US troops deployed to the Middle East for the Iran war are living on meagre rations, with some forced to ration their meals and endure prolonged hunger, according to a new report. More than 50,000 American service members are currently stationed in the region, including thousands of Marines and sailors aboard warships that have not made port since the conflict erupted in late February.
Alarmed by these conditions, family members have spent significant sums sending care packages, but US Postal Service deliveries to the region have been suspended indefinitely due to airspace closures and other logistical impacts. A Navy sailor aboard the USS Tripoli texted his mother that supplies would get “really low” and that “morale is going to be at an all-time low”, according to USA Today.
A 63-year-old veteran, Dan F., became concerned when his daughter, a Marine on the USS Tripoli, sent a photo of a meal consisting of a small portion of meat and one tortilla. She told him that service members were rationing food, had no fresh fruit or vegetables, and that the coffee machine had broken down. A photo from the USS Abraham Lincoln showed an equally sparse meal of a tiny clump of carrots, a hamburger and a thin slab of meat.
Despite a two-week ceasefire announced last Tuesday, peace negotiations have yet to yield a breakthrough. President Donald Trump said the conflict is “going along swimmingly” and should end soon. However, multiple polls indicate that a majority of Americans oppose the war, which has killed 13 US service members. Family members continue to hold onto undelivered packages, hoping for a resumption of mail services.
