Overcrowding

The picture below was published on Huffington Post, and credits the AP. I tried to link to it, but the link just took me to an LA Times article about increasing troop numbers in Iraq. Take a minute and study the photo.

This photo is a bit dated. Troops deploying now have the new ACU (Army Camo Uniform) instead of the DCU (Desert Camo Uniform) these troops are wearing. You can see some folks standing around in the old green BDU (Battle Dress Uniform), which means they are in the USA. In theatre, everyone wears the DCU or ACU. So this plane is leaving the States headed probably for Kuwait, or perhaps Afghanistan.

Look a bit closer and note that the soldiers are wearing helmets and body armor, are carrying rifles, and most have a little backpack. Now think about your experience in a full airplane and carry on luggage. These soldiers are being shoe-horned into the plane with a ton of gear that quickly fills the overhead bins and under the seats. From experience, I can say that the plane will have very few empty seats. The Army just doesn't waste money like that.

So these soldiers will be flying roughly 24 hours, with one stop, crammed into those tiny commercial seats, surrounded by their gear. Off to a good start.
On a positive note, the meals are very good on the plane.