Why do they call Iraq "the sandbox"?

[Beppo]

Not to sound like a smart ass or anything, but I did a year in Iraq and I didn't see one grain of "sand" my whole time there; all I saw was DIRT, DIRT, and more DIRT. No crystalline sand, no glimmering landscapes, no enchanting dunes bringing to mind the ancient tales of 1001 Arabian Nights...just plain old DIRT, that turned into MUD when it rained. I actually get kind of annoyed when people call Iraq a "sandbox", or make references to "the desert sand", etc. I just wanna yell, "It's not a 'sandbox'! It's a DIRTbox! It's all DIRT! There IS no sand in Iraq!"

Has anyone who's been to Iraq actually seen any sand over there? By the way I was in mostly in Najaf & Baghdad; I "vacationed" in Balad for a week, and visited Fallujah twice to drop off supplies. All I ever saw was dirt, and dirt's little cousin, dust. If anyone's been to (or is currently in) a city in Iraq that has actual *sand*, I'd love to hear about it.

PS: I haven't been to Afghanistan (yet), so if there's any actual SAND there, it'd be cool to hear about that too.

[Argyll]

Not to sound like a smart ass or anything, but I did a year in Iraq and I didn't see one grain of "sand" my whole time there; all I saw was DIRT, DIRT, and more DIRT. No crystalline sand, no glimmering landscapes, no enchanting dunes bringing to mind the ancient tales of 1001 Arabian Nights...just plain old DIRT, that turned into MUD when it rained. I actually get kind of annoyed when people call Iraq a "sandbox", or make references to "the desert sand", etc. I just wanna yell, "It's not a 'sandbox'! It's a DIRTbox! It's all DIRT! There IS no sand in Iraq!"

Has anyone who's been to Iraq actually seen any sand over there? By the way I was in mostly in Najaf & Baghdad; I "vacationed" in Balad for a week, and visited Fallujah twice to drop off supplies. All I ever saw was dirt, and dirt's little cousin, dust. If anyone's been to (or is currently in) a city in Iraq that has actual *sand*, I'd love to hear about it.

PS: I haven't been to Afghanistan (yet), so if there's any actual SAND there, it'd be cool to hear about that too.

I guess the Haboo's must be "dirt storms" then?.......if you've not come across sand,which there is,also very fine,cause It gets in my weapons...I've woke up to find the place covered in a fine layer of sand.....it's not "beach" sand......but it's still sand.....it's a phrase mate,only a phrase....but you don't build cities on sand,that's stupid!! p-)

[sickofpretenders]

Not to sound like a smart ass or anything, but I did a year in Iraq and I didn't see one grain of "sand" my whole time there; all I saw was DIRT, DIRT, and more DIRT. No crystalline sand, no glimmering landscapes, no enchanting dunes bringing to mind the ancient tales of 1001 Arabian Nights...just plain old DIRT, that turned into MUD when it rained. I actually get kind of annoyed when people call Iraq a "sandbox", or make references to "the desert sand", etc. I just wanna yell, "It's not a 'sandbox'! It's a DIRTbox! It's all DIRT! There IS no sand in Iraq!"

Has anyone who's been to Iraq actually seen any sand over there? By the way I was in mostly in Najaf & Baghdad; I "vacationed" in Balad for a week, and visited Fallujah twice to drop off supplies. All I ever saw was dirt, and dirt's little cousin, dust. If anyone's been to (or is currently in) a city in Iraq that has actual *sand*, I'd love to hear about it.

PS: I haven't been to Afghanistan (yet), so if there's any actual SAND there, it'd be cool to hear about that too.

I aggree. I dont get it either and I dont like it. Ive only seen 2 camels too. Nothing is ever what you expect.

[Argyll]

So where does all the sand come from when filling the millions of Sandbags all over the country?

Where does the sand come from when mixing concrete?

Only 2 Camels?.......:hug: ........thousands of the bloody dozy things in the South!!!

[Andreas]

So what was your favorite posting solider?

- Peronally I like to be deep in DIRTBOX country, where the action is...

**cough cough**
rofl

No offence guys, wouldent want to ruin your brilliant semantics argument, but i couldent help it...

Cheers
Andreas

[Regulator75]

There's sand. And even if the place didn't have sand, it just looks like a big sandbox.

[Beppo]

Peronally I like to be deep in DIRTBOX country, where the action is...Geez, I didn't mean for the word "dirtbox" to come out THAT way! That sounds like the most perverted pickup line ever...

[Sir Zach of R.]

Geez, I didn't mean for the word "dirtbox" to come out THAT way! That sounds like the most perverted pickup line ever...

Now picture the guy in your avatar saying it...

[ibstolidude]

In the "box" stems from manuever excs. In the "Box" means simply down-range - the sandbox is simply the ME.

[California Joe]

Isn't this the scene right before the FNG falls out of the helicopter and the **** hits the fan?

[ibstolidude]

Isn't this the scene right before the FNG falls out of the helicopter and the **** hits the fan?

Yeah falls, um yeah, definately I didn't push out the FNG.

[California Joe]

No one was blaming you but you had to come in here and deny it. Jeez.

Just let it go man.

[oregongrunt]

Not to sound like a smart ass or anything, but I did a year in Iraq and I didn't see one grain of "sand" my whole time there; all I saw was DIRT, DIRT, and more DIRT. No crystalline sand, no glimmering landscapes, no enchanting dunes bringing to mind the ancient tales of 1001 Arabian Nights...just plain old DIRT, that turned into MUD when it rained. I actually get kind of annoyed when people call Iraq a "sandbox", or make references to "the desert sand", etc. I just wanna yell, "It's not a 'sandbox'! It's a DIRTbox! It's all DIRT! There IS no sand in Iraq!"

Has anyone who's been to Iraq actually seen any sand over there? By the way I was in mostly in Najaf & Baghdad; I "vacationed" in Balad for a week, and visited Fallujah twice to drop off supplies. All I ever saw was dirt, and dirt's little cousin, dust. If anyone's been to (or is currently in) a city in Iraq that has actual *sand*, I'd love to hear about it.

PS: I haven't been to Afghanistan (yet), so if there's any actual SAND there, it'd be cool to hear about that too.
You must have flown straight into Baghdad airport and out the same way, Southern Iraq is all desert, at least when i was there in 2003. Maybe the marshes are finally getting filled up again.

[Beppo]

No, actually, like most troops I convoyed into Iraq from Kuwait; The initial leg of our convoy to Najaf (FOB Duke) was 13 straight hours of driving from Udairi (Buehring) to Diwaniya (Echo). It would've taken less time but we were lost for like two hours driving in circles at one point. Needless to say, Iraq is bordered on the south by Kuwait so we did see some of that part of the country.
Notice though, that I didn't say there was no desert; hell there was TONS and TONS of desert wasteland everywhere, I only specifically said I didn't see any "sand", as in, I didn't see any grainy, crystal, beach-like "sand". All the desert that I ever saw in Iraq was made up of nothing but dirt. In fact one of the stupidest things I ever witnessed there was a guy who played volleyball with us in Iraq as if it was beach volleyball, continually diving head first and chest first into the dirt to save the ball, like he was at the beach. Although we admired his athleticism, everybody was like, "Dude, this ain't the beach, and that's not sand...it's dirt."
As Andreas pointed out, though, my whole argument (if you can even call it that) is simply a matter of semantics -- that is, if "sand" is the proper word to use to describe the Iraqi soil. I personally think it's misleading and wish people would stop calling it a "sandbox"...I think "dust bowl" would probably be more accurate, but that's just my opinion.

[Airborne44]

It has nothing to do with the quanity of sand or the quality of the dirt, the only thing a "sandbox" is good for is a place for dirty animals to sh*t and piss in. Thats how you feel when your there.

[dunkin]

For what I think the sandbox is... I think it's a reference to the whole area, IE the Middle East. The majority of it is sand, Saudi, Kuwait, UAE, Iraq ... yes I agree that some of the areas you have been didn't have much sand, but they are on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers so it fine dust, probably what use to be sand. On a short trip north of Baghdad we ran into a large portion of desert that was all sand, the road was covered with it, we had to get out of the vehicles and flatten the tires a little to get better traction.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[NewsMan]

Iraqi sand is in the south!! LOL. Afghanistan is, without a doubt, a "sandbox".

[Uncle Sam]

Afghanistan is a "s-h-i-t" box, most def.

[dunkin]

Iraqi sand is in the south!! LOL.

Well if you call Baghdad south, then what ever?

[James]

I didn't see any grainy, crystal, beach-like "sand".

There are as many different kinds of sand as there are mysteries in the human heart.

There is a bit of sand in Afghanistan.

[NewsMan]

Well if you call Baghdad south, then what ever?

I'm talking about all the dunes and stuff. The places that I've seen that look like Tatoonie are down in the old marshlands!

[oregongrunt]

No, actually, like most troops I convoyed into Iraq from Kuwait; The initial leg of our convoy to Najaf (FOB Duke) was 13 straight hours of driving from Udairi (Buehring) to Diwaniya (Echo). It would've taken less time but we were lost for like two hours driving in circles at one point. Needless to say, Iraq is bordered on the south by Kuwait so we did see some of that part of the country.
Notice though, that I didn't say there was no desert; hell there was TONS and TONS of desert wasteland everywhere, I only specifically said I didn't see any "sand", as in, I didn't see any grainy, crystal, beach-like "sand". All the desert that I ever saw in Iraq was made up of nothing but dirt. In fact one of the stupidest things I ever witnessed there was a guy who played volleyball with us in Iraq as if it was beach volleyball, continually diving head first and chest first into the dirt to save the ball, like he was at the beach. Although we admired his athleticism, everybody was like, "Dude, this ain't the beach, and that's not sand...it's dirt."
As Andreas pointed out, though, my whole argument (if you can even call it that) is simply a matter of semantics -- that is, if "sand" is the proper word to use to describe the Iraqi soil. I personally think it's misleading and wish people would stop calling it a "sandbox"...I think "dust bowl" would probably be more accurate, but that's just my opinion.
I remember that long drive back to Kuwait. from what my friends tell me now is that the country has really changed since I was there. But sand or dirt, I really don't want to have another look at it.