Camp Coyote, Kuwait -- John Koopman, Chronicle staff writer, is traveling in Kuwait with the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines.
Normally, when warriors prepare to do battle, they build up an intense hatred for their enemy. It's hard to kill another human being without it.
But in the desert of Kuwait, as U.S. troops prepare for a possible battle with Iraqi forces, a different emotion seems to be taking hold -- pity.
There are no derogatory names for the Iraqis. At least, not openly. And a lot of Marines at Tactical Area Coyote, where much of California's 1st Marine Division is located, say they have nothing against the Iraqis. They're just there to do a job.
"We're trying to instill in them that there is no sense of triumphalism in this," said Lt. Col. Bryan McCoy, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines based in Twentynine Palms (San Bernardino County).
Perhaps it's because the Iraqis rolled over last time around. Perhaps it's because the U.S. forces are not trying to evict an invader, as they did last time around. But you really don't hear the kinds of terms GIs have come up with in other wars, such as Vietnam and even the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
A recent training exercise was a case in point. The Marines do a lot of "round-robin" training, going from classes on first aid to gunnery to loading helicopters. And one of their classes is in Arabic, the language of most Iraqis.
They're taught how to talk to prisoners of war, how to say "Drop your weapon" and "Do you need medical attention?" The other day, there was the occasional wisecrack, like "How do you tell them to shut the hell up?" But then one voice came out of the back.
"How do you say, 'It's OK. You're safe?' "
If anything, there is concern that the troops are a little too dismissive of the Iraqis because of their routing in 1991.
"I know a lot of guys say, 'They ran before, and they'll run again,' but that kind of thinking worries me," said Lance Cpl. Jeremy Davis, 23, of Lynchburg, Va., a crewman on an armored assault vehicle. "What if they don't?"
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The Internet, or something like it, now is part of the modern battlefield.
Not the one you use to get e-mail or bid on auctions. Small, local nets connected by radio are changing the way military units move and communicate across terrain.
It's called MDACT, for Mobile Data Automated Communications Terminal. It's a small Pentium-based computer, powered by Windows NT, with a screen that shows a map. Small unit commanders have them in their humvees, and they all "talk" to each other by UHF radio transmitters.
The operator loads a digital map into the system, and the units then transmit to each other and to a global positioning system satellite to keep tabs on everyone. The various other units show up as colored lights on the screen. And the operator or commander can send text messages instead of screaming into a microphone over the radio.
"I can't play solitaire on it, but otherwise it's a pretty nice little machine," said Cpl. Cody Jordan of Fort Myers, Fla.
One senior noncommissioned officer, who demanded to remain nameless upon pain of death, harrumphed. "I don't know what's wrong with just getting on the radio and saying, 'Hey, I'm over here.' I don't have time to play with all these gadgets."
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If you know someone serving in Kuwait and you want to send him or her a care package, remember two words: baby wipes.
They're the new GI shower. The troops live in harsh conditions, and many get a chance to shower only once a week. So they bring baby wipes with them and cleanse themselves that way.
It's as bad as it sounds, but the wipes provide a minimal level of hygiene. Now, though, after spending the last couple of weeks in the desert, the supply of baby wipes is drying up. Anti-bacterial hand sanitizer is also good to throw in with the cookies, power bars and magazines.
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Whatever you hear about the size of the Defense Department budget, don't imagine it trickles down to the ground troops.
Marines are training around the clock in Kuwait, but they're being very low- key. They practice loading and unloading armored vehicles without ever starting the engines. The problem is, they can't afford to have the vehicles break down. There is a chronic shortage of spare parts and not enough money to buy new equipment.
They do fire live rounds, which is not so common during training in the United States. But even then, they have to account for every bullet.
"It can be frustrating sometimes" said 1st Lt. Eric Gentrup of San Jose, who also serves in 3rd Battalion. "We just have to make do."
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Everyone at Tactical Area Coyote carries a gun. Everyone. Everywhere. If they're not armed, they're within sight of someone who is and who is specifically watching over them.
Part of it is the possible war. The Marines want their men, and women, to have their weapons constantly ready. Part of it is the threat of a terrorist act. A couple of Marines were shot and killed by a Kuwaiti early in the deployment, and there have been other attacks on U.S. troops recently.
The officers and senior enlisted men carry 9mm pistols, and the privates, corporals and sergeants carry M-16-A2 rifles with 30 rounds of ammunition.
"There is no need for any more than 30 rounds," said one commander, who asked not to be identified. "If someone would attack this place, the best thing to do, if you're a Marine, is hit the deck, because there will be 800 18- year-olds with itchy trigger fingers firing like mad. You just want to get out of the way."
Occasionally, there's an accidental discharge. A soldier with the field artillery was accidentally shot in the shoulder Sunday at Camp New York. There have been a few accidental firings at Camp Coyote, but no one's been injured.
Meanwhile, the guns go everywhere. When the Marines run in the morning, they carry their rifles. When they go to the chow hall, they take their guns. When they go to the portable toilets, the weapons are right there with them.
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