The Base

I figure I would post various images of my base. They are limited in detail for security reasons. All of the military installations date back to when Saddam ruled Iraq. I have intentionally left off anything that could compromise security at my base. I like the insurgents to keep guessing!

Say halo to my lil freinds!!!! Great line from Scarface~

Picture on the left is our outdoor hut next to my office we used to watch the Super Bowl. We had a lil party. Thats right a lil party. Look hard and you will see beer, chips, dip, and a plasma TV. The next picture is of my office. It is also an old Saddam era building. The place I spend every single day at!!

The picture on the left is my CHU, Containerized Housing Unit (pronounced “choo”) - Aluminum boxes slightly larger [22’x8’] than a commercial shipping container, with linoleum floors and cots or beds inside. This insulated CONEX shipping container has a door, window, top vent,
power cabling, and an air conditioner. The middle picture and picture to the right is our common area. Notice what appears to be a large black table? It top is full of sand, dirt, and dust that it no longer appears black. Clean it all you want, it will look that way the next day. In the background what appears to be a cement tunnel. It is our faithful bunker. Although I have not had the pleasure to be in my bunker yet, I have crashed other people's bunkers.

This is the inside of my room. Yes its messy...... Do you think the government was going to flip the tab on house cleaning? Yes, I get my laundry washed and folded and the opportunity for 4 cooked meals a day by Serka/KBR but Uncle Sam has his limits. Notice my body armor on my bed and helmet next to my bed. That is their standard positions incase of emergancy.




The above pictures are of structures on Saddam's old base. If you look close to the images you will see damage from the US attack. Upper picture is of a random building. Next two are of a bunker. Lower picture is a pill-box. Other is the sun either rising or setting on a tower on base.

28 Days Of February In Mosul

With the elections being over, it was hoped that peace would be brought to Mosul. Unfortunately, February the shortest month in the year has been everything but peaceful. I have listed the daily reports for February and provided some stats. By reading these daily reports it is evident that Mosul still remains the most dangerous city in Iraq. I am thankful that I am on the base and not subject to all of this like all the innocent people of Mosul, Mosul police, Iraq Army, and US Forces on patrol in Mosul.

Civilians Wounded: 62
Civilians Killed: 20

Iraq Police Wounded: 19
Iraq Police Killed: 20

Iraq Army Wounded: 15
Iraq Army Killed: 10

US Army Wounded: 3
US Army Killed: 5

US Contractors On Patrol Wounded: 1
US Contractors On Patrol Killed: 2

Iraq Politicians Wounded in Assination Attempts: 3
Iraq Politicians Assasinated: 1

THE DAILY REPORTS:
Sunday 1 February 2009
-Gunmen blew up a farm house belonging to candidate of al Hadbaa List, Faisal al Habbu which is located in al Qunaitra area, 20 km to the south of Mosul. The house, which was only visited by the family every so often, was destroyed and no casualties were reported.

Monday 2 February 2009
-Three Iraqis from one family (the father, the mother and their son) were killed and nine were injured when a roadside bomb targeted a vehicle of the US military in downtown Mosul city north of Baghdad around 1 pm. Iraqi police said, The US military confirmed the incident saying that one was killed and six were injured.
-Two policemen were wounded by a roadside bomb south Mosul.

Tuesday 3 February 2009
-Police found one dead body in Thawra neighborhood in western Mosul.
-A roadside bomb targeted an American patrol in the Nabi Yunis neighborhood in eastern Mosul around 2 p.m. Four people were wounded, police said. With no casualties on the American side.

Wednesday 4 February 2009
-Around 3:30 p.m. a parked car bomb targeted a police vehicle in Al Ziraai neighborhood, east Mosul, injuring four civilians.

Thursday 5 February 2009
-Reporter Salam Arab Doski, was killed by a policeman during a fight, on his doorstep in Wadi Sakhr neighbourhood, western Mosul at 4 p.m. Thursday. Police said it was a personal issue.
-Gunmen opened fire upon a policeman in al Jammasa neighbourhood, northeastern Mosul at 5 p.m. and killed him strait away.
-A roadside bomb targeted a police patrol in Zinjili neighbourhood, western Mosul at around 6 p.m. injuring one civilian and one policeman.

Friday 6 February 2009
-Abdulmajeed al Nuaimi, member of the incumbent provincial council in Mosul reported a strange object next to the outside wall of his home. When the Iraqi army responded, they found a roadside bomb, and were able to detonate it under control causing no damages or casualties.

Saturday 7 February 2009
-Iraqi army found an anonymous body in Makhmoor town southeast of Mosul city on Saturday morning.
-Police arrested a gunman after clashes broke out between Iraqi police and insurgents in Yarmouk neighborhood in west Mosul.
-A policeman was injured when gunmen threw a grenade targeting a police checkpoint in downtown Mosul city on Saturday afternoon.

Sunday 8 February 2009
-A roadside bomb detonated in Dawasa neighborhood in Mosul around 10 a.m. One person was wounded.
-A squad of the Iraqi army released a kidnapped man and arrested one of the kidnappers in Wana town (35 kilometers northern Mosul) Saturday night.
-Gunmen killed two men (a former policeman and his father) in one of the villages in Sinjar (west of Mosul) in the afternoon.

Monday 9 February 2009
-A suicide car bomber targeted an American patrol in the New Mosul neighborhood (west Mosul) around 12:40 p.m. Three people were wounded included two policemen who were at a check point at the scène, Iraqi police said. The multi national corps in Iraq confirmed the incident." Three U.S. Coalition Soldiers were killed, and another Soldier later died of wounds when a suicide vehicle borne improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle in Mosul, Iraq Feb.9. One interpreter was also injured in the attack and later died of wounds", the public affairs of the multi national corps in Iraq reported.
- A roadside bomb detonated in Zahra neighborhood in Mosul. Two children were wounded.
- Five mortars hit Bab Sinjar neighborhood in downtown Mosul. Three people were killed including two policemen and seven others were wounded including one policeman.

Tuesday 10 February 2009
-Gunmen opened fire on a police check point in Karama neighborhood in Mosul. Two policemen were killed including a lieutenant.
-A car bomb targeted a police patrol in Dorat Baghdad neighborhood in Mosul. Three policemen were wounded.

Wednesday 11 February 2009
-One civilian was killed in Hamdaniyah area north Mosul city by a roadside bomb that targeted the convoy of the commander of Hamdaniyah emergency battalion.
-Police found one unidentified body in Faisaliyah neighborhood in Mosul.
-One Iraqi soldier was killed and five people (two soldiers and three civilians) were injured by a suicide car bomb that targeted a joint patrol of Iraq army and US military in Hadbaa neighborhood in north Mosul around 12 p.m. No casualties were reported about the US military.
-One civilian was injured when a roadside bomb detonated in Mansour neighborhood south Mosul on Wednesday afternoon.
-A traffic police was injured when an insurgent threw a grenade targeting a police car in downtown Mosul on Wednesday afternoon.
-Around 7 p.m. gunmen attacked a police patrol in Dergazliyah area easy Mosul killing three policemen.

Thursday 12 February 2009
-Gunmen killed the deputy manager of the national dialogue council, Abdul Karim al-Sharabi in the 17th of July neighborhood in Mosul around 1:15 p.m.
-A car bomb detonated in Baath neighborhood in eastern Mosul around 12:30 p.m. Four policemen were killed and three others were wounded including two civilians.
-Gunmen opened fire on Akram Khalaf, a candidate of the national movement for reform and development in Sarij Khana in Mosul in the afternoon. He was injured and transformed to hospital for treatment.

Friday 13 February 2009
PEACE IN THE CITY........ IT WAS FRIDAY 13TH!!!!!

Saturday 14 February 2009
- Around 3:30 p.m. a roadside bomb targeted an Iraqi army vehicle west Mosul city killing two civilians and injured three civilians and one soldier.

Sunday 15 February 2009
-A roadside bomb targeted an army patrol in Aden neighborhood in Mosul on Saturday. One soldier was wounded.
-A magnetic bomb detonated under a car for a candidate of the Hadbaa list which won about 50% of the voters in the provincial elections which took place on Jan 31, 2009. The candidate Talab Muhsin Abbo was injured and taken to hospital for treatment.
-Gunmen threw a grenade on a police patrol at al-Kornish street in downtown Mosul. Three people were wounded.
-Gunmen opened fire on a civilian in Yarmouk neighborhood in western Mosul killing him at once.
-Gunmen killed a soldier who was out of duty in his home town in Nablis neighborhood in western Mosul.

Monday 16 February 2009
-A roadside bomb detonated in front of a house belongs to a policeman in Maamoun neighborhood in southeast Mosul. The policeman was injured with his wife and neighbor.
-A roadside bomb targeted an army patrol in Suq alMash in western Mosul. One soldier was killed.
-A roadside bomb targeted pilgrims who were in a ceremony for the Arbaniyah of the Imam Hussein at a Shiite mosque in Sada village in eastern Mosul. No casualties reported.
-Gunmen opened fire on a police patrol in Maidan neighborhood in downtown Mosul. One policman was killed and another was wounded.
-Gunmen opened fire on a civilian in the New Mosul in western Mosul killing him at once around 8 p.m.

Tuesday 17 February 2009
-Gunmen in a speeding car opened fire and killed a civilian in Tel Atta village, to the west of Mosul city at 7 p.m.
-A sticky bomb stuck to a policeman's car detonated in Hammam al Aleel district, 20 km to the south of Mosul at around 8 p.m. The policeman escaped with injuries.

Wednesday 18 February 2009
-A roadside bomb targeted a police patrol in Suq alMash in western Mosul. One policeman was killed with damage to his car.

Thursday 19 February 2009
-A suicide bomber targeted a police patrol in Wadi Hajar in southern Mosul early morning. One policeman was killed and five people were wounded including two policemen.
-A roadside bomb targeted a police patrol in the New Mosul neighborhood in western Mosul in the evening. One policeman was wounded.
-A roadside bomb targeted a police patrol in Ghazi street in downtown Mosul around 7 p.m. One civilian was wounded.

Friday 20 February 2009
PEACE IN THE CITY!

Saturday 21 February 2009
-A roadside bomb targeted an Iraqi army vehicle in Mosul city injuring one soldier.

Sunday 22 February 2009
-A roadside bomb targeted an Iraqi army patrol in Baaj neighborhood in western Mosul around 2 p.m. Five soldiers were killed.
- A roadside bomb targeted an army patrol in Hawi al-Kanisa in western Mosul. Two soldiers were killed and three others were wounded.
-A roadside bomb targeted an army patrol in Hamam alAleel in southern Mosul. Five soldiers were wounded.
-A gunman threw a grenade at a police patrol in Khalid bin Waleed street in downtown Mosul. A woman was wounded in that incident.

Monday 23 February 2009
-A car bomb was detonated under control by the Iraqi army in Baath neighborhood in eastern Mosul. No casualties reported.
-A magnetic bomb was detonated under a sedan car for a candidate of the National Iraqi list in the Jamiaa neighborhood in eastern Mosul. The candidate was wounded in that incident.

Tuesday 24 February 2009
-Three policemen were injured by a roadside bomb that targeted their patrol in Mansour neighborhood in south Mosul on Monday morning.
-Two civilians injured when gunmen threw a grenade targeting the office of the PUK Party in downtown Mosul city
-An Iraqi interpreter was killed and other people were injured including US soldiers when two policemen attacked a police station in West Mosul on Tuesday afternoon. US military confirmed the incident.
***One US Soldier died and 3 other US Soldiers were injured in the above attack***


Wednesday 25 February 2009
- Police opened fire at a suspected suicide car bomber near a check point in Bashiqa in northeast of Mosul around 3:30 p.m. The car was detonated and the suicide bomber was killed.
- Gunmen threw a grenade at a police patrol at the Kornish street in downtown Mosul. Two people were wounded.

Thursday 26 February 2009
- A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol in Wadi Hajar in Mosul wounded three people.
- A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol in Karama neighborhood in Mosul killed an officer and left three other people wounded.

Friday 27 February 2009
-A roadside bomb targeted an Iraqi Army patrol near the Siha traffic tunnel, western Mosul, Thursday injuring two: a major and a soldier.

Saturday 28 February 2009
- A roadside bomb targeted a police vehicle in central Mosul. One civilian was injured.

Climate Gauge in Mosul

I wanted to post some unclassified news reports we receive here in Mosul on a daily basis. These reports are not widely published but will let you get a feel of what is specifically taking place in Mosul in the last couple of days leading up to the elections and after the elections.

Push for power brings back Mosul's dark legacy 1-28-2009

Mosul - The river Tigris bisects Mosul, the capital of the northern
Iraqi province of Nineveh. On the western bank is the old city, the centre of Nineveh's majority Sunni population.

The suburbs and villages to the east and to the north are largely Kurdish, but are also home to a patchwork of one of the most diverse mixes of Iraqis anywhere in the country.
For years, pockets of almost every religious and ethnic community in Iraq - Sunni Arabs, Shiite Arabs, Sunni Kurds, Yazidi Kurds, Turkomans, Chaldean Christians, Nestorian Christians, Armenians, and Shabaks - lived in relative harmony here.

But after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, it was Mosul that provided one of the first preludes to the dark sectarian strife that was to descend on Iraq in the years to come.
Now, as Nineveh prepares to vote in provincial council elections, Mosul has seen a series of sectarian attacks and bitter recriminations that have stoked fears that the elections could bring simmering sectarian rivalries back to a boil.

Kurdish parties have long sought to incorporate northern and eastern Nineveh into the semi-autonomous region controlled by the Kurdish Regional Government.
In the 2005 elections, aided by calls for a boycott from Sunni leaders, Kurds won 31 of 41 seats on the provincial council, despite the fact that Sunnis make up a majority in the province.

A US soldier collects the fingerprints of an Iraqi man next to a sign that reads, "Infidel, there's no place to hide" during a large operation launched in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Al-Qaeda remains a threat to this weekend's election in Iraq, a senior army commander warned, as the United States said it expected its troops to be involved in the war-torn nation for many years.

Tens of Thousands Vote Early in Iraq Soldiers, Physicians, Refugees Go to Polls 1-29-2009

Tens of thousands of policemen and soldiers, doctors at hospitals, prisoners clad in orange jumpsuits and residents forced from contested towns cast early ballots Wednesday in provincial elections that will redraw Iraq's political landscape.

Regular voting is scheduled for Saturday to choose the equivalent of state legislatures in 14 of the country's 18 provinces. But early voting was allowed for certain groups, in particular the security forces, which will be deployed as part of a security clampdown. On election day, the government has ordered a nighttime curfew, the closing of Iraq's borders and airport, and a ban on traffic in towns and cities.

There was scattered violence Wednesday. Assailants gunned down two policemen in Tuz Khurmatu, 40 miles south of the disputed city of Kirkuk, and a bombing killed a policeman in the northern city of Mosul. But attacks so far have been relatively few compared with the onslaught that preceded Iraq's elections in 2005. Sunni Arabs largely boycotted that vote, delivering disproportionate power to Shiite Arabs and Kurds in some provinces.

Salwa Majid, seen with her newborn son, Haidar Karrar, holds up her ink-stained finger after she cast her vote from her hospital bed in the country's provincial elections in Najaf, 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009. Full-scale voting is scheduled for Saturday to pick regional councils across much of Iraq. But special ballot boxes were brought early to detention facilities, hospitals and police and military units needed for the sweeping anti-terrorism measures that include vehicle bans and double-ring cordons around polling sites.

Iraqi soldiers point their ink stained index fingers after voting in the provincial elections in the mainly Sunni Muslim city of Ramadi, 100 kms west of the capital Baghdad. Several hundred thousand Iraqis voted on Wednesday in the first stage of a landmark provincial election, the country's first ballot since 2005, with officials reporting a high turnout.

Three Candidates Are Killed in Iraq 1-30-2009

Three Sunni candidates were assassinated Thursday, just two days before provincial elections. They came from three different blocs and all three were shot to death — one in Mosul, one in Diyala and one in Baghdad.

The deaths bring to six the number of candidates who have been killed.
The candidates in Mosul and Baghdad were killed near their homes; the one in Diyala, northeast of Baghdad, was pasting his election posters to a wall when he was killed with his brother and another relative.

That candidate, Abbas Farhan al-Azzawi, was a colonel in the former Iraqi Army and a member of the Reform and Development Party, a predominantly Sunni group. The party includes members of the former security forces and members of the Awakening movement, which has many insurgents who decided to change sides and work with the Americans against extremists.
The candidate killed in the Amiriya neighborhood of western Baghdad was Omar Farouk al-Ani of the Iraqi Islamic Party.

The candidate killed in Mosul, Hazim Salim Ahmed, was a tribal figure from the National Unity List. He was personally close to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki and accompanied him during his visit there on Thursday.

A U.S soldier of 1- 8 Infantry Battalion stands guard in front of a candidate's provincial election campaign poster in Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad January 29, 2009. An election in two days in Iraq's most violent province, where al Qaeda and other insurgents are making a last stand, could bring Sunni Arabs back into power and ease resentment that has fuelled the bloodshed. Picture taken January 29, 2009.

An Iraqi soldier mans a machinegun on an armoured vehicle during a patrol in Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad January 29, 2009. An election in two days in Iraq's most violent province, where al Qaeda and other insurgents are making a last stand, could bring Sunni Arabs back into power and ease resentment that has fuelled the bloodshed. Picture taken January 29, 2009.

Iraqi city of Mosul key electoral battlefield 1-31-2009
By KIM GAMEL – 12 hours ago

MOSUL, Iraq (AP) — This weekend's election in Mosul is a showdown for power between Arabs and Kurds, with the outcome likely to influence whether al-Qaida and other Sunni insurgents lose their last major urban foothold in Iraq.

U.S. officials say the insurgency remains a potent force in Mosul, Iraq's third largest city, in part because the majority Sunni Arab population believes it is poorly served by a local government dominated by Kurds.

Voters have a chance to change that when they select members of ruling provincial councils here and in most of the country in Saturday's balloting, the first election in three years.
As a sign of the tension here, Iraqi police banned vehicles from Mosul's streets Friday morning and told residents to stay at home until they are ready to vote the following day. Similar bans were not due to take effect in the rest of the country until late Friday.
The measures in Mosul were imposed the day after gunmen assassinated a local Sunni candidate.

Sunnis largely boycotted the last provincial polls in January 2005, allowing Kurds to gain control of 31 seats on the 41-member council and leaving Sunnis with only a handful. The new council will have only 37 members, including three seats reserved for minorities.U.S. officials hope a big Sunni Arab turnout will bring them fully into the political process and undermine support for the insurgency.

Sami Habib Istifo sits in his office in the village of Hamdaniya, east of the restive city of Mosul, some 370 kms north of Baghdad on January 18, 2009. Istifo, a Christian candidate in Iraq's provincial elections, has already lined up a replacement in case he is killed before voting day tomorrow.

An Iraqi police officer stands at the border crossing with Iran near Basra, southern Iraq, Friday, Jan. 30, 2009. Iraq began Friday sealing its borders, halting air traffic and ordering overnight curfews in some of its largest cities on the eve of its nationwide provincial elections. Other planned security measures included closing the southern city of Basra and ordering traffic bans across Baghdad. Hundreds of women, including teachers and civic workers, have been recruited to help search women voters after a rise in female suicide bombers last year.

My Flight To Mosul

We were all given our final orders and approval to fly to our final bases. Due to the holidays most flights were packed but lucky me, I was passenger #5 on a plane that could hold 158. I was the one and only person on my team to roll to theater that night. Talk about butterflies! No turning back now.

While waiting in manifesting for my flight, I met an Israeli American. He was former special forces and now supports our military due to the fact he can speak 5 languages fluently. He was on my flight and spoke positively about Mosul. I had heard some pretty negative things about Mosul but he help me put them to rest.

We boarded our C-17 and we were now only 4 passengers. The crew on the C-17 were very cool and let me take some pictures in the aircraft. We had to wear full gear once we were in Iraq air space.

These pictures were just right after we took off from Ali Al Salem. The picture behind me shows the cargo door that opens to the tarmac and creates a ramp on to the aircraft. The picture towards the front of the aircraft shows a round glass circle. That is the cockpit and the pilots can check on us from that window. Look at all the wiring hanging on the fuselage. I think if most people saw all the wires between the fuselage and cabin the might get a little nervous while they fly. There are just thousand and thousand of wires/cables etc hanging.

The flight was uneventful and I landed safely in Mosul 1.5 hours later. It was about 4:30 AM and dark... real dark. Mosul is a lights off base for security. At night it is pitch black. The pitch darkness is going to play a role in a funny story that happen to me the very next night.

Mosul at night is great for star gazing not great to walk around. Too bad my night vision and Orion telescope are still in Tampa. Well, I hope all three of my telescopes are still in Tampa. You never know when Colleen might clean house. :-)

The above pictures are of what a C-17 looks like from outside.

C-17 GLOBEMASTER III

Mission

The C-17 Globemaster III is the newest, most flexible cargo aircraft to enter the airlift force. The C-17 is capable of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases or directly to forward bases in the deployment area. The aircraft can perform tactical airlift and airdrop missions and can also transport litters and ambulatory patients during aeromedical evacuations when required. The inherent flexibility and performance of the C-17 force improve the ability of the total airlift system to fulfill the worldwide air mobility requirements of the United States.The ultimate measure of airlift effectiveness is the ability to rapidly project and sustain an effective combat force close to a potential battle area. Threats to U.S. interests have changed in recent years, and the size and weight of U.S.-mechanized firepower and equipment have grown in response to improved capabilities of potential adversaries. This trend has significantly increased air mobility requirements, particularly in the area of large or heavy outsize cargo. As a result, newer and more flexible airlift aircraft are needed to meet potential armed contingencies, peacekeeping or humanitarian missions worldwide. The C-17 is capable of meeting today's demanding airlift missions.

Features

Reliability and maintainability are two outstanding benefits of the C-17 system. Current operational requirements impose demanding reliability and maintainability. These requirements include an aircraft mission completion success probability rate of 92 percent, only 20 aircraft maintenance man-hours per flying hour, and full and partial mission availability rates of 74.7 and 82.5 percent, respectively. The Boeing warranty assures these figures will be met.The C-17 measures 174 feet long (53 meters) with a wingspan of 169 feet, 10 inches (51.75 meters). The aircraft is powered by four, fully reversible, Federal Aviation Administration-certified F117-PW-100 engines (the military designation for the commercial Pratt & Whitney PW2040), currently used on the Boeing 757. Each engine is rated at 40,440 pounds of thrust. The thrust reversers direct the flow of air upward and forward to avoid ingestion of dust and debris. Maximum use has been made of off-the-shelf and commercial equipment, including Air Force-standardized avionics.The aircraft is operated by a crew of three (pilot, copilot and loadmaster), reducing manpower requirements, risk exposure and long-term operating costs. Cargo is loaded onto the C-17 through a large aft door that accommodates military vehicles and palletized cargo. The C-17 can carry virtually all of the Army's air-transportable equipment.Maximum payload capacity of the C-17 is 170,900 pounds (77,519 kilograms), and its maximum gross takeoff weight is 585,000 pounds (265,352 kilograms). With a payload of 169,000 pounds (76,657 kilograms) and an initial cruise altitude of 28,000 feet (8,534 meters), the C-17 has an unrefueled range of approximately 2,400 nautical miles. Its cruise speed is approximately 450 knots (.76 Mach). The C-17 is designed to airdrop 102 paratroopers and equipment.The design of the aircraft allows it to operate through small, austere airfields. The C-17 can take off and land on runways as short as 3,500 feet (1,064 meters) and only 90 feet wide (27.4 meters). Even on such narrow runways, the C-17 can turn around using a three-point star turn and its backing capability.

Background

The C-17 made its maiden flight on Sept. 15, 1991, and the first production model was delivered to Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., June 14, 1993. The first squadron of C-17s, the 17th Airlift Squadron, was declared operationally ready Jan. 17, 1995. The Air Force originally programmed to buy a total of 120 C-17s, with the last one being delivered in November 2004. Current budget plans involve purchasing 205 aircraft. The original 120 C-17s were based at Charleston AFB; McChord AFB, Wash., (first aircraft arrived in July 1999); Altus AFB, Okla.; and at an Air National Guard unit in Jackson, Miss. In August 2005, March Air Reserve Base, Calif., began basing the first of eight aircraft. In February 2006, Hickam AFB, Hawaii, received its first C-17.The C-17 is operated by the Air Mobility Command at the 60th Airlift Wing and the 349th Air Mobility Wing (Associate Reserve) at Travis AFB, Calif.; 436th AW and 512th AW (Associate Reserve) at Dover AFB, Del.; 62nd AW and 446th AW (Associate Reserve) at McChord AFB, Wash.; 437th Airlift Wing and 315th AW (Associate Reserve) at Charleston AFB, S.C.; the 305th AMW, McGuire AFB, N.J.; and the 172nd AW, Mississippi ANG. Additionally, Air Force Materiel Command operates two C-17s at Edwards AFB, Calif., and Pacific Air Forces operates eight aircraft each at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska and Hickam AFB, Hawaii (Associate Guard). The Air Force Reserve Command operates eight aircraft at March Air Reserve Base, Calif; and Air Education and Training Command has 12 aircraft at Altus AFB, Okla.

General Characteristics

Primary Function: Cargo and troop transport

Prime Contractor: Boeing Company

Power Plant: Four Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofan engines

Thrust: 40,440 pounds, each engine

Wingspan: 169 feet 10 inches (to winglet tips) (51.75 meters)Length: 174 feet (53 meters)Height: 55 feet 1 inch (16.79 meters)

Cargo Compartment: length, 88 feet (26.82 meters); width, 18 feet (5.48 meters); height, 12 feet 4 inches (3.76 meters)

Speed: 450 knots at 28,000 feet (8,534 meters) (Mach .76)

Service Ceiling: 45,000 feet at cruising speed (13,716 meters)

Range: Global with in-flight refueling

Crew: Three (two pilots and one loadmaster)

Aeromedical Evacuation Crew: A basic crew of five (two flight nurses and three medical technicians) is added for aeromedical evacuation missions. Medical crew may be altered as required by the needs of patientsMaximum Peacetime

Takeoff Weight: 585,000 pounds (265,352 kilograms)

Load: 102 troops/paratroops; 36 litter and 54 ambulatory patients and attendants; 170,900 pounds (77,519 kilograms) of cargo (18 pallet positions)

Unit Cost: Unit Cost: $202.3 million (fiscal 1998 constant dollars)Date Deployed: June 1993

Inventory: Active duty, 158; Air National Guard, 8; Air Force Reserve,

My Stay At Ali Al Salem

After 29 to 30 hours, I finally made it to Ali Al Salem. We meet with our POC and sent to our new room for the next week. I was assigned to Tent N3 with another 3 guys on my team. About midnight We arrived in N3 all lights were off in the tent. I did not know that these tents even had lights. We all used our flashlights and started to name beds. Problem number 1, there was 4 of us and only 3 beds. So we got to meet the term "tent hopping" for the first time. We would have "tent hoppers" our entire stay. N3 was Central Station. Ali Al Salem is a clearinghouse for people entering and leaving the war theater. What is supposed to happen is that you are assigned a tent and your bed should be available. People tent hop and screw up the whole system. By the ended of the night we lost another colleague from a hopper who stole his bed while he hit the chow hall.

My week in tent city was hell. I had shampoo and styling gel stolen(God knows what else), I could not sleep at all since people were entering and leaving all day and night, had to share community showers and bathrooms and could not bring any laptops and bags into chow hall for security reasons. So in other words if you are a high tech guy like myself and already had stuff stolen you are basically screwed.

To touch on the highlights of my stay at Ali Al Salem, I found out that I can get full military discount on a vehicle since I am working for Dept of Defense. I already have my eye on the Jeep Wrangler X. The base had the Australian Air force which was always pleasant to hear the cheerful voices on the Aussies even though their camo uniforms look like something a girl would sleep in. The MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) was a happening spot for us. It is what the US military uses for a recreation center. There a TVs, ping pong, pool tables, foos ball and PCs to use. Since I am with a team of tech guys, we took over corner of the MWR and built our own command center. We had more laptops and gear there that the military guys started to call us the IT Dept. We were having troops ask if they could buy WiFi from us. Too bad Wataniya owns the WiFi. It was pretty funny. I wished I could have taken some pictures but photography is not allowed at Ali Al Salem.

I got to go to Kuwait City to attend meetings at my company's villa. Our villa is located in a residential neighborhood and I got a chance to see everyday life for the locals. We had our lunch catered by an American girl that specializes in soul food. I had the best fried fish and the fried chicken was great too. It was neat to see Kuwait from outside the base. While driving to and from the villa, it was weird to see large tents in the middle of the desert. I was told that these are weekend tents for Kuwaitis. On the weekend they have their servants bring all the luxuries in life to these tents. Inside the tents are large screen TVs, expensive Persian rugs, and kingsize beds. Every once in awhile I would see a lamb/goat dead in the sand. I was told that this was a typical sacrificial practice done in Kuwait while visiting thier tents.
I did not take any pictures but I have add pictures to my blog by utilizing pictures that are already available on the WWW. The above pictures show the tents we stayed in while Ali Al Salem.

Ali Al Salem Air Base

(IATA: OKAS) is an airfield situated in Kuwait approximately 23 miles from the Iraqi border. The airfield is owned by the Kuwaiti Government and during Operation Southern Watch and Operation Telic / Operation Iraqi Freedom hosted Royal Air Force, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps personnel and aircraft. Since those operations, the base has been returned to the control of the Kuwaiti Government, with the USAF continuing to maintain a presence alongside their Kuwait Air Force counterparts. The principal USAF unit on base is the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing (386 AEW).

Recent History
In 1990 the base was the first to be overrun by Saddam's troops. Fighting at that initial battle lasted for less than thirty minutes as most of the Kuwaiti military chose to flee rather than face almost certain defeat. A small number of Kuwaiti regulars, staff officers, and the base general stayed to fight. Upon discovery by the Iraqi military, the Kuwaiti general was hanged from the base flagpole by Saddam's troops. New flagpoles have since been installed, however as of December 2007 the original pole still stands. The remaining Kuwaiti military personnel were lined up outside the old Kuwaiti officers' club and shot. While no longer used, the building and bullet holes remain.

Significant bomb damage incurred during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait is still visible 15 years after the liberation of Ali Al Salem.

Prior to 1990, the French, under contract, built large reinforced concrete hardened aircraft storage (HAS) bunkers for the Kuwaiti Air Force. The French told the Kuwaitis that the structures were impenetrable. After Iraq took over the base, they moved the Kuwaiti aircraft and parked the Iraqi aircraft in the hangars. The French impenetrable claim turned out to be wrong when the US and allied forces, in the opening hours of desert storm, punched through the concrete bunkers. The Kuwaitis are still involved in legal suits over the "impenetrable clause of the contract." The French claim that they had no way of foreseeing that the US had invented bunker busters - some say that the French intended for the bunkers to protect against Soviet-procured Iraqi weapons. You can see one of the "HAS" bunkers and the destruction done by the bunker busters on this page.

RAF Use
The RAF operated out of AAS from late 1998, just before Operation Desert Fox. The RAF detachment consisted of various non-formed units and a rotating Squadron of Panavia Tornado GR1As and later Tornado GR4s. The base was rapidly expanded in early 2003 to base the Joint Helicopter Command assets prior to start of Operation Telic, the British designation for the US designated Operation Iraqi Freedom.

During the war, the RAF amalgamated five Tornado GR4 Squadrons based at AAS to form the Ali Al Salem Combat Air Wing, commanded by Wing Commander Paddy Teakle OBE (OC 31 'Goldstars' Squadron). He was awarded the DSO for his leadership.
The RAF had relocated to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar by 2004.

Current Status
This base now hosts several United States Air Force tenant units, principal among them the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing. Their ongoing mission is in support of Iraqi Freedom. Their main task is to refuel, repair and provide general support for aircraft in transit to Iraq.
Ali Al Salem Air Base, also known colloquially by USAF personnel as "The Rock", is also home to Ali Al Salem Kuwaiti Air Base, the Army LSA (Life Support Area)and the U.S. Navy Seabee's Camp Moreell. The Army LSA and Camp Moreell are used as a transient point for military personnel going in and out of the Middle East (Afghanistan, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain) and Africa (namely Djibouti). US Navy Customs also works from a compound within the LSA, their mission being to provide customs and agricultural inspections for all Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and civilians returning to the United States. US Military forces do daily convoys near and within Iraq in support of Operation Southern Watch and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Being the closest air base to the border of Iraq, "The Rock" and the "LSA" provide a key location for allied forces to provide support for troops in southern Iraq.

External Links
Airport information for OKAS at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
Account of the base commander's role in the 1990 invasion
Ali Al Salem at GlobalSecurity.org
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Al_Salem_Air_Base"

My Trip to Ali Al Salem Air Base Kuwait

My trip to Ali Al Salem was one of many hours and required a lot of patience. We started out at Ft Benning. I had to get up early, 0430, and get to the flight staging area with the rest of our group going overseas. I took communion from the Army Chaplin. It is just grape juice if anyone is concerned. I could have used real wine for the anxiety. For security, we did not know exact flight times or itinerary until we pretty much boarded the aircraft. Too late to back out at this point. This image is at Ft Benning Freedom Hall where we sat and waited for the aircraft. I thought it was funny that the US, Florida, and Texas flags were all side by side. Those are all my states.

We proceed to Bangor, Maine. We were greeted by a group of old Veterans, their wives, and locals with their kids. Every day and every night no matter what time, someone is sitting in Bangor, Maine International Airport waiting for inbound and outbound troops to arrive. Its very heart warming to know that small town values and patriotism still exist in our country. The true heroes are these people who take time to thank a soldier. I am not soldier and this meant a lot to me. I can only imagine what our troops feel! Thank You to the people of Bangor Maine!!!!!

The above picture shows the outside of the airport. It was snowing and 14 degress. Just a wee bit chilly for me. Next to it is just a picutre of Bangor that is located in the airport.

These are our other courages soldiers. These two dogs are mine dogs and do a great job of keeping our troops safe. They got to get released from thier kennels during our layover in Bangor.

After Bangor we went to Leipzig Germany. It was cold there as well 24 degrees. They had bier garten that was off-limits to us. Trust me I really could have used a beer but the Colonel was going to let us have any part of that.

The above picture is our group entering the flight on to Kuwait. The rest are just misc. pics of the airport.

Once we arrive in Kuwait City, Kuwait we headed to out new home for the week. Ali Al Salem Airbase. I will put that expeience in another post.

Night Before Kuwait/Iraq

Its the eve before the big day. Most everyone is quite and keeping to themselves besides everyone sitting in here watching the Florida/OU game. Go Gators!!!! We have all had long week here in Ft. Benning. Evasion and hostage classes, IED and land mine school, had to get anthrax and small pox shot (I asked to have them put it over my old small pox scar they said no), got fitted for kevlar vest and visited the Army Chaplin who gave me a scapular and Catholic trinkets(which Mama Latta says I must wear the whole time in Iraq) and he even gave me a camofulage Bible. They even taught me how medivac someone who is wounded. This has been a fast paced intensive week.










This is the worst sign to see here at Ft Benning -------> That's right, I have 7,500 miles to get to Iraq. We have to get up at 0430 and be ready to depart for aircraft at 0630. Looks like we will have 221 people on the flight and I am sure we will pick up more. All information is classified and I am not even sure how we will route to Kuwait, what base we might land at to pick up more troops or what time our flight leaves. Even with my clearance, I know very little. I am sure it will be a very long, long, long day.

I have met some great people here this week. Major Eric K. (my roommate) from Massachusetts who is going to Afghanistan. My former colleague Henry is already there and I have set them up to meet. Hopefully Henry will get the Major some coms so he can talk to his wife, and two daughters which one is only 3 weeks old. Smooth talking Ron (my other roommate) from Dallas going to Afghanistan. Patrick K. going to Kyrgyzstan. Mike P. the funniest guy in the world who can talk more than me if that is humanly possible. Mike is rolling to Baghdad to work with the coalition forces. Arvie I. from Cali going to Basra. These are just a few of the many great people I have met this week.

Colleen's dad came to visit me here today to take me to lunch. This was the first time I have left the base in one week. We went to Longhorns and I got steak and mash potatoes my favorite. That will be my last meal in a restaurant until I get back to the States.

I also know that I am ultimatley going to Mosul when I reach Iraq. It is the Kurdish region of the country. It is Northern part of the country near Turkey and should be cooler than the rest. I am lucky that Colleen's dads best friend, Lt Colonel Leif G., is in Mosul too. Hopefully Leif and I can meet up for some near beer. No booze in Iraq! I will end on that note.

Mosul
The city of Mosul is predominantly Kurdish but has a substantial non-Kurdish minority. This minority consists of Iraqis sympathetic to the Saddam Hussein regime. The Iraqis as well as both Kurdish factions are Sunni Muslims. Although the Kurds and Iraqis share a common religion they have little else in common and are frequent adversaries. After the deployment of US forces in 2003, militant members of both the the PKU (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) and the KDP (Kurdish Democratic Party) were suspected of reprisals against Iraqis in Mosul.
With a rich ancient Assyrian history, Mosul is a historically important trade center linking Persia and the Mediterranean. In the 8th century, Mosul became the principal city of northern Mesopotamia under the early Muslim Abbasid dynasty. In the Ottoman period it was one of the provincial seats of administration. The largest city in Iraqi Kurdistan, Mosul is predominantly Kurdish with a sizeable Turkomen minority. The Yazidi sect is most numerous in the surrounding mountainous area. Mosul also has the largest number of Iraqi Christians of any Iraqi city, including Nestorians, Jacobites, Catholics and Chaldeans. There are churches in Mosul that are historically and culturally important for several of these Christian sects.
Mosul [Arabic: 'al-mawsil] was the location of the headquarters of the Iraqi Army 5th Corps and the 16th Infantry Division of the Iraqi Army 5th Corps.
The territory of modern Iraq is roughly equivalent to that of ancient Mesopotamia, which fostered a succession of early civilizations. The history of Mesopotamia began with the civilization of the Sumerians around 5000 BC in the southern region of Iraq. In 2371 BC, King Sargon Of Akkad asserted control of the region and established the first Assyrian dynasty. The Assyrians ruled the region and expanded its territories to include modern Turkey, Iran, Syria and Israel. The Assyrian empire reigned until the fall of its capital Nineveh (modern day Mosul) in 612 BC.
Mosul is Iraq's third largest city, with approximately 665,000 inhabitants as of 1987. It is situated some 400km north of Baghdad situated on the west bank of Tigris, and close to the ruined Assyrian city of Nineveh. Many of the people of Mosul and its environs are Assyrians, though they are not the Assyrians of old. The city is sometimes described as the Pearl of the North. It differs considerably from the other cites of Iraq in its architecture: marble is ubiquitous, especially in frames of windows or doors. The city has kept an oriental character that Baghdad has lost: its older part is preserved, with its tortuous streets. There is an old center to Mosul with narrow, shady alleys of mud-plastered houses but much of the city consists of prosperous looking suburbs with large, square concrete houses surrounded by walled gardens. Some of them are extravagant mansions with dramatic balconies and pilastered entrances.
In approximately 850 BC, King Assurnasirpal II of Assyria chose the city of Nimrud to build his capital city where present day Mosul is located. In approximately 700 BC, King Sennacherib made Nineveh the new capital of Assyria. The mound of Kuyunjik in Mosul is the site of the palaces of King Sennacherib and his grandson Ashurbanipal. Probably built on the site of an earlier Assyrian fortress, Mosul later succeeded Nineveh as the Tigris bridgehead of the road that linked Syria and Anatolia with Persia.
Assyria took its name from its chief city, Assur, on the upper Tigris. Lying north of Babylonia, on the great trade route of the Fertile Crescent, the country was frequently invaded from the north as well as from the south. Constant warfare made the Assyrians fierce fighters, and traders who passed their way were forced to pay them tribute for protection. The Assyrians had long been under the control of Babylon and had absorbed Babylonian culture. Like the Babylonians they were Semites, and their language was almost identical with the Babylonian. From the Hittites of Anatolia they learned the use of iron and developed powerful weapons to build up a military state. From them they also acquired horses and were the first to use them in war as cavalry instead of for drawing chariots.
Assyria's greatest period of expansion took place as the power of the Hittites and Egyptians over Syria and Palestine gradually weakened. The Assyrian King Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727 BC) took Damascus, in Syria. Sargon II (722-705 BC), most famous of Assyrian kings, made Palestine an Assyrian province. His son Sennacherib (705-681 BC) conquered Sidon, in Phoenicia, but Tyre resisted his assault. Esarhaddon (681-668 BC) conquered Egypt. Ashurbanipal (668-626 BC), the last of the great Assyrian kings, subdued Elam, east of Mesopotamia, and extended the empire to its greatest size. Roads were built to enable the Assyrian armies to subdue rebels quickly. A highly organized mail service carried messages from the court to faraway governors.
North of Nineveh, Sargon II built a palace far surpassing anything seen before his day. It covered 25 acres (10 hectares) and had nearly 1,000 rooms. Near it stood a seven-story ziggurat temple. Sennacherib put up three magnificent palaces in his capital at Nineveh. The Babylonians had covered their brick walls with glazed brickwork of many colors, but the Assyrians faced theirs with delicately carved slabs of limestone or glowing alabaster. Colossal human-headed winged bulls or lions, carved in alabaster, stood guard outside the main gates of palaces and temples. The Assyrians produced little literature, but in great libraries they preserved copies of Babylonian and Sumerian works. They worshiped the old Babylonian gods but gave their own god, Assur, first place. After the death of Ashurbanipal in 626 BC, Assyria's enemies joined forces. In 612 BC the Babylonians and Medes completely destroyed Nineveh. Six years later the Assyrian Empire collapsed.
By the 8th century AD Mosul had become the principal city of northern Mesopotamia. The city was an important trade center in the Abbasid era, because of its strategic position on the caravan route between India, Persia and the Mediterranean. Mosul's chief export was cotton, and today's word muslin is derived from the name of the city. In the 13th century, Mosul was almost completely destroyed by the Mongol invasion, but rebuilding and revival began under Ottoman rule. Mosul was once a walled city, and the remains of part of the city wall are still in existence at Bash Tapia castle, on the western bank of the Tigris. Mosul has an oil refinery; its productivity in the 1980s was hindered by the Iran-Iraq War.
The population of Mosul is principally Kurdish, but with a large minority of Aramaic-speaking Christian Assyrians, and a smaller minority of Turkomans. An ethnically diverse city, Mosul has the highest proportion of Christians of all the Iraqi cities, and contains several interesting old churches, including the Clock and Latin Church, which contains some fine marble and stained glass. The Chaldean Catholic Church of Al-Tahira was built as a monastery in AD300 and became a church in 1600, when various additions were built.
The Prophet Younis Mosque is one of most famous mosques in Mosul, northern Iraq. It is situated at the left bank of Tigris River on a hill called " Prophet Younis Hill" and the other name is "al- Tawba Hill." It was named in this way due to "younan Bin Matty " and the story of the whale that was mentioned in AL-Quran and the Bible. Younis, the prophet who in disobeying God's command, was punished by being thrown into the sea and swallowed by a whale. After spending many nights inside the whale in earnest prayers, God forgave him. His shrine is situated on a high hill in Mosul (Nehneva Province), 450 km northern Iraq. Pilgrimages and visitors flock to it from every where. The shrine and the mosque have undergone certain changes. New houses, watering places, blue glazed-brick buildings and a limestone minaret have been built.
An intensive campaign to develop and upkeep the shrine started in 1989. It intended to modernize the shrine service facilities in a way that would suit its religious and historic status, such as electric, health and mechanical systems, decorating walls with inscription, gypsum and Quran chapters, covering arches and support them with iron frames. The mosque walls have been covered with marble and the ceiling with brick and supply it with modern light and air conditioning systems.
The mosque is one of the sacred places in Ninevah where people and monks visit in certain occasions. It was first an Asserian temple, afterwards the place changed to became a place for fire worshipers, then a monastery, and a church, finally it became an Islamic mosque. In one of the rooms inside the mosque, there is the prophet Younis' shrine. On the walls of the room one can see the whale bones. The conic brass domes of the mosque can be seen from the outside. A winged statue is situated near the mosque, which is the sign of the Asserian civilization that was found through excavations during restoring the mosque. Besides, there is a well known as " Prophet Younis Well " where he bathed after the whale released him.

FT Benning, GA

After a long week of resigning from Level 3 Communications, a company that I had worked for over two years in Atlanta,

spending Christmas at Colleen's dads house on Thursday,

going out to Atlanta Thrashers game on Friday,

moving to Tampa on Saturday, sailing my sailboat for 14 hrs to her new berth in Hudson, FL

I arrived to Ft. Benning, Ga on Friday 01-02-2009. Friday was a total disaster! Not everything I wanted to bring would fit in my duffel bag but I left the most important items when traveling, toothbrush and shampoo just to name a few. I arrived in Atlanta via Airtran whose employees opened up my military duffel bag dug thru all my personal belongings trying to find weapons to steal. They must have almost got caught so they tossed my opened duffel bag on conveyor to carousel and all my personal effects fell out. I was pissed and all Airtran would say and do is "I am sorry" . I am not a soldier but several soldiers at Ft Benning this week have had their firearms stolen by airline cargo employees. It's a shame that someone would steal the weapon used to protect that same employee from terrorism in our country. I hope those cargo guys feel some sort of shame knowing that they took the firearm for a soldier willing to give his or hers life so they can steal and make a couple of dollars. Enough on that rant!

After almost a two hour shuttle bus ride crammed with a group of Army Rangers and other soldiers, I arrived in Columbus, GA home of Ft Benning. I was met by a older female soldier barking orders to me and who gave me some bed linens and told me which barrack would be my home for the next week. It was just like basic training in most Hollywood movies. Barrack 4704A Room 10 would be mine to share with another ITT employee and several soldiers who have come and gone throughout the week so far.