My friend is in Iraq.....can i send him a blackberry so we can stay in touch better? hes in the Air Force.....Also can i send him a portable dvd player? can they charge them over there?
2006-10-02 10:01:54 · 6 answers · asked by Do I know you? ya right LoL 4 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
He can never leave the base. He has days off!!!!!!!
2006-10-02 10:07:30 · update #1
the person who left the first answer needs to get a life. Soliders have nothing to do on their days off. He is not allowed to leave base. So please think before you answer.
2006-10-02 10:09:31 · update #2
Some of you people are the most inconsiderate and throughly ignorant creatures I have seen on or off the internet. I can't believe the volume of bullshit you just fed this girl.
Questioner, here is the answer to your question:
You cannot send him a PDA with access to a cellular network. You cannot send him cellphones. He is not allowed to have personal cellphones on a military installation in Iraq.
The reason for this is because gag orders are enforced whenever casualties are incurred by Coalition forces for the whichever installation the servicemembers are assigned to. This is so that the military can notify the next of kin as required in a timely and proper manner without them having to find out through the internet or television news, information which may not be correct in the first place (i.e. 2 Soldiers WIA becoming 12 WIA, 25 KIA thanks to some idiot blathering to his girlfriend over his cellphone). As the respondent above me rightfully states, unsecure communications are highly frowned upon (I heard it as "If we find you with a cellphone, we will crush your nuts").
All military installations in Iraq are on the electrical grid, whether this is powered by generators or tapped into the Iraqi national power grid, so DVD players can be recharged.
Now in practice, cellphones may be spotted here and there in Iraq, but if you are not authorized to have them, you're done. If there are OPSEC violations in evidence through use of text messaging or any other form of communication and it's identified, a big fat sledgehammer descends on the poor sod who gets caught engaging in such stupidity.
Your best bet is to have him just get a laptop with some IM system. If he can't contact you, it's because there's a gag order, but since the unit maintaining the installation will handle server and phone access, he will be allowed to retain that computer for personal use (unlike a cellphone, which the military has no control over unless they're banned).
And contrary to popular belief, any place with Air Force stationed in Iraq has LOTS to do. Trust me. Some of the Army-only camps out there are nothing compared to where the Air Force sets up shop. You would be amazed at some of the MWR activities (dance clubs, pool parties, etc) that you can find in Iraq. Anyone who has been there and been around knows exactly how good or bad some people have it (to this day, if I hear from someone stationed at a certain place they "suffered" in any way during deployment, I can't stop laughing).
Good luck keeping in touch with your friend. You sound like a loyal and generous person. All the best to you both.
2006-10-02 14:40:41 · answer #1 · answered by Nat 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
im not totally sure about blackberrys, but i do know for fact that your friend would probably appreciate a portable DVD player. most units have access to electricity and there are converters that they can easily buy to charge things up. when i was there, i had a DVD player and i LOVED it on my days off. that is really nice of you. :)
2006-10-02 17:25:58 · answer #2 · answered by krystal 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Even if he could, the messages could be intercepted and used to kill him! Not a smart idea at all!!
The DVD player is a good idea.
Just remember, ALL communication is subject to monitoring and theft from the terrorists. Nothing he will use to talk to you is completely safe.
2006-10-02 18:06:04 · answer #3 · answered by bradhartel 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
wow, they are one of the few ppl over there that does not have a laptop or access to computers? they have got internet cafes and stuff like that now and unsecure communication is highly frowned upon
laptops are great for movies, games, music, go online,
2006-10-02 19:17:26 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Idk..I would think so as long as they stayed on base..Sounds like a good idea though
2006-10-02 17:10:28 · answer #5 · answered by I Hate Liberals 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
He is in a war zone stupid. Do you think that is some kind of kid game? Grow up!!
2006-10-02 17:04:36 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋