Any Military Folks Here - Can A Soldier Take A Hookah To Iraq?

[mamajosie]

I know this may seem like a dumb question, but I have a friend who will probably be deployed in a few months and he has recently gotten into smoking hookah at a local place but does not have a hookah. What do you think would be the best outfit for a soldier? I am thinking a smallish Mya since it can be taken apart and they come in the sturdy storage cases for moving around a lot. But I am not sure that is something that he would even be allowed to take with him. It might work better to try and send it to him once he is deployed. Or maybe it would be easier for him to find one somewhere in the middle east, I have no clue....Anyone have any advice for me?

[fineout]

i imagine he can probably get one for really really cheap in iraq.

[Big Boss]

I don't know about bringing one with you, but if my memory is correct a soldier can't bring one back with them.

[dakingkevin23]

It is probably cheaper for him to get one there.
He is allowed to send hookahs back too, just as long as they haven't been used.

[mushrat]

I am told by my customers they are no longer allowed on bases. Considered drug paraphanalia. Used to be they could have and smoke them but no longer.

[Dom]

i'm in the Navy and my ship considers it to be paraphernalia. but i know many people on Navy bases who smoke the hookah on base, like in the smoke pit outside the barracks. i've always understood that the army and airforce are pretty understanding about the whole thing because they go to the middle east often and understand that it is not used for illegal substances. most of the navy, however, spends most of it's time floating around in the water and we don't get to experience the foreign culture but for a few days when we hit a liberty port.

the best way to know is for your friend to take it up his chain of command and find out the rules for certain. once he knows the rules, then he can know the best way to break them.

if you have two bags, take the hookah apart of put half of its pieces in one bag and the other half in the other bag. that way, when they run it through the x-ray machine, it won't look like a hookah. try that and if they say anything, just explain yourself honestly, and if they won't let you transport it, then just mail it home. no big deal. and you can mail it if it's been smoked out of. just clean it with alcohol to be safe.

my suggestion is that he waits until he gets to iraq, then buys an authentic one there, use it, and if they won't let him bring it back to the states, then either mail it, and if they won't let that happen (which i doubt), then it's only about 40 bucks that has been lost.

[Khronokai]

As was mentioned above, check with your (his) superiors. It depends on the people, most people wouldn't care less after seeing the shisha and having a short intro into the subject matter. Others can be "not so nice", and unfortunately their rank may allow them to be.