Bruce Feiler - Where God Was Born, Abraham, Walking The Bible

What Went Wrong in Iraq: Not Enough Camels
Tuesday, February 20, 2007

What was the problem of the U.S. Army in Iraq? Not enough camels, apparently. Now comes word they are determined to prevent this from happening again.

Once, the U.S. Army depended on animals to wage war. With the advent of technology, the military began to rely more and more on machines to transport soldiers and goods.

But as the country's war against terrorism takes the battles to the mountains, the deserts and the jungles, the Army is instructing its elite Special Forces soldiers on the use of pack animals, according to an Army field manual recently posted on the Internet.

The manual says its purpose is to teach Special Forces soldiers "some of the expertise and techniques that have been lost in the United States (U.S.) Army over the last 50 years" - in other words, since the military retired its pack animal transportation units.

The section on camels contains this quote: "Camels are clumsy-looking, rather ugly animals, and have a lousy reputation because they are believed to spit and kick at people," the manual says. "This perception is not accurate because well-handled camels are safe to with and be around." The manual says soldiers should rely on native handlers as their first option for controlling camels.

Labels: Camels

Posted by B Feiler at 7:03 AM
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