[15] It reported that Bagram was currently undergoing US$200 million expansion projects, and called the Airfield a "boom town". Between steak and lobster dinners, the daily dishes are pretty up to par, taste-wise. The plans were to have nearly 1,200 structures built by 2006, but completion of the project was expected much earlier; possibly by July 2004. Is military base in Afghanistan Shindand Airbase is seven miles in the northwester part of Sabzwar City and in western side of Herat Province in Afghanistan. Kandahar International Airport, Afghanistan is 16 km from Kandahar City, in the southern side of the country. [39] Many of the officers and soldiers interviewed by U.S. Army investigators in the subsequent criminal investigation said the large majority of detainees were compliant and reasonably well treated. Under the security agreement, the United States is allowed to have these military bases, and if … SSG Craig was assigned to the 159th Air Ambulance Medical Company, Wiesbaden, Germany. [21] In June 2009, two US soldiers were killed and at least six other personnel were wounded during an early morning rocket attack. In recent years, new barracks and office buildings have been constructed, and the base is slowly expanding. Coalition Forces and civilians complete the constitution of the base. It was taken over under the NATO administration since then. There were no injuries. The camp is named for Gene Arden Vance Jr., a member of the US Special Forces (Airborne) and a cryptologic linguist who, despite being critically wounded, helped save the lives of two fellow Americans and 18 Afghani soldiers during the hunt for Osama Bin Laden in the War in Afghanistan. [4], The airport at Bagram was originally built in the 1950s, during the Cold War, at a time when the United States and the neighboring Soviet Union were busy spreading influence in Afghanistan. In March 2010, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) installed 150 solar powered lights to address reports of sexual assaults at the base. History Bagram airfield was used by Soviet troops between 1979 and 1989. This new runway is 497 metres (1,631 ft) longer than the previous one and 280 millimetres (11 in) thicker, giving it the ability to land larger aircraft, such as the C-5 Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III, Il-76, An-124, An-225 or the Boeing 747 (which is used by civilian cargo airlines). Among the dead were a US soldier, a US contractor, a South Korean soldier, and 20 Afghan workers at the base. Camp Vance is headquartered by US Special Forces troops whose core tasks include advising the Afghan National Army’s special operations forces and local police, training forces associated with the Village Stability Operations (VSO) and counterinsurgency (COIN)[34] – a strategy that establishes expanding security and stability in rural villages. Afghanistan Air Force [AAF] The Afghan Air Force [AAF] is the primary air enabler for the ANDSF, responsible for air mobility and close air attack across all of Afghanistan. In November 2009, construction of the Parwan Detention Facility was completed. The number increased 5-fold since President Barack Obama took office in January 2009. Parvan Province, US Military Bases in Afghanistan Bagram Air Base is operated jointly by the United States Army and Air Force. By early December 2001 troops from the 10th Mountain Division shared the base with Special Operations Command officers from MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, Paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division from Fort Bragg, and a small communications team consisting of personnel from the 269th Signal Company, 11th Signal Brigade out of Fort Huachuca. Bagram Airfield is staffed by the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing of the U.S. Air Force, along with rotating units of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard. Press reports indicated that at times a Northern Alliance general was using the bombed-out control tower as an observation post and as a location to brief journalists, with his headquarters nearby. In 1959, a year after Afghan Prime Minister Daud Khan toured the United States, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower landed at Bagram Airfield where he was greeted by King Zahir Shah and Daoud Khan among other Afghan officials. It is one of the largest airports of Afghanistan. Between 1999 and 2001, the Taliban and the Northern Alliance struggled for control of the base, but it was finally secured by British Special Forces at the time of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan. There were no injuries. [38], Apart from military and intelligence personnel, the only people officially allowed inside the prison building were Red Cross representatives who inspected the facility once every two weeks. Frank Rozendaal, Rene van Woezik and Tieme Festner, 'Bear tracks in Germany: The Soviet Air Force in the former German Democratic Republic: Part 1, 345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force (CJSOTF), hit an under construction medical facility, "BARRACKS 15-18 PROJECT, BAGRAM AIR BASE - AFGHANISTAN", Red Cross confirms 'second jail' at Bagram, Afghanistan, "In Small Things Remembered » President Dwight D. Eisenhower inspects the honor guard upon arrival at Bagram Airport", "In Small Things Remembered » President Eisenhower is welcomed at the airport by King Zahir Shah, Afghan government officials, and children", "Rocket, Small Arms Fire Aimed at Bagram Airfield", "Buildings going up at Bagram Airfield as U.S. forces dig in for the long haul", "Bagram Airfield keeps growing: More than $200 million in projects in the works", Sex assaults spur new lighting at Bagram base, "Afghan Men Tricked Into U.S. Trip, Detained: Possible Witnesses Have Been Forced To Stay Since 2008", "2 US military men indicted on bribery charges", "Five Individuals Arrested, Two Contracting Companies Charged in Bribery Conspiracy Related to Department of Defense Contracts in Afghanistan", "2 Chicago military officials plead guilty here, including a soldier named Patton". The 368th Assault Aviation Regiment was stationed at Bagram from October 1986 to November 1987.[7]. ... Air Force … Yousef Ahmadi, one of the Taliban spokesmen, claimed responsibility for the attack and said that Cheney was the intended target. Dateline revisits 'Bagram's Creature Comforts', a documentary that SBS aired on 28/02/10. [5][6], The original runway, 10,000 foot long, was built in 1976. The ICAO ID is OAIX and it is specifically at 34.944N, 69.259E at 1,492 metres (4,895 ft) above sea level. The Parwan Detention Facility (PDF) was completed in 2009 and is located somewhere at Bagram Airfield. Go to … The older detention facility, which was located at a different site, has been criticized in the past for alleged torture and prisoner abuse. It is one of the largest airports of Afghanistan. [29][30][31] According to DoD interviews with medical staff at the hospital its modern facilities rival the facilities at modern hospitals in the United States. [41] The detainees include senior members of al-Qaeda and Taliban militant commanders. Some of the Soviet land forces based at Bagram included the 108th Motor Rifle Division and the 345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment of the 105th Guards Airborne Division. In 2005, the number of anti-Afghanistan militants held at Bagram was 450,[40] but began increasing then. [17][18][19][20] Four of the Afghans have also faced charges, while three of them have been held as material witnesses. Ring Road is Afghanistan’s main thorough fare with numerous qualities of road surface connecting the country’s […]. [14], By 2007 Bagram had become the size of a small town, with traffic jams and many commercial shops selling goods from clothes to food. In March 2009, a car bomb exploded outside the gates of Bagram Airfield facilities, wounding three civilian workers. Click here send us an e-mail. Burn pits were established at many bases in Afghanistan and Iraq soon after U.S. involvement began in those countries — in 2001 in Afghanistan and 2003 in Iraq. There are numerous dining facilities at Bagram Airfield. Car bomb outside main U.S. base injures 3 in Kabul, Afghanistan; Taliban claims responsibility. In October 2009 The State reported on Bagram's expansion. The base began life as a barren outpost in 2009, but has quickly expanded into a 1,600 acre fairly modern facility that is a military powerhouse in the area. As of November 2011, more than 3,000 anti-Afghanistan militants and foreign terrorists are detained at PDF, roughly 18 times as many as in Guantanamo Bay. In 2005, The New York Times reported that two detainees had been beaten to death by guards in December 2002. The GIs are reported to have received over 100,000 dollars in bribes. The official website of the U.S. Air Force. 438th AEW Public Affairs . It is the main detention facility for persons detained by US forces in Afghanistan. Bagram Airfield-BAF also known as Bagram Air Base[2] (IATA: OAI, ICAO: OAIX) is the largest U.S. military base in Afghanistan. During Operation Enduring Freedom in late 2001, Kandahar Airport was one of the first coalition bases established in Afghanistan. Parvan Province, US Military Bases in Afghanistan, Bagram Air Base is operated jointly by the United States Army and Air Force. Bagram Airfield Base Operator DSN: (318) 481-4120 Note: If you are not calling from a DSN phone, please do not attempt to dial or use the 318 area code. Coalition Forces and civilians complete the constitution of the base. December 25, 2002: A C-130 ran off the runway, closing the runway for a 24-hour period. [37] However, some interrogators routinely administered harsh treatment which included alleged beatings, sleep deprivation, sexual humiliation, shackling to ceilings, and threats with guard dogs. As of early January 2002 the number of 10th Mountain Division troops had grown to about 400 soldiers. As of mid-December 2001 more than 300 US troops, mainly with the 10th Mountain Division, were providing force protection at Bagram. As a member of the 738th AEAG, you will work directly with the Afghan Air Force (AAF) on a daily basis. There are a number of large hangars, a control tower, numerous support buildings, and various housing areas. It has been criticized in the past for its abusive treatment of prisoners. [3], The Hamid Karzai International Airport (Kabul International Airport) is about 40 km (25 mi) south of Bagram, connected by two separate roads. The runway began to be repaired by US, Italian, and Polish military personnel. Fridays and KFC. The airport at Bagram was maintained by the Afghan Air Force (AAF) with some support from the United States. Since then, the base has grown and expanded its mission. In 2008, several U.S. servicemembers were accused of accepting bribes for the award of building contracts on Bagram. But it is clear from what's happening at Bagram Airfield—the Afghan end of the Charleston-to-Afghanistan lifeline—that the U.S. military won't be packing up soon." In 2012, the Afghan government requested that control of the Parwan Detention Facility be handed over to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). The 2007 Bagram Airfield bombing was a suicide attack that killed up to 23 people and injured 20 more, at a time when Dick Cheney, then Vice-President of the United States, was visiting Afghanistan. When traveling to the AAF compound you need to either use the Berm Gate or have an "A" Pass for your vehicle. Many support buildings and base housing built by the Soviet Armed Forces during their occupation were destroyed by years of fighting between various warring Afghan factions after the Soviets left. It might not be the best quality steak or lobster, but who else gets steak and lobster on deployments!? Taliban forces were consistently within artillery and mortar range of the field, denying full possession of the strategic facility to the Northern Alliance. Bagram was also the initial staging point for the invading Soviet forces at the beginning of the conflict, with elements of two Soviet Airborne Troops' divisions being deployed there. The command center of the Afghan Air Force is located at Hamid Karzai Internati… SSG Craig died on 21 June 2006 during combat operations in Afghanistan. [27], The base continues to be modernized. © Copyright 1998 MilitaryBases.com Not affiliated with any government agencies. Also, the Parwan Detention Facility is located adjacent to the base at Bagram. In May 2010, the International Committee of the Red Cross revealed that since August 2009 it was informed about inmates of a second prison where detainees are held in isolation and without access to the International Red Cross that is usually guaranteed to all prisoners. [26] On Thanksgiving evening in 2013, a rocket attack killed 2 civilian contractors as they slept in their B hut on the southern part of the field. The nearest town is seven miles away at Sabzwar City in the Harat Providence. [35], The mission of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force at Camp Vance and Bagram Airfield includes denying terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan that threaten western interests. For in-depth coverage, AF.MIL provides special reports, video, audio, and photo galleries. The Taliban denies responsibility and, This page was last edited on 27 November 2020, at 01:03. [36], The Parwan Detention Facility (PDF) was completed in 2009 and is located somewhere at Bagram Airfield. Bagram Airfield-BAF also known as Bagram Air Base (IATA: OAI, ICAO: OAIX) is the largest U.S. military base in Afghanistan. The insurgents claimed responsibility for the incident. In May 2010, a group of "nearly a dozen" insurgents attacked around the north end of the base. The weather resistant asphalt road connects the airbase to the Farat-Herat Highway. While the United States was focusing on Afghanistan, the Soviets were busy with the Island of Cuba and Fidel Castro. Tired of dining-facility surf and turf and instant coffee? Bagram airfield was used by Soviet troops between 1979 and 1989. in Afghanistan’s Delaram District. The five-year program of … There is no restriction on travel on the ISAF side of KAIA. AF.MIL delivers the latest breaking news and information on the U.S. Air Force including top stories, features, leadership, policies, and more. April 20, 2003: A C-17 landed on part of the runway that was closed due to construction: The C-17 suffered over $2 million in main landing gear damage. It was taken over under the NATO administration since then. It is actually the Forward Operating Base of the United States Marine Corps in Afghanistan. After the 2012 Afghanistan Quran burning protests the United States decided to transfer the running of the Parwan Detention Facility to Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), although the Americans will have access to the facility and will have the power to veto which inmate is released. It has a dual runway capable of handling large military aircraft, including the Lockheed Martin C-5 Galaxy and Antonov An-225. There are also more than 32 acres (130,000 m2) of ramp space and five aircraft dispersal areas, with over 110 revetments. In December 2001, the 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Army camped on the field. A spokesman for Bagram said a building was slightly damaged during the attack. The base was able to house 10,000 troops in 2009.[2]. Though initially intended to only be a temporary […], Helmand Province, US Military Bases in Afghanistan, Camp Leatherneck is the home base of most United States Marine Corps operations in Afghanistan. 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