Location of Permanent Bases

April 10, 2011

Tags: Bases, Fort Apache, iraq
Posted in: Embassy/State, Iraq, Military

With all the talk of SecDef Gates in Iraq trying to secure some sort of US military presence after the official “withdrawal” date of New Year’s Eve 2011 (“Mother of all New Year’s Eves,” MONYE, pronounced “money”), I’ll lay down a marker on which bases will be kept alive:

FOB Hammer
Out in the eastern desert so low-key and easy to defend, handy to Iran, across the street from Besmyiah Range for convenient “training” as an excuse to rotate troops and keep armor at the ready, good-sized infrastructure. Has room for an airstrip if anyone wanted to build one. Far enough away from Baghdad to not raise its profile, but still only 20 minutes by helo to VBC.

Victory Base Complex (VBC)
An obvious choice. Used to control Baghdad airport, needed as logistics center, now houses HQ for US military. Convenient if you need to flow troops in or evacuate the Embassy. Would allow the US to keep control of a few old Saddam-era palaces to show off to VIPs.

Al-Asad Airbase
Located w-a-y out in the middle of nowhere Anbar, huge infrastructure, just a hop skip and a jump by air to Syria and other MidEast garden sppots we may wish to kinetically influence in the future.

Agree? Disagree? Your picks?

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