Artifact of the Month
Caffeine Gum
NOT ON DISPLAY
Anyone who has ever driven long distances, especially along monotonous roads with little to look at, knows that after a while it can be a challenge to stay alert. At home you could pull over and get some sleep or stop at a store to get that boost you need. On the roads of Iraq those options just aren't possible.
Soldiers on long convoys in Iraq had another way of getting that caffeine boost many of them needed, gum. It was caffeine-infused Wrigley’s gum to be exact. This packet of gum was used by truckers of the 57th Transportation Battalion, 336th Transportation Group, out of Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, in 2006-2007, as a way to help fight fatigue and get the cargo through.