Desert sand dominated soldiers’ daily experience more than combat did

Evidence

For the first month, it seemed as though the enemy were not Saddam Hussein but simply the sand. It was everywhere. Like an omen, a huge sandstorm struck them on their first day in Kuwait, turning the whole world beige. But even after the storm ended, the sand continued to be brutal. Even on normal days, it would hit them in the eyes, which would get all crusty. It would land on their lips, which would dry out immediately. It always blew into their mouths, so all they tasted was sand all the time. It was as if the sand were playing them in a divine game of Rock, Paper, Scissors, but in this version sand trumps everything. Sand defeats water. Sand kills fire. Sand smothers man and all his measly weapons. — Moustafa Bayoumi, How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being…, 187

Categorization

• CANDY: The ‘sand trumps everything’ rock-paper-scissors riff is a memorable, shareable image of the desert as the real enemy.