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Balad Air Base

January 09, 2023

Balad Air Base (Arabic: قاعدة بلد الجوية) (ICAO: ORBD), is an Iraqi Air Force base located near Balad in the Sunni Triangle 40 miles (64 km) north of Baghdad, Iraq.

Anaconda Air Base
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OperatorIraqi Air Force
LocationBalad, Iraq
Elevation AMSL161 ft / 49 m
Coordinates33°56′00″N 044°22′00″E / 33.93333°N 44.36667°E / 33.93333; 44.36667Coordinates: 33°56′00″N 044°22′00″E / 33.93333°N 44.36667°E / 33.93333; 44.36667
Map
Balad Air Base
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
14/32 11,490 3,503 Concrete
12/30 11,495 3,504 Concrete

Built in the early 1980s, it was originally named Al-Bakr Air Base. In 2003 the base was captured by the United States Armed Forces at the start of the Iraq War and was called both Balad Air Base and Anaconda Logistical Support Area (LSA) by the United States Army before being renamed Joint Base Balad on June 15, 2008. The base was handed back to the Iraqi Air Force on November 8, 2011, during the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, after which it returned to being called Balad Air Base.[1]

During the Iraq War it was the second largest U.S. base in Iraq. It was also one of the busiest airports in the world with 27,500 takeoffs and landings per month, second only to Heathrow Airport.[2] Today it is home to the Iraqi Air Force's Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon.

History

Iraqi use

Balad was formerly known as Al-Bakr Air Base, named in honor of Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, the president of Iraq from 1968 to 1979. It was considered by many in the Iraqi military to be the most important airfield of the Iraqi Air Force. During most of the 1980s, it operated with at least a brigade level force, with two squadrons of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 fighters. Al-Bakr Air Base was especially well known for the large number of hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) built by Yugoslavian contractors during the Iran–Iraq War in the mid-1980s. It had four hardened areas—one each on either end of the main runways—with approximately 30 individual aircraft shelters.

U.S. military presence (2003-2011)

 
The Sustainer Theater at Joint Base Balad where US movies were played.
 
Living quarters for NCOs, SNCOs and officers in the H-6 housing compound on JBB, referred to as "pods", circa Jan 2009

The base was captured by U.S. forces in early April 2003, renaming it Camp Anaconda and later Joint Base Balad.[3] The area was nicknamed "Mortaritaville" (in a play on Margaritaville), because of a high frequency of incoming mortars, at times every day, from Iraqi insurgents.

The US Army's 310th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and the US Air Force's 332d Air Expeditionary Wing were headquartered at JBB. It was decided that the facility share one name, even though for many reasons and for its many occupants, it had differing names. Until mid-2008 the US Army had been in charge of Balad but, when it was re-designated as a joint base, the US Air Force assumed overall control. Balad was the central logistical hub for forces in Iraq. Camp Anaconda has also been more colloquially-termed "Life Support Area Anaconda"[4] or the "Big Snake".

It housed 28,000 military personnel and 8,000 civilian contractors.[citation needed] Like most large bases in Iraq, LSA Anaconda offered amenities, circa 2006 and later, including a base movie theater (Sustainer Theater), two Base/Post Exchanges (BX/PX), fast food courts including Subway, Popeyes, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell (2007), Burger King, Green Beans Coffee, a Turkish cafe, an Iraqi bazaar, multiple gyms, dance lessons, an Olympic size swimming pool, and an indoor swimming pool. The base was a common destination for celebrities and politicians visiting US troops serving in Iraq on USO Tours including the Charlie Daniels band (2005), Vince Vaughn (2005), Carrie Underwood (2006), Wayne Newton, Toby Keith, Gary Sinise, Chris Isaak, Neal McCoy, Oliver North, and WWE.[5]

Units

 
170th EFS F-16, from Springfield, Illinois, taking off from Joint Base Balad
 
777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron C-130 Hercules at Balad AB Iraq getting a power wash of the engines to ensure that built up dust does not get pulled into the intake during flight.
 
46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron MQ-1B Predator UAV
Ground forces
Aviation forces
US Air Force
Army
  • 1st Battalion, 131st Aviation Regiment from September 2006.
  • Task Force 11th Aviation Regiment (United States Army Europe) from April 2003 until February 2004
  • 528 Quartermasters Ft. Lewis Washington 2003–2004
  • 172 Medical Logistics Battalion, Ogden, UT 2003-2004
  • M/158 Aviation Regiment (AVIM) (1-142 AVN BN)
  • 159th Combat Aviation Brigade Oct 2005 - Oct 2006

Structure

Starting in 2003, several mortar rounds and rockets were fired per day by insurgents, usually hitting the empty space between the runways, although there were isolated injuries and fatalities.[6][7][8][9] By mid-2006, this rate had dropped by about 40%.[10] Due to these attacks, the soldiers and airmen refer to the base as "Mortaritaville", though this name is shared with other bases in Iraq.[11]

Joint Base Balad had a burn pit operation as late as the summer of 2010. The pit, which was visible for miles, was in continuous use which resulted in 147 tons of waste burnt per day, some of which was considered toxic.[12][13] Respiratory difficulties and headaches were attributed to smoke inhalation from the burnt waste; however, according to research conducted on behalf of the US Department of Veteran Affairs, there is insufficient evidence to connect those symptoms to burn pits.[14][15] Despite this, the VA allows service members to file claims for symptoms they believe to be related to burn pit exposure.[16][17]

Joint base Balad was also home to the Air Force Theater Hospital, a Level I trauma center which boasted a 98% survival rate for wounded Americans and Iraqis alike.[18]

A black jail, a U.S. military detention camp to interrogate high-value detainees, was established at Balad in summer 2004, named the Temporary Screening Facility (TSF).[19][20][21] A British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) lawyer who visited a black jail, believed to be at Balad, described it as holding prisoners in wooden crates, too small to stand in or lie down, who were subject to white noise.[22] General Stanley McChrystal, commander of Joint Special Operations Command, regularly visited the site, reporting that the staff of interrogators and analysts was six times the number of detainees, enabling important detainees to be questioned through each shift.[23]

Return to Iraqi control

On 8 November 2011, as U.S. forces were in the process of withdrawing from Iraq, Joint Base Balad was handed back to the Iraqi Air Force, after which it returned to being called Balad Air Base.[1]

Sallyport Global

In 2014, Sallyport Global, subsidiary of Caliburn International, was awarded contracts to work on Balad Air Base in support of the Iraq F-16 program.[24] Following reports alleging timesheet fraud, investigators found evidence of alcohol smuggling, human trafficking, security violations, and theft. The investigators were subsequently fired by the human resources personnel that they were originally sent to investigate, and removed from the base under armed guard.[25][26] Employees have also raised concern about racism, particularly from white South African security guards who made open endorsements of Apartheid and refused to work alongside Iraqis and other people of color. Former employees say that they feared for their safety at the base due to security failures. In one such report, a militia member shot a bomb-sniffing dog that had flagged their vehicle. It is also said that animals were intentionally starved, and the company withheld passports from employees who wished to leave.[27]

Sallyport is also being investigated by United States Department of Justice on allegations of bribing Iraqi officials for exclusive contracts.[28][29]

Current use

The base is home to the Iraqi Air Force's General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons[30] of 9th Fighter Squadron (21 aircraft delivered by November 2017).[31]

The base came under attack by ISIL militants in late June 2014, when the insurgents launched mortar attacks and reportedly surrounded the base on three sides.[32]

On January 4, 2020, the base came under a rocket attack, and no claims of responsibility have been made yet.[33] The attack wounded four people.[33] On 20 February 2021, four rockets targeted the base, in which one Iraqi contractor was wounded.[34]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Huge U.S. air base returned to Iraqi control". Reuters. November 9, 2011 – via www.reuters.com.
  2. ^ "Huge U.S. air base returned to Iraqi control". Reuters. 9 November 2011. from the original on 2019-02-22.
  3. ^ "Huge U.S. air base returned to Iraqi control". Reuters. 9 November 2011. from the original on 2019-02-22.
  4. ^ Carter, Phillip (October 18, 2006). "The Thin Green Line". Slate.com. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
  5. ^ [1][permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "Mortars, Grenades Fired at U.S. Troops in Several Attacks". Fox News. 2003-07-10. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  7. ^ . Stars and Stripes. October 27, 2004. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
  8. ^ "Mortar attacks part of daily life at Balad air base". Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  9. ^ Burns, John F. (2004-01-04). "G.I. Killed and Two Wounded by Mortar Fire at Iraq Base". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  10. ^ Powell, Anita (July 22, 2006). . Stars and Stripes. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
  11. ^ "Base hit by daily attacks told no GIs available for patrols". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  12. ^ "Burn pit at Balad raises health concerns — Troops say chemicals and medical waste burned at base are making them sick, but officials deny risk". Military Times. 2013-03-29. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  13. ^ "The New Agent Orange". New Republic. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  14. ^ Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health. "Burn Pits - Public Health". www.publichealth.va.gov. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  15. ^ Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health. "Studies on Possible Health Effects of Burn Pits - Public Health". www.publichealth.va.gov. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  16. ^ Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health. "VA's Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry - Public Health". www.publichealth.va.gov. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  17. ^ "Burn pit at Balad raises health concerns: Troops say chemicals and medical waste burned at base are making them sick, but officials deny risk" article by Kelly Kennedy in Army Times Oct 29, 2008, accessed 2010-08-07.
  18. ^ Mason, Michael (March 2007). "Dead Men Walking". Discover.
  19. ^ Schmitt, Eric (22 August 2009). "U.S. Shifts, Giving Detainee Names to the Red Cross". New York Times. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  20. ^ Allisa J. Rubin (2009-11-28). "Afghans Detail a Secret Prison Still Operating on a U.S. Base". New York Times. from the original on 2012-11-08.
  21. ^ Cobain, Ian (1 April 2013). "Camp Nama: British personnel reveal horrors of secret US base in Baghdad". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  22. ^ Ian Cobain, Jamie Doward (30 June 2018). "M16 put questions to prisoner waterboarded 83 times by CIA". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  23. ^ McChrystal, Stanley (2013). My Share of the Task: A Memoir. Penguin. ISBN 9781101601426. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  24. ^ Editor (31 January 2019). "Sallyport wins $375m Iraq Contract". Iraq Business News. Retrieved 2019-05-10. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  25. ^ "AP: U.S. contractor ignored security violations at Iraq base". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  26. ^ Hinnant, Desmond Butler and Lori. "U.S. company turned blind eye to wild behavior on Iraq base". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  27. ^ McCullough, Zack Kopplin|Irvin (2018-09-18). "U.S. Paid $1B to Contractor Accused of Bigotry at Iraq Air Base". Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  28. ^ McCullough, Zack Kopplin|Irvin (2019-02-12). "DOJ Is Investigating Whether U.S. Payoffs to Iraqi Officials Opened the Door for ISIS". Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  29. ^ Iannelli, Jerry (2019-02-15). "Miami Migrant-Camp Contractor Tied to Iraqi Government Bribery Investigation". Miami New Times. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  30. ^ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. August 2014. p. 23.
  31. ^ Delalande, Arnaud (November 8, 2017). "AeroHisto - Aviation History: Iraqi 9th Fighter Squadron has now 21 F-16C/Ds in its fleet".
  32. ^ Lake, Eli; Josh Rogin (25 June 2014). "ISIS Tries to Grab Its Own Air Force". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2014-06-26.
  33. ^ a b Sisk, Richard (January 4, 2020). "Rocket Attacks Hit Baghdad's Green Zone, Balad Air Base: Iraqi Military". Military.com.
  34. ^ "Rocket attack on Iraqi airbase where US defense company operates". The Guardian. 20 February 2021.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Joint Base Balad.
  • Balad from GlobalSecurity.org
  • Expeditionary Times
  • Anaconda Times

January 09, 2023
balad, base, this, article, factual, accuracy, compromised, date, information, please, help, update, this, article, reflect, recent, events, newly, available, information, february, 2012, arabic, قاعدة, بلد, الجوية, icao, orbd, iraqi, force, base, located, nea. This article s factual accuracy may be compromised due to out of date information Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information February 2012 Balad Air Base Arabic قاعدة بلد الجوية ICAO ORBD is an Iraqi Air Force base located near Balad in the Sunni Triangle 40 miles 64 km north of Baghdad Iraq Anaconda Air BaseIATA noneICAO ORBDLID OR9SummaryAirport typeMilitaryOperatorIraqi Air ForceLocationBalad IraqElevation AMSL161 ft 49 mCoordinates33 56 00 N 044 22 00 E 33 93333 N 44 36667 E 33 93333 44 36667 Coordinates 33 56 00 N 044 22 00 E 33 93333 N 44 36667 E 33 93333 44 36667MapBalad Air BaseRunwaysDirection Length Surfaceft m14 32 11 490 3 503 Concrete12 30 11 495 3 504 ConcreteBuilt in the early 1980s it was originally named Al Bakr Air Base In 2003 the base was captured by the United States Armed Forces at the start of the Iraq War and was called both Balad Air Base and Anaconda Logistical Support Area LSA by the United States Army before being renamed Joint Base Balad on June 15 2008 The base was handed back to the Iraqi Air Force on November 8 2011 during the U S withdrawal from Iraq after which it returned to being called Balad Air Base 1 During the Iraq War it was the second largest U S base in Iraq It was also one of the busiest airports in the world with 27 500 takeoffs and landings per month second only to Heathrow Airport 2 Today it is home to the Iraqi Air Force s Lockheed Martin F 16 Fighting Falcon Contents 1 History 1 1 Iraqi use 1 2 U S military presence 2003 2011 1 2 1 Units 1 2 1 1 Ground forces 1 2 1 2 Aviation forces 1 2 2 Structure 1 3 Return to Iraqi control 1 3 1 Sallyport Global 2 Current use 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksHistory EditIraqi use Edit Balad was formerly known as Al Bakr Air Base named in honor of Ahmed Hassan al Bakr the president of Iraq from 1968 to 1979 It was considered by many in the Iraqi military to be the most important airfield of the Iraqi Air Force During most of the 1980s it operated with at least a brigade level force with two squadrons of Mikoyan Gurevich MiG 23 fighters Al Bakr Air Base was especially well known for the large number of hardened aircraft shelters HAS built by Yugoslavian contractors during the Iran Iraq War in the mid 1980s It had four hardened areas one each on either end of the main runways with approximately 30 individual aircraft shelters U S military presence 2003 2011 Edit The Sustainer Theater at Joint Base Balad where US movies were played Living quarters for NCOs SNCOs and officers in the H 6 housing compound on JBB referred to as pods circa Jan 2009 The base was captured by U S forces in early April 2003 renaming it Camp Anaconda and later Joint Base Balad 3 The area was nicknamed Mortaritaville in a play on Margaritaville because of a high frequency of incoming mortars at times every day from Iraqi insurgents The US Army s 310th Sustainment Command Expeditionary and the US Air Force s 332d Air Expeditionary Wing were headquartered at JBB It was decided that the facility share one name even though for many reasons and for its many occupants it had differing names Until mid 2008 the US Army had been in charge of Balad but when it was re designated as a joint base the US Air Force assumed overall control Balad was the central logistical hub for forces in Iraq Camp Anaconda has also been more colloquially termed Life Support Area Anaconda 4 or the Big Snake It housed 28 000 military personnel and 8 000 civilian contractors citation needed Like most large bases in Iraq LSA Anaconda offered amenities circa 2006 and later including a base movie theater Sustainer Theater two Base Post Exchanges BX PX fast food courts including Subway Popeyes Pizza Hut Taco Bell 2007 Burger King Green Beans Coffee a Turkish cafe an Iraqi bazaar multiple gyms dance lessons an Olympic size swimming pool and an indoor swimming pool The base was a common destination for celebrities and politicians visiting US troops serving in Iraq on USO Tours including the Charlie Daniels band 2005 Vince Vaughn 2005 Carrie Underwood 2006 Wayne Newton Toby Keith Gary Sinise Chris Isaak Neal McCoy Oliver North and WWE 5 Units Edit 170th EFS F 16 from Springfield Illinois taking off from Joint Base Balad 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron C 130 Hercules at Balad AB Iraq getting a power wash of the engines to ensure that built up dust does not get pulled into the intake during flight 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron MQ 1B Predator UAV Ground forces Edit 855th Military Police Company Desert Warriors AZ ARNG April 2003 July 2003 123rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment AZ ARNG October 2008 September 2009 129th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion 101st Sustainment Brigade 372d Transportation Company 129th CSSB 172nd Corps Support Group 1st Battalion 142th Aviation Maintenance Battalion AVIM 172nd CSG 213th Area Support Group ASG 316th ESC 13th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion 213th ASG 308th Civil Affairs Brigade April 2004 March 2004 142ND ECB HEAVY amp 957 MRBC NDANG April 2003 Feb 2004 32nd Signal Battalion 22nd Signal Brigade 2003 March 2004 100th Battalion 442nd Infantry Regiment Jan 2005 Jan 2006 50th Signal Battalion Airborne 35th Signal Brigade Nov 2004 Nov 2005 63rd Expeditionary Signal Battalion ESB 35th Signal Brigade July 2007 Oct 2008 557th Maintenance Company Oct 2007 Dec 2008 602nd Maintenance Company Apr 2008 Jun 2009 A 51st Signal Battalion Airborne along with an unknown MP platoon and 692nd Quartermaster Battalion Water Purification took control in mid April 2003 from the 1st Battalion 124th Infantry Regiment until V corps arrived around 1 May 2003 532nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron 411th Engineer Brigade between 2006 and 2007 NMCB 28 and NMCB 4 2007 Headquarters and Support Company 463d Engineer Combat Battalion Heavy between 2004 and 2005 452 Ordnance Company PLS MOADS between 2004 and 2005 77th Sustainment Brigade 2011 13th Corps Support Command COSCOM between 2004 and 2005 1st Sustainment Command Expeditionary between 2006 and 2007 316th Sustainment Command Expeditionary between 2007 and 2008 1st Sustainment Command Expeditionary between 2008 and 2009 194th Engineer Brigade TN ARNG Jackson TN Corps Engineer Brigade August 2009 April 2010 103rd Sustainment Command Expeditionary between 2009 and 2011 100th Infantry Battalion 834th Aviation Support Battalion 864th Engineer Battalion Combat Heavy 912th AG Company Postal 1st and 2nd PLT Orlando FL June 2003 June 2004 29th Brigade Combat Team Hawaii ARNG January 2005 February 2006 323rd Military Police Company Toledo Ohio April 2003 July 2003 Bravo Company 279th Signal Battalion Alabama ARNG 2004 2005 81st HBCT WA ARNG April 2004 2005 30th Engineer Brigade Theater Army NC ARNG January 2005 December 2005 1563 flight Royal Air Force 2005 2011 705th T C Fuel Tanker Company 2003 2004 Army Reserve Unit based out of Dayton Ohio 1st Battalion 8th Infantry 3rd BCT 4th ID 2003 2004 amp 2005 2006 based out of Fort Carson CO Aviation forces Edit US Air Force332d Air Expeditionary Wing 332d Expeditionary Operations Group 22d Expeditionary Fighter Squadron F 16CM Block 50 Fighting Falcons 510th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Aviano AB Italy 34th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron from May to October 2008 332d Expeditionary Fighter Squadron F 16 Block 30 Fighting Falcons 107th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Michigan ANG 111th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Texas ANG 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron New Jersey ANG 120th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Colorado ANG 121st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron DC ANG 124th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Iowa ANG 125th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Oklaholma ANG 170th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Illinois ANG 176th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Wisconsin ANG 179th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Minnesota ANG 186th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Montana ANG 188th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron New Mexico ANG ANG 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron C 130 Hercules 64th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron HH 60 Pave Hawk 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron MQ 1B Predator 332d Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron airfield management 362d Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron MC 12W Liberty 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron tactical command and control agencyArmy1st Battalion 131st Aviation Regiment from September 2006 Task Force 11th Aviation Regiment United States Army Europe from April 2003 until February 2004 528 Quartermasters Ft Lewis Washington 2003 2004 172 Medical Logistics Battalion Ogden UT 2003 2004 M 158 Aviation Regiment AVIM 1 142 AVN BN 159th Combat Aviation Brigade Oct 2005 Oct 2006Structure Edit Starting in 2003 several mortar rounds and rockets were fired per day by insurgents usually hitting the empty space between the runways although there were isolated injuries and fatalities 6 7 8 9 By mid 2006 this rate had dropped by about 40 10 Due to these attacks the soldiers and airmen refer to the base as Mortaritaville though this name is shared with other bases in Iraq 11 Joint Base Balad had a burn pit operation as late as the summer of 2010 The pit which was visible for miles was in continuous use which resulted in 147 tons of waste burnt per day some of which was considered toxic 12 13 Respiratory difficulties and headaches were attributed to smoke inhalation from the burnt waste however according to research conducted on behalf of the US Department of Veteran Affairs there is insufficient evidence to connect those symptoms to burn pits 14 15 Despite this the VA allows service members to file claims for symptoms they believe to be related to burn pit exposure 16 17 Joint base Balad was also home to the Air Force Theater Hospital a Level I trauma center which boasted a 98 survival rate for wounded Americans and Iraqis alike 18 A black jail a U S military detention camp to interrogate high value detainees was established at Balad in summer 2004 named the Temporary Screening Facility TSF 19 20 21 A British Secret Intelligence Service MI6 lawyer who visited a black jail believed to be at Balad described it as holding prisoners in wooden crates too small to stand in or lie down who were subject to white noise 22 General Stanley McChrystal commander of Joint Special Operations Command regularly visited the site reporting that the staff of interrogators and analysts was six times the number of detainees enabling important detainees to be questioned through each shift 23 Return to Iraqi control Edit On 8 November 2011 as U S forces were in the process of withdrawing from Iraq Joint Base Balad was handed back to the Iraqi Air Force after which it returned to being called Balad Air Base 1 Sallyport Global Edit In 2014 Sallyport Global subsidiary of Caliburn International was awarded contracts to work on Balad Air Base in support of the Iraq F 16 program 24 Following reports alleging timesheet fraud investigators found evidence of alcohol smuggling human trafficking security violations and theft The investigators were subsequently fired by the human resources personnel that they were originally sent to investigate and removed from the base under armed guard 25 26 Employees have also raised concern about racism particularly from white South African security guards who made open endorsements of Apartheid and refused to work alongside Iraqis and other people of color Former employees say that they feared for their safety at the base due to security failures In one such report a militia member shot a bomb sniffing dog that had flagged their vehicle It is also said that animals were intentionally starved and the company withheld passports from employees who wished to leave 27 Sallyport is also being investigated by United States Department of Justice on allegations of bribing Iraqi officials for exclusive contracts 28 29 Current use EditThe base is home to the Iraqi Air Force s General Dynamics F 16 Fighting Falcons 30 of 9th Fighter Squadron 21 aircraft delivered by November 2017 31 The base came under attack by ISIL militants in late June 2014 when the insurgents launched mortar attacks and reportedly surrounded the base on three sides 32 On January 4 2020 the base came under a rocket attack and no claims of responsibility have been made yet 33 The attack wounded four people 33 On 20 February 2021 four rockets targeted the base in which one Iraqi contractor was wounded 34 See also Edit2007 Balad aircraft crash List of United States Military installations in Iraq United States Forces IraqReferences Edit a b Huge U S air base returned to Iraqi control Reuters November 9 2011 via www reuters com Huge U S air base returned to Iraqi control Reuters 9 November 2011 Archived from the original on 2019 02 22 Huge U S air base returned to Iraqi control Reuters 9 November 2011 Archived from the original on 2019 02 22 Carter Phillip October 18 2006 The Thin Green Line Slate com Retrieved 2007 07 25 1 permanent dead link Mortars Grenades Fired at U S Troops in Several Attacks Fox News 2003 07 10 Retrieved 2017 07 27 Letters to the editor for Wednesday October Stars and Stripes October 27 2004 Archived from the original on September 28 2007 Retrieved 2007 07 25 Mortar attacks part of daily life at Balad air base Retrieved 2017 07 27 Burns John F 2004 01 04 G I Killed and Two Wounded by Mortar Fire at Iraq Base The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved 2017 07 27 Powell Anita July 22 2006 Attacks on the decrease at LSA Anaconda aka Mortaritaville Stars and Stripes Archived from the original on September 28 2007 Retrieved 2007 07 25 Base hit by daily attacks told no GIs available for patrols tribunedigital chicagotribune Retrieved 2017 07 27 Burn pit at Balad raises health concerns Troops say chemicals and medical waste burned at base are making them sick but officials deny risk Military Times 2013 03 29 Retrieved 2017 07 27 The New Agent Orange New Republic Retrieved 2017 07 27 Administration US Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Burn Pits Public Health www publichealth va gov Retrieved 2017 07 27 Administration US Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Studies on Possible Health Effects of Burn Pits Public Health www publichealth va gov Retrieved 2017 07 27 Administration US Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health VA s Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry Public Health www publichealth va gov Retrieved 2017 07 27 Burn pit at Balad raises health concerns Troops say chemicals and medical waste burned at base are making them sick but officials deny risk article by Kelly Kennedy in Army Times Oct 29 2008 accessed 2010 08 07 Mason Michael March 2007 Dead Men Walking Discover Schmitt Eric 22 August 2009 U S Shifts Giving Detainee Names to the Red Cross New York Times Retrieved 2 July 2018 Allisa J Rubin 2009 11 28 Afghans Detail a Secret Prison Still Operating on a U S Base New York Times Archived from the original on 2012 11 08 Cobain Ian 1 April 2013 Camp Nama British personnel reveal horrors of secret US base in Baghdad The Guardian Retrieved 2 July 2018 Ian Cobain Jamie Doward 30 June 2018 M16 put questions to prisoner waterboarded 83 times by CIA The Guardian Retrieved 1 July 2018 McChrystal Stanley 2013 My Share of the Task A Memoir Penguin ISBN 9781101601426 Retrieved 8 August 2018 Editor 31 January 2019 Sallyport wins 375m Iraq Contract Iraq Business News Retrieved 2019 05 10 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a last has generic name help AP U S contractor ignored security violations at Iraq base www cbsnews com Retrieved 2019 05 10 Hinnant Desmond Butler and Lori U S company turned blind eye to wild behavior on Iraq base chicagotribune com Retrieved 2019 05 10 McCullough Zack Kopplin Irvin 2018 09 18 U S Paid 1B to Contractor Accused of Bigotry at Iraq Air Base Retrieved 2019 05 10 McCullough Zack Kopplin Irvin 2019 02 12 DOJ Is Investigating Whether U S Payoffs to Iraqi Officials Opened the Door for ISIS Retrieved 2019 05 10 Iannelli Jerry 2019 02 15 Miami Migrant Camp Contractor Tied to Iraqi Government Bribery Investigation Miami New Times Retrieved 2019 05 10 AirForces Monthly Stamford Lincolnshire England Key Publishing Ltd August 2014 p 23 Delalande Arnaud November 8 2017 AeroHisto Aviation History Iraqi 9th Fighter Squadron has now 21 F 16C Ds in its fleet Lake Eli Josh Rogin 25 June 2014 ISIS Tries to Grab Its Own Air Force The Daily Beast Retrieved 2014 06 26 a b Sisk Richard January 4 2020 Rocket Attacks Hit Baghdad s Green Zone Balad Air Base Iraqi Military Military com Rocket attack on Iraqi airbase where US defense company operates The Guardian 20 February 2021 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Joint Base Balad Balad from GlobalSecurity org 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command website Iraq Contingency Contracting and the Defense Base Act Expeditionary Times Anaconda Times Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Balad Air Base amp oldid 1128065663, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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