Operation Gambling Freedom

SOMEWHERE OVER UTAH — On the flight to Las Vegas, I sat next to a U.S. Army soldier who has returned from tours in Baghdad and Kabul and expects to be called back soon. He decided to spend what might be his last free weekend partying in Vegas.¹

We chatted about life in Kabul and Baghdad. Aside from looking at Jodi's dinars, I'm quite removed from U.S. military involvement and it does not affect my day-to-day life. As a result, it was good for me to be reminded of the ongoing war.

¹Take a look at this blog entry, in which Eric explores whether people vacation in Vegas only because they think they are supposed to. This soldier told me he booked his ticket to Vegas on Expedia.com from a computer terminal at his base in Kabul. If Las Vegas is idealized in the U.S., its image is even more luring in Kabul.

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