American Soldiers Gone Wild in Iraq...
The New York Times
August 27, 2006
Lifting Troops' Morale in Iraq With a Bit of Flesh
By MICHAEL R. GORDON
HADITHA DAM, Iraq -- One by one, the marines took the stage for one of
the most coveted photo opportunities of the war. Tanea sat on one knee
of each eager marine while Laurie rested on the other.
Hands on their miniskirted hips, Amber and Renee posed at each side.
Dani stood behind and held the marine's rifle as the camera snapped the
photo. Some of the young marines who lined up for the memento were so
mesmerized by the experience that they had to be reminded not to leave
their weapons behind.
The Haditha Dam is in a hostile stretch of the Euphrates River 140
miles northwest of Baghdad where the marines do battle with insurgents
in the oppressive heat. But for a few hours this summer, the chow hall
inside the dam was transformed into a theater for five shapely dancers
who seemed to be the embodiment of many a young marine's fantasy.
It was all part of a program to keep up morale in a war that is more
dangerous than ever. There is a long history of providing entertainment
for troops in war zones, including performances by attractive starlets.
Bob Hope toured with Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in Korea. Raquel
Welch and Ann-Margret performed in Vietnam.
But at Haditha Dam, the marines have the Purrfect Angelz, as the
dancers are known. Their tours, which organizers say are paid for by
the military, have occasionally stirred some controversy. During the
group's 2005 visit to Baghdad, a female Air Force officer complained
that the dancers' wardrobes and routines encouraged insensitive
attitudes toward women in the military.
On the group's third tour of Iraq, there were no complaints from the
boisterous crowd of male marines at the dam or the solitary soldier in
the audience from Azerbaijan, who mistook the Oklahoma-born Tanea for a
Russian. A small group of Iraqi Army officers who are being trained by
the marines were so enthusiastic they all but rushed the stage and
filled their digital cameras with this sampling of American culture.
Sgt. Dale Gooden, a 31-year-old Marine reservist from Jacksonville,
Fla., who is assigned to the dam security unit, saw the show as a sign
that the American public had not forgotten about the troops. The most
impressive part of the show, he said, was "just the fact that they came
out here to see us."
Certainly, Haditha Dam seems an unlikely venue. The 10-story
hydroelectric dam, which was built in the 1980's, was captured in the
opening weeks of the American-led invasion. The secret Delta Force
destroyed much of the Iraqi defenses near the dam, while Army Rangers
swooped in later to seize the structure.
The Americans said the dam had to be taken to prevent Saddam Hussein
from destroying it as part of a scorched-earth policy, though there is
no indication that Mr. Hussein ever had such a plan. It was firefight
at the dam, in fact, that initially put it at risk. After discovering
that the dam was poorly maintained and damaged in the fighting, a
sergeant in an Army civil affairs unit flew to the site and worked with
the Iraqi engineers to keep the dam functioning.
After a multimillion dollar project by the Army Corps of Engineers, the
dam's turbines were rehabilitated. In addition to generating
electricity, the dam also serves as a headquarters for the Marine
battalion that is charged with securing the Haditha area and is home to
a small contingent of troops from Azerbaijan who are helping the
marines guard the structure.
For the Purrfect Angelz, it was a stop on a tour that also took them to
bases like Al Qaim and Taji. The dancers, former cheerleaders, calendar
models and aspiring actresses, have an active schedule in the United
States, much of which consists of events for motorcycle riders. By
design, the routines at Haditha are a bit tamer than the biker fare.
"We want to make it more about talent than being risque," said Tanea
Brooks. "We are not going to boost every part of the morale." Her
credits include a three-year stint as a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader, a
role in a country music video, "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" by Trace
Adkins, and a turn as quarterback for the New York Euphoria, one of the
teams that established the Lingerie Football League, in which models
played football dressed in lingerie.
But for marines who deploy for seven months at a stretch, are forbidden
to consume alcohol, have no real opportunities for social interaction
with the Iraqi population and routinely travel down roads seeded by
roadside bombs the performance was exciting enough.
"Servicemen are our best audience," said Ms. Brooks, who gave her age
as "21 forever." "They are so appreciative. We love touring for them.
They always get excited."
[David Chavez, the president of Pro Sports MVP, which organized the
tour, said the expenses consisted of travel costs and small stipends
for the performers. A Pentagon spokesman said he had no immediate
information on what the tour cost or the financial arrangements.]
A recent show began with an entreaty by a diligent sergeant who saw the
event as an opportunity to appeal to the marines to re-enlist. He was
loudly shouted down. An announcer who was traveling with the dance
group told the marines not to pay attention to media reports that the
American public did not support the war. The nation, she said, was
solidly behind them.
Then the dancers, in revealing outfits, energetically performed dance
routines that were more suggestive than most Super Bowl halftime acts
-- wardrobe malfunctions notwithstanding -- but far less provocative
than Las Vegas shows. At one point, one of the Angelz sang Lee
Greenwood's song "God Bless the USA," a veritable anthem for many of
the troops.
The event wound up with the photo and autograph session. Then it was on
to the next stop.
The troops' verdict on the tour seemed to be summed up by an e-mail
message that an Army captain later sent the dancers from the base at
Taji. He thanked them for helping to "make us forget about our jobs for
a little while."
My comments:
I do think people need sex - and that frustration and fear can be soothed a bit by touch and intimacy -- I don't advocate rushing off to the brothels and victimizing impoverished women (ie. Vietnam) and anyway, that's not really an option in Iraq. So what to do with a bunch of men pent up, at war, without women? Scary recipes emerge. Another disturbing item, is that the dancers' behavior incited the men to treat women disrespectfuly in the service, as if they needed more provocation. Why is it, And the Iraqis have so much to be thankful for... naked chics gyrating and dancing inciting good old fashioned patriotism. Disgusting!
Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company
August 27, 2006
Lifting Troops' Morale in Iraq With a Bit of Flesh
By MICHAEL R. GORDON
HADITHA DAM, Iraq -- One by one, the marines took the stage for one of
the most coveted photo opportunities of the war. Tanea sat on one knee
of each eager marine while Laurie rested on the other.
Hands on their miniskirted hips, Amber and Renee posed at each side.
Dani stood behind and held the marine's rifle as the camera snapped the
photo. Some of the young marines who lined up for the memento were so
mesmerized by the experience that they had to be reminded not to leave
their weapons behind.
The Haditha Dam is in a hostile stretch of the Euphrates River 140
miles northwest of Baghdad where the marines do battle with insurgents
in the oppressive heat. But for a few hours this summer, the chow hall
inside the dam was transformed into a theater for five shapely dancers
who seemed to be the embodiment of many a young marine's fantasy.
It was all part of a program to keep up morale in a war that is more
dangerous than ever. There is a long history of providing entertainment
for troops in war zones, including performances by attractive starlets.
Bob Hope toured with Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in Korea. Raquel
Welch and Ann-Margret performed in Vietnam.
But at Haditha Dam, the marines have the Purrfect Angelz, as the
dancers are known. Their tours, which organizers say are paid for by
the military, have occasionally stirred some controversy. During the
group's 2005 visit to Baghdad, a female Air Force officer complained
that the dancers' wardrobes and routines encouraged insensitive
attitudes toward women in the military.
On the group's third tour of Iraq, there were no complaints from the
boisterous crowd of male marines at the dam or the solitary soldier in
the audience from Azerbaijan, who mistook the Oklahoma-born Tanea for a
Russian. A small group of Iraqi Army officers who are being trained by
the marines were so enthusiastic they all but rushed the stage and
filled their digital cameras with this sampling of American culture.
Sgt. Dale Gooden, a 31-year-old Marine reservist from Jacksonville,
Fla., who is assigned to the dam security unit, saw the show as a sign
that the American public had not forgotten about the troops. The most
impressive part of the show, he said, was "just the fact that they came
out here to see us."
Certainly, Haditha Dam seems an unlikely venue. The 10-story
hydroelectric dam, which was built in the 1980's, was captured in the
opening weeks of the American-led invasion. The secret Delta Force
destroyed much of the Iraqi defenses near the dam, while Army Rangers
swooped in later to seize the structure.
The Americans said the dam had to be taken to prevent Saddam Hussein
from destroying it as part of a scorched-earth policy, though there is
no indication that Mr. Hussein ever had such a plan. It was firefight
at the dam, in fact, that initially put it at risk. After discovering
that the dam was poorly maintained and damaged in the fighting, a
sergeant in an Army civil affairs unit flew to the site and worked with
the Iraqi engineers to keep the dam functioning.
After a multimillion dollar project by the Army Corps of Engineers, the
dam's turbines were rehabilitated. In addition to generating
electricity, the dam also serves as a headquarters for the Marine
battalion that is charged with securing the Haditha area and is home to
a small contingent of troops from Azerbaijan who are helping the
marines guard the structure.
For the Purrfect Angelz, it was a stop on a tour that also took them to
bases like Al Qaim and Taji. The dancers, former cheerleaders, calendar
models and aspiring actresses, have an active schedule in the United
States, much of which consists of events for motorcycle riders. By
design, the routines at Haditha are a bit tamer than the biker fare.
"We want to make it more about talent than being risque," said Tanea
Brooks. "We are not going to boost every part of the morale." Her
credits include a three-year stint as a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader, a
role in a country music video, "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" by Trace
Adkins, and a turn as quarterback for the New York Euphoria, one of the
teams that established the Lingerie Football League, in which models
played football dressed in lingerie.
But for marines who deploy for seven months at a stretch, are forbidden
to consume alcohol, have no real opportunities for social interaction
with the Iraqi population and routinely travel down roads seeded by
roadside bombs the performance was exciting enough.
"Servicemen are our best audience," said Ms. Brooks, who gave her age
as "21 forever." "They are so appreciative. We love touring for them.
They always get excited."
[David Chavez, the president of Pro Sports MVP, which organized the
tour, said the expenses consisted of travel costs and small stipends
for the performers. A Pentagon spokesman said he had no immediate
information on what the tour cost or the financial arrangements.]
A recent show began with an entreaty by a diligent sergeant who saw the
event as an opportunity to appeal to the marines to re-enlist. He was
loudly shouted down. An announcer who was traveling with the dance
group told the marines not to pay attention to media reports that the
American public did not support the war. The nation, she said, was
solidly behind them.
Then the dancers, in revealing outfits, energetically performed dance
routines that were more suggestive than most Super Bowl halftime acts
-- wardrobe malfunctions notwithstanding -- but far less provocative
than Las Vegas shows. At one point, one of the Angelz sang Lee
Greenwood's song "God Bless the USA," a veritable anthem for many of
the troops.
The event wound up with the photo and autograph session. Then it was on
to the next stop.
The troops' verdict on the tour seemed to be summed up by an e-mail
message that an Army captain later sent the dancers from the base at
Taji. He thanked them for helping to "make us forget about our jobs for
a little while."
My comments:
I do think people need sex - and that frustration and fear can be soothed a bit by touch and intimacy -- I don't advocate rushing off to the brothels and victimizing impoverished women (ie. Vietnam) and anyway, that's not really an option in Iraq. So what to do with a bunch of men pent up, at war, without women? Scary recipes emerge. Another disturbing item, is that the dancers' behavior incited the men to treat women disrespectfuly in the service, as if they needed more provocation. Why is it, And the Iraqis have so much to be thankful for... naked chics gyrating and dancing inciting good old fashioned patriotism. Disgusting!
Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company
posted by No Longer Active at 9:22 AM
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