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Some US soldiers forced to steal water in Iraq

Rations and problems trigger desperate measures to survive intense heat

02:47 PM CDT on Tuesday, May 12, 2009

By Jeremy Rogalski

HOUSTON -- Take Houston’s heat on a miserable summer day and add 40 degrees, making temperatures 130 or more.

Video
Some US soldiers forced to steal water in Iraq
May 11, 2009

Next, add an extra 100 pounds of life-protecting gear to your body: bulletproof vests, guns and ammunition.

And then imagine not having enough water around to drink.

Stories of short supplies have haunted the U.S. military throughout the war in Iraq—things like inadequate body armor or unshielded Hummers. But while many soldiers say they had good access to water and even Gatorade, the 11 News Defenders discovered that others, stationed all over the country and during all phases of this desert war, say something else was often missing.

“We were rationed two bottles of water a day,â€