Spc. Nathaniel Cunningham pours his morning cup of coffee at FOB Marez in Mosul, Iraq. (Tony Overman/The Olympian)

FOB Marez, Mosul __ Spc. Nathaniel Cunningham is a coffee nut who came to Iraq from the Northwest. He doesn’t care for Starbucks, though.
This Fort Lewis soldier is very picky about his beans and how they are prepared. So he sure didn’t want to go a year in Iraq drinking the Nescafe’ that passes for coffee at this base.
“That was the first thing I said when I got over here, ‘I’ve got to have coffee,” said Cunningham, who works in military intelligence.
Cunningham got some Velvet Hammer beans from his hometown in Minnesota. A
former soldier who sells coffee beans in California also shipped him beans for no charge.
Now it’s almost like Cunningham has a little Espresso shop in his room. He has a coffee grinder, a frother for his lattes, and a blender so he can make chilled Frappucinos that are welcome when the temperature here is over 100 degrees.
He has various sweeteners and cocoas and creamers. But Cunningham has to make concessions to the fact his operation is in a tiny trailer in a war zone. He uses the Turkish milk they have in the chow hall that does not have to be refrigerated, for example.
“These aren’t the best ingredients but I know how to fix it,” said Cunningham, who used to work in a coffee shop.
Cunningham dreams of opening his own coffee shop in his hometown of Faribault, Minnesota. He has $20,000 worth of investors so far.
Cunningham wants it to be a first class operation, the only place in town with its own roaster.
-- Sean Cockerham