Tobacco Shortage Makes Marines Irritable

GOUPSTATE.COM ^ | April 01, 2003 | RAVI NESSMAN

[AmericanMade1776]

There is a war on, and danger lurks ahead, and the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry are getting desperate - for tobacco.

It's been two weeks since they left they relative luxury of their camp in Kuwait and their supplies of cigarettes and chewing tobacco are running out. They are rationing their precious supplies, and even begging smokes from local farmers.

An army, Napoleon reputedly said, marches on its stomach. But for generations, armies have also marched on nicotine. And these Marines - smoking more than usual under the stress of battle conditions - are getting antsy.

"It just crushes morale," said Cpl. Jonathan Kibler, 22, of Lexington, Va.

With the few remaining shreds of tobacco nearly gone, the Marines here face the prospect of being involuntarily enrolled in what could be one of the most successful programs to end nicotine addiction in history.

It's hard to overestimate the importance of tobacco to the Marines.

Cigarettes are smoked at every possible break and the doors of many Humvees are streaked brown from the spurts of tobacco-filled spit that shoot out of the windows every few minutes.

Tobacco helps relieve boredom, relax or stay awake for long nights, the troops say.

"It keeps your sanity," said Lance Cpl. Brandon Phelps, 20, of Franklinton, La.

It has been that way for generations. During World War II, cigarettes were included in battle rations; on ships, sailors could buy whole cartons for 50 cents, $3 less than they cost on shore - IF they could be bought at all.

U.S. Rep. Lane Evans, D-Ill., a member of the House Committee on Veteran's Affairs, has said that, "From the time of the Civil War until 1956, the Army was required by law to provide a cheap and nearly endless supply of tobacco to its personnel."

That's changed. Since 2002, all Department of Defense facilities have been smoke-free - though of course that doesn't apply to the battlefield. Despite the military's best efforts, 34 percent of the members of the service smoke, compared to 23 percent of all Americans.

While living in their tent camp in Kuwait for nearly two months, the Marines were constantly resupplied with cigarette cartons and rolls of 10 tins of dip mailed by family members or with tobacco they bought themselves at the PX truck.

But there are no stores in this desert, though many Marines swear they have huge stores of tobacco in the mail somewhere out there, there's yet to be a mail delivery and there's little hope for one soon.

"It's frustrating knowing that there's a box more of it back there that I haven't gotten yet," said Capt. Daniel Schmitt, 31, of Glen Ellyn, Ill., a serial dipper who ran out days ago.

With smokers and dippers becoming more desperate, the value of tobacco has exploded.

Cpl. Aeron Jackson, 22, of Circleville, Ohio, sold 9 tins of chewing tobacco, for which he paid $4 each, for prices that started at $5 and escalated to $20 as his comrades run out.

Now he is almost on empty himself.

But most Marines, no matter how low their stocks, are sharing what little they have.

"As soon as someone gets a can it's pretty much gone in a day," said Kibler. He offered to trade the entire contents of his day pack, except his sleeping bag, for one more tin.

Phelps has been smoking since he was 9 and dipping since he was 7. But the four cans and six packs he brought from Kuwait ran out about a week ago and now he has to beg.

"Every time I see somebody light up a cigarette I'm right there: 'What's up, man?'" he said.

So far, Marines have not exploded with nicotine rage. But they have become a little more irritable and uncomfortable.

"The real test will come when we're up for long hours and no one's got dip or smokes," Kibler said. "If we're up for 30, 36 hours, you'll see people getting real edgy."

Cpl. Matt Nale, 31, of Seattle, Wash., normally smokes half a pack a day. He brought three cartons of cigarettes with him from Kuwait, but they ran out nearly a week ago after he shared them with his mortar platoon.

Desperate, he managed to bum two packs of local Sumer cigarettes - stronger than his preferred Marlboros - off Iraqi farmers in the countryside using hand signals to bridge the language gap.

"We've had three cigarettes a day for the last three days because of those farmers," he said.

[AmericanMade1776]

SOMEONE GET THESE GUYS SOME CIGARETTES!!!

[InvisibleChurch]

the irony is that the mideast is the world's biggest ashtray

[thoughtomator]

Tell me where to send them and I'll order up a few cartons of Marlboros right now.

[sam_paine]

Seriously. I'll make a trip to WalMart and FedEx today if someone will tell me how to send them.

[firewalk]

.

[joesnuffy]

Cpl. Aeron Jackson, 22, of Circleville, Ohio, sold 9 tins of chewing tobacco, for which he paid $4 each, for prices that started at $5 and escalated to $20 as his comrades run out.

Send you cigs to this guy and split the profits with him...beats the heck outta the market <>sarcasm</>

[raisincane]

Cigs used to be included in the rations. Now that we are a PC nation, tobacco is taboo! GEEESH! Get our forces some smokes!

[Beck_isright]

I've emailed CigarDave and asked him to contact the USO to find out how we can contribute. I've suggested a program called "Stogies for Victory" or "Blunts for Baghdad" or whatever he wants to call it, but we need to take action. As soon as he gets something up on this, I'll let everyone know.

V

[mollynme]

I think you have to have a specific person to send them to. Since the anthrax attack, the military won't deliver any other kind of mail. Maybe one of your aquaintences has the name & address of someone serving in Kuwait.

[g'nad]

Ladies... you know what to do...

[AmericanMade1776]

I read on the USO site, that the troops can not recieve packages due to security measures, but that the USO sends care packages to the troops, maybe the USO should be contacted, as to how to get them cigarettes. I do not smoke, and do not encourage it, but this is..different. :-)

[thoughtomator]

post a link to the USO site please

[AmericanMade1776]

http://www.uso.org/pubs/8_13_18.cfm?CFID=1331385&CFTOKEN=51458909

USO SITE

[genxer]

Funny you guys should mention this. I spent yesterday on the phone with various government agencies trying to figure out how to go about sending cigs, diaperwipes, toilet paper. All stuff they've run out of and that the govt doesn't supply. So we are now on a hunt for a "soilder" and his platoon to adopt so we can start sending stuff.

The recruiting office, who finally answered the question was very nice and kept apologizing that he couldn't help more said that you have to get a name of an actual soilder on the front and contact their family. They have addresses that arent to be made public because they don't want anthrax and other nasties being mailed. So you just can't send package. So today we are spending the day calling the local churches and such to see if we can locate a family who would be willing to let our little company adopt their family mameber on the front line.

This has been hard but very well worth it.

[vin-one]

I heard a guy on the local DC radio station, begging people to send him cans of copenhagen snuff
It is like gold over there.
The problem is getting it the front lines.

[AmericanMade1776]

SEE ABOVE

[Beck_isright]

Got it but I want to use a public figure to help raise smokes for our boys for two reasons:
1. It's more effective and he'll get a bigger response.
2. To poke a finger in the eye of the PC police.

V

[ET(end tyranny)]

Would the USO give them cigarettes??? Or has the
USO become PC too? With few packages being allowed through, it sure would be an easy way to sensor what they receive.

[HairOfTheDog]

Ladies... you know what to do...

At their service g'nad!

[capydick]

TO KUWAIT WITH LOVE CAMPAIGN: Sending a care package to our Chaplains in Kuwait will provide much needed supplies and goodies to hundreds of soldiers. Do not send pork products.

Chaplain (Captain) Chuck Atanasio HQ/A 426 FSB Unit# 96036 APO/AE 09325-6036

Items needed, baby wipes, pre-packaged foods, lip balm, eye drops / eye wash, petroleum jelly for dry skin, cotton men's socks (dark solid colors, size 10-13), and powdered drink mixes such as sugared Kool-Aid & Gatorade. Also needed are writing material and envelopes plus any kind of board games.

Also - here is a great group to work with getting care packages to our troops:

http://www.adoptaplatoon.org/