I was recently contacted by Rabbi David Goldstrom, an Army Chaplain presently stationed in Kuwait, to answer a number of Kashruth questions he had concerning various products he has found there, none of which bore a hechsher. Rabbi Goldstrom is an Orthodox rabbi who received semicha from Yeshiva Ohr Somayach in Monsey, NY. His questions covered a broad range of products from milk in cardboard containers produced in Kuwait to frozen cod fillets from the US, from Kellogs cereals produced in Germany to Snapple with Arabic labels produced in the US and from Lays potato chips produced and packaged in the Middle East to Baskin Robbins Ice Cream made in Canada.

Rabbi Goldstrom expressed his appreciation to the OU for answering his questions by saying "I have always appreciated how much expertise you and others in the Kashrus industry must have in order to deal with modern food production methods, but now as I wrestle with being in the gulf under wartime conditions I REALLY appreciate it! Thanks, Dovid." Elsewhere he continues..." Thank you so much for sharing your expertise. Yes, I'm in Kuwait. I'm still looking at how we're going to do Pesach, and that may take me into Iraq. I'm sure that anything I ask you is unclassified and can be shared as you wish. Units on the move eat MRE's (Kosher version available is MY OWN MEALS) but the army tries to serve better food whenever possible. They get their products both from the US, Europe and from local vendors."

Some other interesting remarks he made in his E-mail correspondence include the following:
"Passover will be quite difficult for any soldiers trying to keep kosher for Pesach. For Pesach, in order to do Seders for as many soldiers (and Airmen, Sailors, Marines) as possible, the Rabbis in theatre may spread out to cover some large units that don't have Rabbis. For example, the 4th Infantry Division coming from FT Hood (where I am usually posted) doesn't have a Rabbi. I've got a SFC to be the Lay Leader for the division, but he'll need help organizing a Seder. If they're near where I am now, then I'll try to get any Jewish soldiers to come to a Seder here. Travel is difficult due to terrorism, sniper attacks etc... so it may not be possible, but I'll be trying. I think there's now one Rabbi in Iraq, but I'm not sure where. Hope this explanation helps. Kol Tov. Dovid."

"The war seems to be going well, but during this afternoon's scud attack (and patriot missile intercept), I managed to bump into a tent line while diving for my gas mask and the nearest bunker. I think I pulled a muscle, but not a big problem. Life is always interesting." Kol Tov, Dovid Goldstrom, 15 MI BN Chaplain / III Corps Rabbi, Chaplain (Captain) David Goldstrom.