IRAQ: The un-Charmed life

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One of the more idiosyncratic aspects of the lives of young Marines is the superstition about finding a package of Charms, the small square candies, in a Meals-Ready-to-Eat package. Skittles or M&M’s are fine, but Charms represent imminent mayhem.

Supposedly some Marine who got Charms in an MRE was soon killed or court-martialed or found out his girl was cheating on him. If a Marine finds Charms, he is not to touch the pack with his hands. Instead he must wear gloves while disposing of it.

I’ve seen this with numerous companies over several years, starting with the assault on Baghdad in 2003.

Now comes Lance Cpl. Sean McGinty with a new variant of the Charms phobia: The guy who gets the Charms will not be harmed, but his buddies will face trouble, such as a rainstorm during outdoor maneuvers.

There’s a new way of geting rid of the candies, too. ‘We burn them,’ McGinty said.

— Tony Perry in Habbaniya