Our new big base
We have moved to a new big base. The Army gave up the old big base to the host country so we had to move. Most of the bases are closing. People and equipment are all moving south through the rich country and then...who knows? All the bases are going to be closed and we will all be gone by the end of the year unless something changes, which it probably will six hours before the deadline. Right now there is a huge logistical task, moving people and equipment from bases that are closing to bases that may only be open for a few more months and then maybe out of the country.
It took us a few weeks of moving this, cleaning that, throwing away all kinds of stuff, blowing 1/4" layers of dust off and..."What are those things? Holy smokes, we thought those were lost. We bought new ones. How long have they been there? WHAT!!", before we were able to complete our move. I learned how to chain big containers down to airlift pallets. The people we were helping do that appreciated it and told us we did a fine job. It was good that we did because I took the same C-130 to the new base that those big containers did. We were sitting in the front of the cargo area and the containers filled the whole back end. No getting out that way. I looked at those things, looked at where I was sitting and thought to myself that I will be the first guy crushed if those things shift.
Anyway it took us weeks to complete our move and we are a wee project. Imagine the effort and organization it takes to move brigades and brigades, then do it again in a few months.
Our old big base was dirt interrupted by concrete inturrupted by gravel interrupted by T-walls and Hesco barriers, then more dirt. Dirt was the unifying theme. Our new base, if it is possible, has more dirt than the old one. The old base was big and there were still some undisturbed areas where the surface hadn't been disturbed. There were even some pathetic trees. The new base is smaller and more crowded and every square foot of the surface has been graded, moved or driven over. The dirt prevails. There is a thousands of year old ancient structure just outside the wire you can see. That is dirt too, but very old, organized, historic dirt. I thought I'd seen ugly before just north of Bakersfield but this has that beat. The dirt wins.
(They tell me one of the chaplains takes people over to the ancient structure so I am going to try to do that.)
So, that is our new big base.
It took us a few weeks of moving this, cleaning that, throwing away all kinds of stuff, blowing 1/4" layers of dust off and..."What are those things? Holy smokes, we thought those were lost. We bought new ones. How long have they been there? WHAT!!", before we were able to complete our move. I learned how to chain big containers down to airlift pallets. The people we were helping do that appreciated it and told us we did a fine job. It was good that we did because I took the same C-130 to the new base that those big containers did. We were sitting in the front of the cargo area and the containers filled the whole back end. No getting out that way. I looked at those things, looked at where I was sitting and thought to myself that I will be the first guy crushed if those things shift.
Anyway it took us weeks to complete our move and we are a wee project. Imagine the effort and organization it takes to move brigades and brigades, then do it again in a few months.
Our old big base was dirt interrupted by concrete inturrupted by gravel interrupted by T-walls and Hesco barriers, then more dirt. Dirt was the unifying theme. Our new base, if it is possible, has more dirt than the old one. The old base was big and there were still some undisturbed areas where the surface hadn't been disturbed. There were even some pathetic trees. The new base is smaller and more crowded and every square foot of the surface has been graded, moved or driven over. The dirt prevails. There is a thousands of year old ancient structure just outside the wire you can see. That is dirt too, but very old, organized, historic dirt. I thought I'd seen ugly before just north of Bakersfield but this has that beat. The dirt wins.
(They tell me one of the chaplains takes people over to the ancient structure so I am going to try to do that.)
So, that is our new big base.
posted by Carl at 12:02 PM
2 Comments:
My neighbor is heading over there in a few weeks as an acquisition guy tasked to close things down and sort out the parts and pieces. He was telling me a bit about the task and I find that I don't envy him one bit. I can only imagine the amount of junk that has been lost/misplaced over there.
I don't envy him either judging by the hassle we went through. For a really big unit with munitions and combat equipment it will be hassle magnified. Of course his task will be eased by all the people who aren't there telling him he should be doing things faster and yes they did make the arrangements they didn't really make.
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