2/24/2010 11:48:00 AM
Typical days at FOB Lion
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| A U.S. soldier sits near the top of a mountain near the FOB Lion. Soldiers assemble at 8 a.m. for their orders, and deploy at 9 a.m. On days where soldiers don’t have missions, they can work out on base. On Fridays, soldiers will climb the mountain, about 7,200 feet above sea level, while the base itself is 6,000 feet above sea level. Art Ricker photo |
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by Art Ricker
Panjshir Province is where the FOB (Forward Operating Base) Lion is located. Its name literally means five lions, thus, the name was chosen for the base. The current base commander has been working hard to have it renamed to honor a U.S. lieutenant colonel, who was stationed at the base, killed by a suicide IED bomber while traveling outside the province.
The base is small and originally established by the Turks as part of a road building project. Many buildings have been added and it is now under US command. Unlike other FOBs in which I have been embedded, there are no security issues.
Within its walls are 22 structures with a variety of purposes. Most important is the headquarter building with command offices and a communication center. It is the only building that has bathroom facilities. Each evening after 6:30 p.m., a binder is available listing times, details, and participants in the next day's missions. It becomes routine to visit and set your next day's activities accordingly. There is no structured reveille as it is each individual's responsibility to be on time when on duty in the morning.
The mess hall is now called a DFAC (Dining Facility). It is managed by a member of the military but operated by locally contracted personnel. There is no KP duty for the soldiers. The DFAC is opened for snacks, beverages, desserts, or sandwiches 24 hours a day. Served hot meals are the traditional breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Food is well prepared and abundant in size and selection. As an example, morning breakfast features eggs to order, three meat choices, and a wide variety of bakery goods, cereals, fruits and other side dishes.
There are two large flat-screen televisions allowing a choice of a movie, sport and news while dining. Along one wall is a table set for four, a monument to the previously mentioned lieutenant colonel an additional soldier, and two civilians killed by an IED who were stationed at the base, but in another province when the tragedy occurred.
I stayed in what is referred to as a B-Hut. There are 10 up and down bunks. Dividing the bunks are two large lockers for clothing storage, etc. Internet is available on a limited basis. The building is well-heated and air-conditioned in warmer months. During my stay, only the two civilian security contractors were permanently assigned to the building. Including myself, there were many transient occupants, but all the bunks were never filled. The building outside to the right is one of the latrine/shower combinations made from a shipping container. Nothing elaborate, but suitable for its purpose.
Fridays are the holy days for the residents of the province so there are few missions. I was invited to join a group of 25 that climb the mountain that is outside the north wall. Elevation of the FOB is 6,000 feet above sea level and the mountain top is another 1,200 feet. It took me a long time but, with the urging of the base commander and the head of the agriculture team, I made it to the top.
A mid-morning brunch is then available back at the DFAC featuring custom omelets. Friday dinner is a large T-bone steak and lobster tail. The kitchen is open to anyone wanting to prepare their own meal and one Friday, Major Murray, the Executive Officer, cooked a Mongolian Grill dinner for the entire unit. The other half of the building is a well-equipped gym where I enjoyed doing my routine on one of the treadmills several times during my stay.
In the center of the base is the MWR (Morale, Welfare, Recreation) building. It is furnished with comfortable leather couches and chairs. There is a large screen TV and an abundance of video movies, and games. A library, well-stocked with books and periodicals lines the walls. This room is also used for large presentations or classes. In many of the barracks for permanent residents, there are pool tables and other recreational amenities.
Most missions I went on left at 0900 hours. There is a mission briefing at 0800 hours outlining its purpose, number of vehicles, and who will be in each one. We were then dismissed to get ready including going to the DFAC to pack a sandwich and snacks if we were not returning to the FOB for lunch.
Before the departure of my first mission, there was a training exercise. The three passengers were each given a task to perform if the driver was shot. I sat in the right rear position and was to pull the driver from behind the wheel. At command, I quickly ran to his side of the vehicle, which is, of course, the position the shot would have been fired from.
I was declared dead and failed my first military test miserably.
There are other facilities like a laundry, smoking decks and a below ground fortified bunker that could easily accommodate half the base personnel. There was no PX so if you needed cigarettes, razors or the like; you were relegated to deal with one of the local contractors who left the base each evening. I am no expert on precious stones but, the go-to-guy was a walking jewelry store, reminding me of the street people you encounter in Times Square.
Every effort is made to make the soldiers and civilians at the FOB as comfortable and relaxed as possible when they are off duty.
This is the third in a series of stories about Art Ricker's trip to Afghanistan. He took with him questions submitted by Gazette readers, and will soon offer the answers he received.
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Posted: Sunday, March 14, 2010
Article comment by:
Jo Dodd
Thanks for posting this article. My son is a contractor located at FOB Lion and this article helped me have a better understanding of what it's like there. When I asked my son if he knew Art Ricker, his response was, "Yes, this guy is really cool!"
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