Sandbags are filled in the desert just as in the jungle - but they aren't nearly as many of them. A forward base in Vietnam seemed almost all sandbags. At Con Thien and Khe Sahn few structures rose more than four feet above the ground and few materials other than sandbags met the eye. Marines lived underground. Not so in the 3rd Armored Cavalry and 11th Air Defense Artillery encampments in the desert.
Tents are the rule and sandbag barricades are absent.
Everything looks neat in these desert camps, including the soldiers. Boots are polished. In Vietnam , a helmet was a billboard. It was marked with peace signs or threats against Ho Chi Minh or statements of outrage. And stuck in helmet bands was insect repellant, cigarette packs, plastic spoons and lucky charms.