Ali Al Salem AB, Kuwait
January 10-June 21, 2003
For six months Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait was my home. Only 5 days out of 162 were we allowed to venture off base. So for the other 157 days, we made good use of our time. From 6:30 am until 9:00 pm, we were in the office. Usually after 6:00, we would break for the night, go get some dinner and watch tv, movie, play video games, run or play volleyball (if there were no sandstorms). During the war, we never got more than two hours of continuous sleep because the Iraqi's kept launching scuds at us (Good thing they couldn't aim ;). Each time that would happen, we would have to grab all our chemical gear and run to the bunkers for protection and while there, try to put on all the gear, fighting for enough space to stretch your legs out to put the chemical-protecting pants on. After the war, things were not quite as busy. When we got there, there were about 1,000 people. During the build up with the war, we went to 13,000 people. The line to buy anything at the store was 3 hours long. The lunch and dinner line was a good 45 minutes, then you had to try to find a seat. By the time I left, in June, we were back down to 800 people, making it so much nicer. All in all, Kuwait wasn't so bad. The war was definitely something I will not soon forget.
Our Civil Engineering sign
EA Drawing
The dorms where we lived
A typical Kuwaiti HAS
Kuwaiti HAS that was bombed from the first Gulf war
Troop Fan Mail arrived
Operating an excavator
All suited up during an exercise
Driving the Polaris
Erecting some tents for Special Forces
Special forces tents
Shooting a rubberband
Surveying a new fence
Surveying Oversight at the base dump
Very Tired
Running on two hours of sleep for many days
Rasta and Olivia sleeping at work
After a hard day of work taking out tent liners in 120 degree weather
Cinco de Mayo Pinata
Senior Airman Watkins promotion
Coins being presented by the Wing Commander
Award Presentation
Goodbye Ali Al Salem Sign
The New Iraq
Kuwait City
May 18 & 28, 2003
Twice we were able to go off base, in conjunction with official business, to see a few of the sights. If you remember on tv during the war, the reporter on FOX always stood in front of a very distinct looking tower as he gave his reports and put on his gas mask. That was the Liberation Tower, built after Kuwait was liberated during the first Gulf war. The other towers you might have seen are the Kuwait Towers, built back in the 1970's.
Liberation Tower
The Kuwaiti Towers
The Kuwaiti Towers
Kuwaiti Towers at night
All of us at the Towers
At the Towers
Myself at the Towers
The Kuwaiti Towers and Persian Gulf
Kuwait City Coast
Downtown Kuwait City
The Grand Mosque
A Kuwaiti house
The mall in Kuwait City
At the pier next to the mall where the Iraqi scud hit
Iraq
May 15-16 & 23-27, 2003
A few people were given the opportunity to help with a new American base being setup in Iraq. I was not among the group, but they brought back some very good stories and pictures. A HAS, as mentioned in one of the pictures, stands for Hardened Aircraft Shelter, where they keep the planes when they're not flying.
Burnt-out vehicles along the road
A bad sandstorm
The front of an Iraqi HAS
Saddam's Poster
Iraqi Beggers
The Shanty's Iraqis live in
An Arch in Iraq
The House of Abraham at Ur
The Royal Palace at Ur
The tomb of King Chaldees' servants and guards
More tombs
Ziggurat Site Curator at the Royal Palace
The Ziggurat of the Moon
Part of the reason Iraq didn't have electricity for a while
Marines marching into Baghdad at night
Kuwaiti Diwaniya
May 27, 2003
A Diwaniya is another term for what the Kuwaiti's call a dining out or social, basically dinner. A select few were invited to go, including myself, maybe 15 total. They served a typical Kuwaiti meal, none of which I had ever had before. The Kuwaiti's are a wealthy race who like Americans because of the liberation from the Iraqi's in the first Persian Gulf war. Their servants are primarily from third world countries, some from Egypt, India, and other smaller countries.
Birdcage Entry
Maid's Bedroom
Maid's Quarters
In the den
The dessert table
The staff in the kitchen
More Kuwait Photos
A view of Kuwait from the air (looks a lot like Dune)
The Kuwaiti desert
Sunrise
Sunrise
Sunrise
Sunset
A lone camel
Camels grazing
