thedrifter
10-10-05, 07:35 PM
Monday, October 10, 2005
Battalion finds support at camp in Kuwait
BY BILL HESS
Monday, October 10, 2005 2:11 PM MDT
Herald/Review
CAMP VIRGINIA, Kuwait — A square mile of Kuwaiti real estate is an American boomtown.
In the American Old West there were a number of similar communities, such as the silver mining town of Tombstone.
But while Tombstone depended on the precious metal for its economic well being, Camp Virginia’s source is the military.
Surrounded by desert that has a few small bushes providing some glimpses of green the camp is an area where U.S. and some coalition forces come before going to or leaving Iraq.
“Camp Virginia provides support for the troop units coming here,” Lt. Col. Matthew Hearon.
As the camp commander, Hearon said the facility, which has existed since Desert Storm, is building new facilities to accommodate the upcoming “surge.”
The surge is the time of year, usually around the late holiday period when there is a massive changeover of units in Iraq.
For security reasons, Hearon, who is the battalion commander of the 3rd of the 116th Field Artillery, a Florida Army National Guard unit, could not disclose how many permanent party soldiers are assigned to the camp and how many transient soldiers can be billeted now or eventually will be.
But major construction happening. New air-conditioned sleeping tent areas are going up, as well as support facilities for soldiers.
The site is like a little piece of America.
A number of eateries, familiar to GIs — Pizza Inn, Subway, Nathan’s Hot Dogs and Baskin and Robins — are in the camp, as well as names strange to Americans selling donuts, potatoes, coffee and Chinese food, said Hearon, who sometimes is called Camp Virginia’s mayor.
“McDonald’s has signed a contract and will be coming in next month,” he said.
The camp has other amenities, including Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities, a Post Exchange, Post Office, movie theater, an Internet Cafe, an ATT Calling Center, laundry and other functions, said Hearon, whose civilian job is as a federal law enforcement officer.
Soon the second PX, slightly larger than the current one, and an additional dining facility will be built. On Friday, the dinner meal at the dining facility was centered around seafood — lobster, shrimp and scallops.
The object is to cater to the soldiers’ tastes, Hearon said.
But the main objective is to ensure soldiers heading for Iraq receive specialized training.
The camp is located close to the Buehring Range Complex, where soldiers of the 40th Signal Battalion who departed Fort Huachuca on Oct. 2 received the additional training, including close-quarter marksmanship, convoy and entry-control point classes during a two-day period last week. The unit is waiting for its communications equipment to arrive. When it does, the systems will be checked out and long-hauled by truck to Iraq with the soldiers following.
Sitting in his office last week, he said he understands what it means to deploy and what it takes to have soldiers ready to enter a hot zone.
“This is my third deployment since 9-11,” Hearon said, adding he and his battalion have been to Afghanistan, Iraq and now Kuwait.
Keeping the camp running daily along with the numerous constriction projects is a challenge, he said.
He credited his fellow Florida guardsmen for meeting the needs of American service people — all branches are on the camp — and a number of coalition troops.
A number national flags, as well as the Florida state banner, fly in front of his command headquarters.
People wearing the uniforms of the nations of Australia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia and South Korea walk around the camp.
“Only the Brits and Italians don’t come through here,” Hearon said.
When it cools down at night, it’s not unusual to see different games being played under the stars.
Basketball and boxing seem to be the American favorites.
Volleyball, with a twist, is preferred by some of the European nations.
During one game that could be described as volleyball soccer, two teams went after each other using traditional volleyball plays, with the added kicking and head butting of the ball as in soccer.
Camp Virginia is not the only installation in Kuwait being used. There are four others.
There are daily logistical requirements at the camp Hearon commands.
“Every day we truck in 400,000 gallons of potable water for showers, toilets and for use in the dining facility,” Hearon said, adding bottled water for drinking is not included in the figure.
That amount of water creates a great deal of sewage, which is trucked out of the camp.
Power is provided by generators. There are so many light apparatuses, Hearon said even he has no idea how many there are because many are in a yard waiting to be used as the “pads” are completed.
The pads are tent cities, which include toilets and showers. The layout of the sleeping areas can be likened to a Roman Legion camp.
As the camp prepares for the surge, Hearon said it will be his “top-notch people” who will succeed in the mission.
But even Hearon admits the process “is controlled chaos.”
Ellie
Battalion finds support at camp in Kuwait
BY BILL HESS
Monday, October 10, 2005 2:11 PM MDT
Herald/Review
CAMP VIRGINIA, Kuwait — A square mile of Kuwaiti real estate is an American boomtown.
In the American Old West there were a number of similar communities, such as the silver mining town of Tombstone.
But while Tombstone depended on the precious metal for its economic well being, Camp Virginia’s source is the military.
Surrounded by desert that has a few small bushes providing some glimpses of green the camp is an area where U.S. and some coalition forces come before going to or leaving Iraq.
“Camp Virginia provides support for the troop units coming here,” Lt. Col. Matthew Hearon.
As the camp commander, Hearon said the facility, which has existed since Desert Storm, is building new facilities to accommodate the upcoming “surge.”
The surge is the time of year, usually around the late holiday period when there is a massive changeover of units in Iraq.
For security reasons, Hearon, who is the battalion commander of the 3rd of the 116th Field Artillery, a Florida Army National Guard unit, could not disclose how many permanent party soldiers are assigned to the camp and how many transient soldiers can be billeted now or eventually will be.
But major construction happening. New air-conditioned sleeping tent areas are going up, as well as support facilities for soldiers.
The site is like a little piece of America.
A number of eateries, familiar to GIs — Pizza Inn, Subway, Nathan’s Hot Dogs and Baskin and Robins — are in the camp, as well as names strange to Americans selling donuts, potatoes, coffee and Chinese food, said Hearon, who sometimes is called Camp Virginia’s mayor.
“McDonald’s has signed a contract and will be coming in next month,” he said.
The camp has other amenities, including Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities, a Post Exchange, Post Office, movie theater, an Internet Cafe, an ATT Calling Center, laundry and other functions, said Hearon, whose civilian job is as a federal law enforcement officer.
Soon the second PX, slightly larger than the current one, and an additional dining facility will be built. On Friday, the dinner meal at the dining facility was centered around seafood — lobster, shrimp and scallops.
The object is to cater to the soldiers’ tastes, Hearon said.
But the main objective is to ensure soldiers heading for Iraq receive specialized training.
The camp is located close to the Buehring Range Complex, where soldiers of the 40th Signal Battalion who departed Fort Huachuca on Oct. 2 received the additional training, including close-quarter marksmanship, convoy and entry-control point classes during a two-day period last week. The unit is waiting for its communications equipment to arrive. When it does, the systems will be checked out and long-hauled by truck to Iraq with the soldiers following.
Sitting in his office last week, he said he understands what it means to deploy and what it takes to have soldiers ready to enter a hot zone.
“This is my third deployment since 9-11,” Hearon said, adding he and his battalion have been to Afghanistan, Iraq and now Kuwait.
Keeping the camp running daily along with the numerous constriction projects is a challenge, he said.
He credited his fellow Florida guardsmen for meeting the needs of American service people — all branches are on the camp — and a number of coalition troops.
A number national flags, as well as the Florida state banner, fly in front of his command headquarters.
People wearing the uniforms of the nations of Australia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia and South Korea walk around the camp.
“Only the Brits and Italians don’t come through here,” Hearon said.
When it cools down at night, it’s not unusual to see different games being played under the stars.
Basketball and boxing seem to be the American favorites.
Volleyball, with a twist, is preferred by some of the European nations.
During one game that could be described as volleyball soccer, two teams went after each other using traditional volleyball plays, with the added kicking and head butting of the ball as in soccer.
Camp Virginia is not the only installation in Kuwait being used. There are four others.
There are daily logistical requirements at the camp Hearon commands.
“Every day we truck in 400,000 gallons of potable water for showers, toilets and for use in the dining facility,” Hearon said, adding bottled water for drinking is not included in the figure.
That amount of water creates a great deal of sewage, which is trucked out of the camp.
Power is provided by generators. There are so many light apparatuses, Hearon said even he has no idea how many there are because many are in a yard waiting to be used as the “pads” are completed.
The pads are tent cities, which include toilets and showers. The layout of the sleeping areas can be likened to a Roman Legion camp.
As the camp prepares for the surge, Hearon said it will be his “top-notch people” who will succeed in the mission.
But even Hearon admits the process “is controlled chaos.”
Ellie