in order to accommodate the troop increase and get re-focused on the mission at hand — is to cut back on some of the non-essentials. That includes some of the morale, welfare and recreation facilities throughout Afghanistan. In the coming weeks and months, concessions such as Orange Julius, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Dairy Queen and Military Car Sales will close their doors.”
MREs for all my friends!
“I was based in a FOB three times while over there and never saw any of those except when it came time for me to fly back to the U.S. Those places are full of Fobbits trying to keep from being bored. Didn’t see the need in them then and don’t see the need in them now.”
My one tour in Afghanistan, I only saw them while traveling thru Bagram - but I see no harm. We have sufficient logistical support to handle both to places like Bagram (5000+ troops).
Lots of those “Fobbits” are doing valuable work supporting the mission (flying and runways go together well, and we received EW support while I was there...). Lots more are just the Army’s typical overstaffing of everything - but I don’t see the Army CC getting rid of his staff!
The problem wasn’t access to Bagram, but moving it from Bagram to points beyond. Distribution inside Afghanistan sucks, but travel TO Bagram & Kandahar is easy.
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