Ali Al Saleem Air Base

Ali Al Saleem is generally where it all starts from soldiers and civilians entering Iraq from Kuwait...

Going to Iraq from the Al Saleem air base in Kuwait takes time. Bring your patience and some good books to read. Once you arrive in Kuwait, your company will most likely start your in-processing for you. Mainly, they should obtain your travel documents to go to Iraq. Once they do, you move out of your hotel.

To move out of Kuwait and into Iraq, you will need to get your passport stamped and catch a military hop. This must be done at the Ali Al Saleem Airbase. There are other bases in Kuwait, but Ali Al Saleem Airbase is the only base that handles passport control.

To get on the Ali Al Saleem air base, your company will have to get you a pass unless you have a CAC (Common Access Card). This CAC card is no longer so common. They are now difficult to obtain. I had no problem getting one the first two times I went but now I am back in Iraq, still waiting to get one.

UPDATE November 2007: Having a CAC will NOT get you on base anymore. There is a ton of paperwork you must complete. However, if your company has a contract in Iraq, then you should be able to get an LOA to authorize you to leave from Ali Al Saleem. But now you have to have someone from your company, who has a Kuwaiti Civil Card, escort you onto the base. If your company does not have anyone, there are several companies who will escort you, but their price is high.

The airbase will check you in at the front gate. Then you must drive to another checkpoint where your vehicle will be checked.

You have to open all compartments, then get out and open all vehicle doors and the hood. Once they are finished inspecting your vehicle, you are cleared to move on the base.

At this point, proceed to Independence Hall where your passport will eventually be stamped. This can take up to twenty-four hours. Make sure you have three KD. KD is all they will accept. There is an ATM that gives KD, but the least it will give is 10 KD which is about $40.

If you have a CAC card and your company has housing in Kuwait for you to stay in, then you can drop your passport off and come back for it later. ***NOTE*** As of November 2007, This is no longer true. Things constantly change over here. Please see the above note about four paragraphs up.

If you do not have a CAC card, you have two options.

Your company may have a runner who can get your passport stamped. Or if you do not have a CAC card and your company does not have a runner, you will have to stay in billeting (housing) on base while you wait for your passport to be stamped. There is a building where you can go to sign up for a room.

Billeting is not a nice hotel room, but a tent that sleeps eight to ten people. You will need your own bedding--sheets and a blanket or a sleeping bag. Nothing is provided but the cot.

There are showers and latrines, sometimes as much as 300 yards from your tent. These combo units are known as ablution latrines. The latrines are usually kept very clean and stocked with toilet paper. But just in case, carry some toilet paper and wet wipes with you. Remember the Boy Scout motto and be prepared!

In billeting, I have never had a problem with my stuff being messed with. You do need to show consideration for everyone there, including people of other nationalities.

While you wait on the Ali Al Saleem Airbase before going to Iraq, you can eat your meals at the dining facility or at one of many fast food restaurants or at the Diamond Desert Oriental Restaurant. This is especially good and has a nice variety of food--shrimp, pork, beef, and chicken dishes served with rice and noodles.

There is an excellent MWR at Ali Al Saleem. (MWR stands for morale welfare recreation.) There are two exercise rooms. There is a room where a movie is shown every four hours. There are computer games. They have a DVD checkout and you can watch them on the MWR computers. It is great!

There is a USO at Ali Al Saleem. Also, a pool table and ping pong tables are there for enjoyment. Another building houses a phone center and internet center so you can e-mail your loved ones from Ali Al Saleem and let them know you are okay while you wait to go to Iraq. The internet cafe costs $5 for one hour of use.

In addition to Americans, there are Indians, Filipinos, Brits, Turks, Sri Lankans, Nepalese, Romanians, Russians, etc.

If you listen to music or watch a DVD, make sure you wear headphones while you wait for news of your flight going to Iraq.

Once you are through with all of the immigration processing, you will take the next step toward going to Iraq. The base will have you proceed to the Theater Gateway Passenger Terminal to check in with Space R Travel.

Go to Home Page from Ali Al Saleem.