Petraeus lets fast food back into Afghanistan - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Petraeus lets fast food back into Afghanistan

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan has given the green light to bring fast food and other concessions back to Afghanistan.

“These quality-of-life programs remain important to soldiers for stress relief and therefore enhancing military readiness,” Gen. David Petraeus wrote in an Oct. 4 order.

The ultimate goal of restoring these concessions to Afghanistan, he wrote, is “boosting residents’ morale on U.S. bases.”

Information was not immediately available from Army and Air Force Exchange Service officials on a timeline for returning the concessions to Afghanistan, once commanders request that specific concessions be reopened.

The order rescinds a closure order issued Feb. 3 by former Afghanistan commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who directed 50 AAFES concessionaires to close within 90 days following a review of morale, welfare and recreation activities within the war zone.

“MWR should never be the distracter that changes the focus of the mission,” McChrystal wrote in his order, which he described as an effort “to reduce the MWR/QOL [quality of life] footprint” in the Afghanistan theater of operations.

In his new order, Petraeus noted that AAFES concessions must be “right-sized and tailored for an expeditionary force in order to ensure that they do not become distractions to the mission.”

Prior to McChrystal’s order, AAFES operated 141 eateries and shops in Afghanistan. After the May closures, 84 remained. Among the 57 closed were Burger King, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Popeyes restaurants, as well as new-car sales offices, jewelry, perfume and souvenir shops.

Petraeus reiterated in his Oct. 4 order that exchange concessions operate in contingency environments at the request of the combatant commander and subordinate commands. “It is a unit commander’s decision, driven by space and support, to determine if and where these facilities would reopen,” he wrote.

As before, concession contractors transport equipment and supplies at their own expense through a commercial entity.

DISCUSS: FAST FOOD BACK IN AFGHANISTAN