Here is what I have gathered from USA Today. A US Soldier, SGT Hess, sent a request to Wisconsin matress company to get floor mats for his soldiers so they wouldn't have to sleep on the ground. With conditions like that, you can assume it was OIF 1 or OIF 2. The company is owned by a family with a Pakistani background. The response will make you all mad. Keep in mind that SGT Hess only asked if they shipped to APO addresses.

SGT Hess,

We do not ship to APO addresses, and even if we did, we would NEVER ship to Iraq. If you were sensible, you and your troops would pull out of Iraq.

Bargain Suppliers
Discount-Mats.com

A simple "we don't ship to APO addresses" would have been fine. I have ran accross this problem from time to time and got no political bs like SGT Hess received. Right now, the family and business is receiving a mountain of hate mail and threatening phone calls. The family says it was an employee who is responsible for the message above.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline...ss_stores.html

that is a nice little law suit waiting to happen....

What a nasty thing to say. Its not even political, its just plain stupid.

Its not like SGT.Hess has a choice in where the Army sends him. Withdrawing from war zones without proper orders is called desertion, and they used to shoot people for it.

Such nasty comments are better directed at those who give these stupid orders, not at those poor guys that are forced to obey them.

From a business standpoint, anybody who treats a customer (whether in, or out of uniform) like this deserves to get fired. The the owner is smart that just what they will do.

Team Infidel

I don't think so. Being a jerk is not a crime.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/war/apo.asp

Snopes has the date of the Email at this month, of this year, and while the Email is bad, and bad with no excuse what-so-ever, I'd like to point out there have been many businesses in the US who have boycotted things based on their support or non-support of the War in Iraq, hell Republicans in the United States Congress changed the name of the French Fries and French Toast for a time in the Congressional Cafeterias.
I doubt the company in question will stay in business, and rightfully so.

I am however more pissed, and want to know why the United States Army does not have proper equipment for the Troops in Iraq, as the Sergeant already found another Civilian Company to supply the Mats, I want to know why the President of the United States of America did not supply said Mats, on my dime, without Sergeants in a Combat Zone sending Emails to Civilians, and looking for Civilian help for his Troops.... instead of giving my money to Iraqis and Civilian Contractors in Iraq.
So, in the end I doubt Republicans will be in charge of the Executive Branch of Federal Government at the end of January 2009, and rightfully so.

I'd cry it was an employee too if my company had stepped on its like that. You are only as good as the people you hire, management and the owner are responsible for the actions of their employees. Lynch 'em.

Originally Posted by bulldogg

I'd cry it was an employee too if my company had stepped on its like that. You are only as good as the people you hire, management and the owner are responsible for the actions of their employees. Lynch 'em.

I don't think its fair to punish an entire company for the transgressions of a single employee, espicially when the employee is working AGAINST the interests of the company. Other than the fact that it was a nasty comment, there is no real damage here. I would publically apologize and severely reprimand or even terminate that employee. But I thinks thats punishment enough.

Gator however, brings up two valid points. Why is this wrong and the bashing of the French and Germans considered permissiable when they did exactly the same thing.

Secondly, Why on earth is a US Army Sargent having to buy sleeping mats? The DOD gets one of the largest slices of the budget after social security and they still cannot provide $50 sleeping mats for the troops? How incompentant are these people?

we have plenty of supplies in Iraq. because it is not 1st class, soldiers will ALWAYS complain. that is our nature. DO NOT ASSUME

Pakistani family?

It says it all...

Originally Posted by phoenix80

Pakistani family?

It says it all...

And what makes you so sure Faisal Khetani wasn't born in the USA after all the "news" and I use the term "news" liberally as it was Fox report says is "an American Muslim of Pakistani descent" your argument is about as biased as me looking at your flag and saying "hmmm Iranian must be an Islamic fundamentalist".

Originally Posted by Team Infidel

we have plenty of supplies in Iraq. because it is not 1st class, soldiers will ALWAYS complain. that is our nature. DO NOT ASSUME

Then why was this guy going through a civilian outlet for his entire unit rather than an Army quartermaster to buy equipment? This is not the first time either...