Bit of a pea but probably more relevant than the original.
Well, when I was in Iraq a few years ago I was lucky enough to get something called OSD. Operational Stand Down, where 4 lucky guys a week out of the thousands of troops there get to go to Kuwait, stay on the American camp and have fun and explore the city (which is very much like Dubai/Qatar).

As it was the first time I'd been out of the desert in 5 months I went a bit overboard with 5 months worth of untouched wages (with overseas extras) in the American PX. We're talking new DSLR's, Lenses, clothes, knives, Jet-Skiing in the Gulf, presents for people, huge cigars, food....new bags to put it all in. I was having a blast.
What I didn't know, is that this was flagged up back in England with my bank as 'strange behaviour' as my card had gone from not being used for so long to being rinsed. What I also didn't know, was that the American ATM's and chip & pin machines on base, were routed through America first, not Kuwait.

I got a phonecall off my dad a few days later (who was managing my mail etc. for me whilst I was away) saying the bank had detected fraudulent activity on my account and someone had been spending my money in Texas.
I didn't click on at first and neither did he. He had already told the bank I was in Iraq, not America and could prove it.

I got back every penny I spent there as the bank assumed it was fraud and got I to keep everything.

People were telling me the bank would check the CCTV monitoring the cash machine etc. and I'd get found out. I don't think the US Military give out their surveillance tapes willy-nilly though and I imagine the bank would be looking for them on the wrong continent if they did. That's about the only time the bank have done anything in my favour.
( Terry_Tibbs Coarse and violent nudity. Occasional language, Thu 16 Jul 2009, 21:01, 6 replies)

Brilliant!
Utterly brilliant.
( difficultchild, Fri 17 Jul 2009, 0:56, closed)

*click*
That's fucking ace!
( Agnostic Antichrist Baltimora, Fri 17 Jul 2009, 8:42, closed)

You deserve it
simply for serving in Iraq.

*clickety*
(WillI'mNot logs in twice a year, every year, Sun 19 Jul 2009, 2:28, closed)

Thanks
Although I'm sure there are thousands of people who would strongly disagree. I seem to have only ever met those ones.
( Terry_Tibbs Coarse and violent nudity. Occasional language, Tue 21 Jul 2009, 11:00, closed)

Now thats absolutely fucking AMAZING!!!
Love it - nice one on getting loads of free gear!
( SpankyHanky, Tue 21 Jul 2009, 16:38, closed)

Financial friendly fire?
Good on you, lucky getting the OSD and then all this too. Can't see how anyone could begrudge a soldier that kind of break. *click*
( Scrumper, Tue 21 Jul 2009, 16:47, closed)