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Iraq Dumpster Finds


hawkdriver
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ACU's being thrown out doesn't bother me at all but it had gotten me depressed because I thought that nice patched DCU's were in ACU's place in 2001-06.

 

You would be thinking correctly if you thought that DCU's got tossed...by the dumpster full. I have many friends who have pulled many things from the dumpsters during Desert Storm and OIF I/II/III...all DCU's.

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there not a guy in the military that did do a little dumpster driveing or reclaim items from guys who beening discharged ..that how i got two sets of dress combat boots to wear with my dress uniforms along with a field jacket with liner for my wife to wear when it was cold when we would go out to woods ..

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A non-combatant?

 

It must be a great feeling knowing you're no longer in combat...

 

Actually, we will still be considered combatants until September 1, then the operation changes to A New Dawn, or A New Debacle, I can't remember which. Then magically, everyone will welcome us as a peace keeping force, we can take our armor off and we are already setting up trips into town so we can go eat at the local restaurants. It will be so refreshing to not be afraid of being attacked! :pinch:

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Many a Vietnam collection was started by dumpster diving... not in country, but Stateside. I have talked to a couple of people who worked at vaiious receiving stations (Oakland) where troops returned from Asia. Reportedly the trash cans and dumpsters were full of Jungle Fatigues and Tiger Stripes, often fully badged. I also knew someone who served as a clerk who simply asked the troops for the patch off their shirt as they were out processing... and more times than not they would rip it off their uniform right then and there. And why not? They weren't authorized for US wear.

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Actually, we will still be considered combatants until September 1, then the operation changes to A New Dawn, or A New Debacle, I can't remember which. Then magically, everyone will welcome us as a peace keeping force, we can take our armor off and we are already setting up trips into town so we can go eat at the local restaurants. It will be so refreshing to not be afraid of being attacked! :pinch:

 

Ummm... yeah, sure right. It's wonderful how things will just change with just the fip of a calendar.

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Ummm... yeah, sure right. It's wonderful how things will just change with just the fip of a calendar.

 

Come on Gil, why wouldn't the Iraqi's and Iranians get caught up with that snappy new phrase and welcome us, not as crusaders, but brothers. It has such a feel to it, almost like a douche commercial.

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Now I know why you went back, to collect old blankets ,and your timing was perfect, what other collector from our group has first dibs on the dumpster. Very very smart.

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Misanthropic_Gods
OK, now the secrets out (Thanks M1ashooter), any uh'ya tells my wife, I keel ya.

 

As long as you keep funneling patches and other goodies our way, your secret is safe with us!

 

Right boys and girls!?!

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Come on Gil, why wouldn't the Iraqi's and Iranians get caught up with that snappy new phrase and welcome us, not as crusaders, but brothers. It has such a feel to it, almost like a douche commercial.

:lol::lol::lol:

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Two thoughts on this.......is it a good idea to leave our current uniforms laying all over the place for insurgents to pick up?

 

And....a Nam vet I spoke with took advantage of a similar situation in the States....he said that when he got back to the States he went through San Diego, and on base they had a mess hall with almost anything you would want to eat...unlimited quantities. Most guys were making a bee-line for it, and there was a huge pile of dumped gear nearby. People were glad to be home and safe, and dumping their stuff. He went around and picked up examples of everything he could find.

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Two thoughts on this.......is it a good idea to leave our current uniforms laying all over the place for insurgents to pick up?

 

And....a Nam vet I spoke with took advantage of a similar situation in the States....he said that when he got back to the States he went through San Diego, and on base they had a mess hall with almost anything you would want to eat...unlimited quantities. Most guys were making a bee-line for it, and there was a huge pile of dumped gear nearby. People were glad to be home and safe, and dumping their stuff. He went around and picked up examples of everything he could find.

 

To answer your question, this is a secure base, so anything going out has to be smuggled out and most of the workers here need their jobs, so taking a uniform and geting caught would be very detrimental to their careers. Like I said, most of the time, it is not this way, it just happened when we had a large influx of "the last troops in Iraq" moving through our camp. They are all gone and it has already started quieting down.

What the locals are picking through and taking is more of the household furnishing stuff like water pots and shelving. They love cardboard for some reason. There is a rumor that one of the locals found someones pistol on the floor next to the head and turned it into a KBR suprevisor, so they know what they can get away with and what they can't.

 

MG: Bingo, funny that no one has asked for it. Bad thing is that it is going to be costly to mail it out.

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Maybe because they aren't all patched up. Plain old ACU's are finally (after this many years) hitting the small thrift store here at a decent price. Unpatched of course.

 

I did rescue a full patched up set of xxlarge xxlong (guy must have been a MONSTER) from the dumpster about 4 months back..they are my only set.

 

Wouldn't mind that boonie hat, don't have any of them.

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Corpl. Cleaver

... if you pay shipping... LOL, dependinbg on the price, I could use a pair of boots and a ACU boonie. We still need to work something out for that flag.

 

Tyler

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That is the problem with this stuff, I could keep everyone outfitted with uniforms until the cows come home, but to ship that pile of stuff is going to be around $65. Who's going to pay that for seven sets of uniforms. The sad thing is that I found a quad con tonight of two piece ABDU and DABDU flight suits that someone was using for an arrow stop. Most of the uniforms are in good shape, but who is going to pay to ship that home? Most of this stuff will probably get tossed in the uniform box to be destroyed. The boots are pretty well worn or hanging over the internet wiring at the top of T-walls in the ETS fashion. Hats are so soiled that I wouldn't touch them with gloves on. :crying:

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I did rescue a full patched up set of xxlarge xxlong (guy must have been a MONSTER) from the dumpster about 4 months back....

 

 

Probably made for a FARBy reenactor... :lol:

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In September 2005 at Camp Tigerland I found a New Knights Armament Rail System (Boxed) for the M4, Surefire Weapon light with IR filter (which I never was able to get hold of during the tour) and 3 dozen Mags still in boxes 12 M14 Mags, and a Box of Nomex gloves. all being dumpstered. even better in 1995 258 FA got M16A2's and 30 rd mags. So they threw in the dumpster all their 20rd mags. For the Infantry Company it was like Christmas. One of my Squad Leaders filled a dufflebag with magazines.

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Wow... what a waste.

 

Sorry to get off topic, but as you Hawkdriver are a U.S. serviceman still over in Iraq, what are you guys doing there when the Combat troops have left? (Not meant as a Why are we over there question, but a literal one.)

 

Do you guys just patrol or hang out or what? The no combat troops thing confuses me. Who does security?

 

Sam

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Wow... what a waste.

 

Sorry to get off topic, but as you Hawkdriver are a U.S. serviceman still over in Iraq, what are you guys doing there when the Combat troops have left? (Not meant as a Why are we over there question, but a literal one.)

 

Do you guys just patrol or hang out or what? The no combat troops thing confuses me. Who does security?

 

Sam

 

We have joked about it, but the truth is, only the heavy combat troops have left, everyone else is still here. Matter of fact, as I type this, the US news reports that the last Brigade left, but 50k of us still are here. There is no combat patrols, but there is still convoy escorts going on. I just did a Medevac yesterday, so, we are still doing what we did before, we just don't have any heavy combat troops here in case something froggy goes on. This whole thing with the withdrawl of combat troops has been more a political issue so that some can say "Combat in Iraq is over" translation: George Bush's war is over. We are rapidly becoming the forgotten troops, now I know what a Korean War vet feels like. I was here prior to and during the surge, now I am here when the lights have been turned off. Really different world here now.

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I have plenty of pals who have given me modified DCU tops, their field0used ACUs and even a few of CCU tops (which I foolishly sold all but one). Just think what all this stuff will be worth in the future. "Combat used," always brings the bucks and always will. I have been putting names on cards and putting them in pockets so people in the future will know the who and where, but God alone knows when it'll really be valuable.

Heck, people are paying about $10-15 a top for ACUs around Ft lewis even still!

there not a guy in the military that did do a little dumpster driveing or reclaim items from guys who beening discharged ..that how i got two sets of dress combat boots to wear with my dress uniforms along with a field jacket with liner for my wife to wear when it was cold when we would go out to woods ..
I still regret leaving some stuff I'd cobbled together from stuff other guys had left, all pre-9/11, tough. I made a "coffee table" out of a Humvee tailgate and some broken chair legs for our TOC at Yakima, and left it there because it was so big. I also had three tail rotor blades off a Blackhawk that were to be DX'd and the rotary guys just handed them to me. We painted up two of them and used them for signage and I left those, too. I did, however, walk off with two connected links of Bradley FV track (minus the track pads), from the very last Bradley rolling out of Ft Lewis to turn in from 3rd BDE before we changed over to wheeled-only (the ICBT it was called then). That, I kept and still have out in the shed to this day!
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