“MWR” stands for “Morale, Welfare, and Recreation”, and it is a way to say “fun & games”. MWR programs are all over the military, and some are really good, and some are… well, anyhow.

The more remote or “forward-deployed” your base is, the more your MWR programs are going to be cut down to bare bones… and yet the more important they are to the troops. The MWR program at Camp Bondsteel is actually pretty decent, and we really can’t complain.

I also compare our KFOR MWR programs against what we had in Iraq, and by those standards, we are spoiled here. We have fast food, a coffee bar and (almost) all-hours sandwich shop and personal internet –in Iraq I had to go to an “internet cafe” and at peak hours they monitored your time and would hustle you out if there was a line. We can also go into town, and on weekends we have an alcohol ration for those who want.

And that’s not it. A gym, games like ping pong and basketball, a karaoke night, dance night, small theater, and more. A lot is done to minimize the impact of being away.

We shouldn’t complain, but we do. Because troops that aren’t complaining are quietly seething about something, and that’s worse.