Logistics Support Area Anaconda
Encyclopedia
Joint Base Balad, formerly Balad Air Base and Logistics Support Area
Anaconda, or simply LSA Anaconda - formerly known as Al-Bakr Air Base and known in popular media as Camp Anaconda - is one of the largest United States military bases in Iraq
. It was formerly the largest Iraqi Air Force
base.
The Army's 310th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and the Air Force's 332d Air Expeditionary Wing
are headquartered at JBB. It was decided that the facility share one name, even though for many reasons and for its many occupants, it has differing names. Until early 2009 the US Army had been in charge of the base but, when the base went "Joint" the US Air Force took overall control. Balad is the central logistical hub for forces in Iraq. Camp Anaconda has also been more colloquially-termed "Life Support Area Anaconda" or "Mortaritaville" or the "Big Snake". Joint Base Balad is also used extensively by aircraft of the Royal Air Force
, which have operated a wide range of types (rotary and fixed wing) from the base, in support of ongoing missions in the country.
As American forces leave Iraq, Joint Base Balad is planned for handover to the Iraqi Air Force by the end of 2011.
, the president of Iraq from 1968-79. It was considered by many in the Iraqi military to be the most important airfield of the Iraqi Air Force
. During most of the 1980s, it operated with at least a brigade level force, with two squadrons of MiG-23 fighters. al-Bakr AB was especially well-known for the large number of hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) built by the Yugoslavs during the Iran-Iraq War
in the mid-1980s. It had four hardened areas—one each on either end of the main runways—with approximately 30 individual aircraft shelters.
in the Sunni Triangle 40 miles (64.4 km) north of Baghdad
, it houses 28,000 military personnel and 8,000 civilian contractors. Unlike most bases in Iraq, LSA Anaconda offers amenities including a movie theater, fast food courts, dance lessons, an olympic size swimming pool, and an indoor swimming pool. The base is a common destination for celebrities and politicians visiting US troops in Iraq.
rounds and rockets were fired per day , usually hitting the empty space between the runways, although there were isolated injuries and fatalities. By mid-2006, this rate had dropped about 40% . Due to these attacks, the soldiers and airmen refer to the base as "Mortaritaville", though this name is shared with other bases in Iraq. The base is thought to be one of four "super-bases" planned by the Pentagon
once US forces are replaced by Iraqi forces on the front lines.
operation as late as the summer of 2008 burning 147 tons of waste per day when the Army Times
published a major story about it and about health concerns. Respiratory difficulties and headaches were reported.
This Trauma Center is supported by the 332nd Civil Engineer Squadron's Power Production Shop; who also boasts a 99% uninterruptable prime-power grid.
Logistics Support Area
In the United States Army, a Logistics Support Area is a military term which refers to military facilities which act as depot, barracks, and transportation hubs, providing supplies and personnel to facilities closer to or within arenas of armed conflict...
Anaconda, or simply LSA Anaconda - formerly known as Al-Bakr Air Base and known in popular media as Camp Anaconda - is one of the largest United States military bases in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. It was formerly the largest Iraqi Air Force
Iraqi Air Force
The Iraqi Air Force or IQAF is the military branch in Iraq responsible for the policing of international borders, surveillance of national assets and aerial operations...
base.
The Army's 310th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and the Air Force's 332d Air Expeditionary Wing
332d Air Expeditionary Wing
The United States Air Force's 332d Air Expeditionary Wing is an Air Expeditionary unit located at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.-Mission:...
are headquartered at JBB. It was decided that the facility share one name, even though for many reasons and for its many occupants, it has differing names. Until early 2009 the US Army had been in charge of the base but, when the base went "Joint" the US Air Force took overall control. Balad is the central logistical hub for forces in Iraq. Camp Anaconda has also been more colloquially-termed "Life Support Area Anaconda" or "Mortaritaville" or the "Big Snake". Joint Base Balad is also used extensively by aircraft of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, which have operated a wide range of types (rotary and fixed wing) from the base, in support of ongoing missions in the country.
As American forces leave Iraq, Joint Base Balad is planned for handover to the Iraqi Air Force by the end of 2011.
History
Joint Base Balad was formerly known as al-Bakr AB, named in honor of Ahmed Hassan al-BakrAhmed Hassan al-Bakr
General Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr , was the fourth President of Iraq from 1968 to 1979.-Military career:...
, the president of Iraq from 1968-79. It was considered by many in the Iraqi military to be the most important airfield of the Iraqi Air Force
Iraqi Air Force
The Iraqi Air Force or IQAF is the military branch in Iraq responsible for the policing of international borders, surveillance of national assets and aerial operations...
. During most of the 1980s, it operated with at least a brigade level force, with two squadrons of MiG-23 fighters. al-Bakr AB was especially well-known for the large number of hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) built by the Yugoslavs during the Iran-Iraq War
Iran-Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the twentieth century...
in the mid-1980s. It had four hardened areas—one each on either end of the main runways—with approximately 30 individual aircraft shelters.
Location
Located near Balad, IraqBalad, Iraq
Balad is a city north of Baghdad in the Salah ad Din Governorate Iraq. It is located within the borders of the so-called Sunni Triangle; however, Balad is a primarily Shiite town of approximately 100,000...
in the Sunni Triangle 40 miles (64.4 km) north of Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, it houses 28,000 military personnel and 8,000 civilian contractors. Unlike most bases in Iraq, LSA Anaconda offers amenities including a movie theater, fast food courts, dance lessons, an olympic size swimming pool, and an indoor swimming pool. The base is a common destination for celebrities and politicians visiting US troops in Iraq.
Conditions
In 2004, several mortarMortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
rounds and rockets were fired per day , usually hitting the empty space between the runways, although there were isolated injuries and fatalities. By mid-2006, this rate had dropped about 40% . Due to these attacks, the soldiers and airmen refer to the base as "Mortaritaville", though this name is shared with other bases in Iraq. The base is thought to be one of four "super-bases" planned by the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
once US forces are replaced by Iraqi forces on the front lines.
Burn pit
Joint Base Balad had a burn pitBurn pit
A burn pit is an area devoted to open-air combustion of trash. Modern waste contains significant amounts of plastic and other material which may emit toxic aerial compounds and particulates when burned. In Iraq and Afghanistan the U.S. military, or its contractors such as KBR operated large burn...
operation as late as the summer of 2008 burning 147 tons of waste per day when the Army Times
Army Times
Army Times is a weekly newspaper serving active, reserve, guard and retired United States Army personnel and their families, providing news, information and analysis as well as community and lifestyle features, educational supplements, and resource guides.Army Times is published by the Gannett...
published a major story about it and about health concerns. Respiratory difficulties and headaches were reported.
Hospital
Joint base Balad is also home to the Air Force Theater Hospital, a Level I trauma center which boasts a 98% survival rate for wounded Americans and Iraqis alike.This Trauma Center is supported by the 332nd Civil Engineer Squadron's Power Production Shop; who also boasts a 99% uninterruptable prime-power grid.
See also
- 2007 Balad aircraft crash2007 Balad aircraft crashThe 2007 Balad aircraft crash was a January 9, 2007 airplane incident involving an Antonov An-26 airliner, which crashed while attempting to land at the U.S. military base in Balad, Iraq. The crash killed 34 people aboard and left one passenger critically injured...
- Post-invasion Iraq, 2003–present
- Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam
- :Category:Joint bases of the United States military
External links
- Balad from GlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.org, launched in 2000, is a public policy organization focusing on the fields of defense, space exploration, intelligence, weapons of mass destruction and homeland security...
- 332d Expeditionary Air Wing's public website
- 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command' website
- Iraq, Contingency Contracting and the Defense Base Act
- Expeditionary Times
- Anaconda Times