Al Asad Airbase

Al Asad Airbase was a great place to be...

In the picture below is the electrical section of the hardware store I set up at Al Asad Air base Iraq. Setting up this store was probably my greatest achievement in my life so far.

Al Asad is where I was at from October of 2005 through April of 2007. I was sent there by my company to build a hardware store called Al Asad Hardware And Household Materials Store.

This store carried all sorts of things to make life in the desert a little easier. I have learned that it recently shut down. There may be other stores like it in the future or even now that I do not know about on some of the bases.

Al Asad Airbase is the second largest airbase in Iraq. It is the largest US military base in Al Anbar Province. It used to be an airbase for the Iraqi Air Force.

Al Asad is located 180 kilometers west of Baghdad and 12 kilometers southwest of the Euphrates River, we are located in Al Anbar Province. There are two large runways and a lot of bunkers throughout the base.

Al Asad air base is isolated out in the middle of the desert so we do not get much in the way of insurgent attacks. It is nicknamed Camp Cupcake because of the amenities on base.

Amenities include an indoor swimming pool and a gym with a lot of workout equipment complete with an on-base trainer. The base also has a theater and an actual oasis. Some refer to this oasis as Abraham's Well. The real Abraham's Well from the Bible was located in Canaan which is present-day Israel, not modern-day Iraq.

This airbase is the place where military, fuel, and supply convoys all stop to fuel up. Most of the convoys make it to where they are going without incident, but there are occasional insurgent attacks on them.

There is a large tent city so a majority of military personnel do live in tents. More and more portable housing is being put up so that will eventually change.

Al Asad has the PX (Post Exchange) store and something that the other bases do not have, a hardware store that was run by yours truly.

***Update*** 3/23/08--My buddies at Al Asad have recently told me that my store has been closed. What a shame. It was a great place for the military and civilians to get all kinds of comfort items not available at the PX.

There are some great places to eat, including Burger King, Pizza Hut and Subway. I say great because up in Baqubah when I was there for eighteen months, there was no fast food. You can get great coffee at Green Bean Coffee Shop.

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