US soldiers have been on the receiving end of some pretty gruesome news over the past few days. As part of a Justice Department suit against military contractor Kellogg, Brown and Root, it’s been revealed that soldiers serving in Iraq in 2003 and 2004 consumed ice from unsanitized containers that also served as makeshift morgues.
The revelation came as part of the Justice Department’s larger suit against several contractors accused of accepting kickbacks (one as high as $US360,000) and making false claims. The suit states:
Sometime around July 2003, while [refrigerated trailer] R-89 was being used as a morgue, the refrigeration motor broke down, leading KBR to send it back to Kuwait for repair. In late August 2003, after R-89 was repaired, KBR used the reefer to transport potable ice for the troops at Camp Matilda in Kuwait. KBR did not properly sanitize R-89 before loading it with potable ice for use by the troops.
This wasn’t the only refrigerated trailer to serve double duty, though. The suit also claims that other morgue reefers were used to transport both ice and food meant for human consumption without properly sanitising them first.
As far as damages go, that won’t be figured out until the actual trial — for which a date hasn’t been set yet. But if these disturbing allegations prove to be true, you can bet their day in court will come with some swift justice. [Military Times via Washington Times]
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