BERLIN (AP) - The German military said it has found a solution for an unusual logistics problem its troops in Afghanistan face: a glut of beer.
Defense Ministry spokeswoman Christina Routsi said Monday a recent decision by the German commander in Afghanistan to ban the consumption of alcohol for security reasons had resulted in a pileup of beer, wine and mixed drinks at Camp Marmal in Mazar-e-Sharif.
German soldiers are usually entitled to two cans of beer - or equivalent - per day.
Routsi said the military had found a civilian contractor who will take the alcohol out of the country ahead of the German troops' withdrawal from Afghanistan as the NATO mission in the country ends in the coming months.
The German army said the almost 6,000 gallons of alcohol - including almost 60,000 cans of beer - couldn't be sold in Afghanistan due to local religious restrictions, or destroyed for environmental reasons.
Proceeds from the German contractor's sale of the beer elsewhere should cover the cost of taking it out of the country, the army said.