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Balad
- Thread starter The White Coat Investor
- Start date
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- Oct 27, 2002
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Balad is the largest base in Iraq--half Army (Anaconda) and half AF (Balad AFB). It is so large that it really is a midsize city, but looks like a giant sprawling trailer park in the middle of a desolate dirt parking lot. Accomodations are mobile-home trailers divided into three rooms (major and LTC get their own room, capt. and lieutenant share). There are two big BX's and even fast food stands run by pakistani's. Travel light--you can buy everything you need when you get there. The downside is the mortar attacks which occur frequently. It used to be called "mortaritaville" by the Army. If you PM me with your phone number, I can tell you more details about why it's actually safer than it sounds, but any more details would be a security breach on an open forum.
The hospital is an AFTH and is very busy with complex trauma. It is still in tents which leak rain in the winter and dust in the summer. It's the only major unit on base that is not in a real building (which gives you some idea of the importance the AF places on medical care). The upside is that there is actual medical care to do and sick patients to take care of versus the usual AF deployment where you sit around all day doing nothing but sick call.
Frankly, I thought the AF prep. for deployment to Balad was pathetic, and I knew almost nothing about what to expect, what to bring, etc. Seriously, PM me and I can give you all the details.
The hospital is an AFTH and is very busy with complex trauma. It is still in tents which leak rain in the winter and dust in the summer. It's the only major unit on base that is not in a real building (which gives you some idea of the importance the AF places on medical care). The upside is that there is actual medical care to do and sick patients to take care of versus the usual AF deployment where you sit around all day doing nothing but sick call.
Frankly, I thought the AF prep. for deployment to Balad was pathetic, and I knew almost nothing about what to expect, what to bring, etc. Seriously, PM me and I can give you all the details.
