harm 's way . Those affected , however , did n't seem very concerned . `` The big things that improve morale in a combat zone are lots of letters and packages from loved ones , '' Marine Cpl. David Brian Crouch said . Especially appreciated in these care packages are sweet , sour , salty and spicy condiments , such as Tabasco , sugar packets and seasoned salts for enlivening the military 's frequently derided Meals Ready to Eat -- individually packaged rations for service members stationed away from meal preparation facilities . These high-calorie MREs , which have long drawn criticism for depressingly bland flavors and textures , are precisely what Crouch , who served two tours in Iraq , says drove his fellow troops to seek out more flavorful , familiar fast food . Others look a little closer to their temporary home , sampling the local fare . While many soldiers out on combat patrols were , according to Army Capt. David Swaintek , `` too tired and drained to care much about their meal , '' he developed a taste for Iraqi flavors during his tour , which lasted from 2002 to 2008 . While
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Command Sgt. Maj. Michael T. Hall of the International Security Assistance Force announced that fast-food offerings like Pizza Hut , Dairy Queen and Orange Julius were being shuttered in Afghanistan , he was blunt about it . `` This is a warzone , not an amusement park , '' he wrote on the ISAF blog . These mobile restaurants and others that can be found on large bases in Kandahar and Bagram , are `` nonessentials '' and are being shut down to streamline delivery of much-needed battlefield supplies . However , according to some soldiers and Marines -- all of whom have served in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan -- access to the familiar hometown mall fare is n't as important to morale as many civilians may have thought . The veterans and active-duty troops all said that access to healthy foods , local cuisine and packages of snacks sent by friends and family trumped military base fast food as morale boosters . The announcement of the fast-food outposts ' shuttering inspired a lively debate on CNN 's Afghanistan blog about morale and the amenities afforded servicemen and women serving overseas -- often in