ARMY LIFE SUPPORT AREA, Kuwait - Life on this dusty base would rarely be described as luxurious, but certain corners of the base can remind American service members of home.

Every outpost of the United States’ influence – even this military base, which can’t be named under media ground rules – needs that quintessential piece of Americana: a McDonald’s. The fast-food restaurant, available here only for takeaway but open 24 hours a day, seems to be the most popular draw of a small collection of places to grab a bite when someone decides to skip the dining hall.

There’s also a KFC, Subway, Pizza Hut, a donut shop and a Chinese restaurant.

The Morale, Welfare and Recreation folks operate several tents, and they know how to attract a crowd. One has a large projection screen that shows movies (usually comedy or action, and often a few years old) all day. The tent also features a DVD checkout stand and a row of personal TVs where service members can watch a movie or play Xbox 360.

Another MWR’s is packed all day. Soldiers sit in rows of chairs watching Armed Forces Network television on a nearby plasma or lay across one of the couches to catch some sleep. Others talk smack over games of Ping-Pong, billiards or foosball. And there’s always a waiting list to make a phone call back home or surf the Web.

The activities provide a welcome distraction at a base where it seems like most of the people are simply waiting to get somewhere else – to Iraq, to Afghanistan or to return home.

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