Troops: British vs. American

Some of the British forces now in the Gulf say they may ENJOY SOMEWHAT BETTER CONDITIONS than the larger American force. “The British get their mail in about five days,” said Sgt. Clive Gaughan, 32, of Edinburgh. “The Americans get theirs in about five weeks. They’re very jealous of our system.” Lt. Mark Thornhill, 24, of London, said he hears envying comments from Americans still wearing jungle fatigues about the beige-on-brown desert camouflage of the British. And many of the British have admitted a fondness for U.S. rations--the much-ridiculed Meals Ready to Eat--and U.S. sleeping cots, both items heavily traded for on the unofficial military marketplace.