TRAVELS IN ARABIA 249roads were overrun with a wide variety of military vehicles, from Humvees
to MRAPs. There was no escaping the dust or the vehicle noise, and loud
helicopters flew low and fast over the base at all hours of the day and night.
Meals in the DFAC were better than they were in previous wars, but the
routine and food options quickly became tiresome. There were a couple of
fast-food outlets for a change of pace. Like soldiers in wars everywhere, our
troops in Iraq were away from family for extended periods of time, serving
their country and for relatively low salaries.
Despite conditions that were harsh compared to life at home, I could
not help but notice that soldiers and civilians on the VBC generally treated
each other with respect. Traffic laws on the sprawling base were followed
and enforced. Everyone had a positive attitude, and I don’t recall ever
hearing anyone complain. When I finally made it back to my comfort-
able enclave in the United States, it really struck me that the troops who
sacrifice so much for the rest of us, while living in such uncomfortable
and dangerous conditions, treat each other with more respect and decency
than do the often self-centered “privileged people behaving badly” whom
I encountered daily on the west side of LA. There is little to no thought
given by most Americans to those who serve our country in war zones and
foreign lands. As of the time of this writing, there are American troops
fighting and dying in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, and yet we hear next
to nothing about it on the news. Domestic politics trumps everything else.
I believe one reason for the stark contrast between life on a spartan war
zone military base and life in the United States is the military demands its
members to treat each other fairly and with respect. To quote the superin-
tendent of the US Air Force Academy in the wake of finding racist graffiti
on campus, “If you can’t treat someone with dignity and respect... get
out.”^2 Our citizens would do well to emulate this simple rule the US mili-
tary has preached and practiced for decades. Until that day comes, I will
continue to fantasize about getting around nasty, congested Los Angeles in
a Black Hawk helicopter. With two door gunners, just in case.