FOB Delaram is a United States military base in Afghanistan. It is actually the Forward Operating Base of the United States Marine Corps in Afghanistan. This FOB in Afghanistan is located along the 2,000 km. in Afghanistan’s Delaram District. Ring Road is Afghanistan’s main thorough fare with numerous qualities of road surface connecting the country’s major cities.
FOB Delaram military base in Afghanistan is currently the home to the 3rd Battalion of the 4th Marines. This battalion of 1,000 Marines has been deployed to Afghanistan and also Iraq for a total eight times.
History of FOB Delaram
Camp Delaram was constructed to accommodate the U.S. Marine Corps. The camp also serves as a storage place for logistics and equipment. The FOB also serves as a focal point for helping Afghans bring their lives back to normal after the attack and still continuing threats from Taliban forces. The initial structure of the base was only temporary and did not have a landing strip for airplanes. However, today it has a new runway to allow airplanes to land and bring in passengers and supplies.
By its very nature, it is quite difficult to live in Forward Operating Bases. Compared to Military bases, FOBs have very few recreation facilities and amenities. Being deployed to an FOB entails a lot of sacrifice for the U.S. soldier. FOBs doe not have the convenience that a base facility has. The military in Afghanistan usually keep themselves busy with combat patrols and preparing for combat patrols. These are what they usually do in their spare time. They do not have that much time and energy to dwell on comfort.
Accommodation in FOB Delaram
Living conditions at the FOB Delaram are cramped. Marines in this FOB only have four walls, some barbed wire, watchtowers and their fellow soldiers for safety.
FOB Delaram has sixteen buildings that will allow them to be self-sufficient from the coalition forces, also deployed in Afghanistan. The base will also bring the soldiers closer to the Afghan populace.
The base has barracks for the soldiers, communication facilities and maintenance bays which can house more than 1,000 soldiers. Living conditions though are very modest. As is common in most FOBs, there is not much to do in FOB Delaram during the troops’ off time. The base has very limited and small amenities. The base however has a decent gym and an internet café.
Barracks are usually tents and heaters are provided through heated firewood or a heater stove. There showers are also in tents with a lot of ingenuity implored for the troops to shave, shower and brush their teeth. The water heater is attached to a Humvee engine and posted outside the tent are instructions on how to use the heater.
However, as of February 2010, marines and sailors deployed in this relatively infertile lands, been provided with additional amenities and facilities. Additional living quarters as well as dining and laundry facilities were made available outside Delaram City but still within the outpost. The base has since grown its structures. The new addition has also included new shower rooms for the troops.
Delaram 2 has given a little improvement to the living conditions of the troops in FOB Delaram. With additional living quarters, troops do not need to be cramped in tents. With the new dining facilities and showers, they now have the extra comfort they need.
Most FOBs really have very little amenities and facilities for comfort. FOB Delaram is one of them. Troops deployed in this base are just living with whatever little they have. Some U.S. FOBs though are luckier.
The troops now have internet access readily available. Some have it in their individual rooms. The troops deployed in FOB Delaram though do not somewhat feel the lack of amenities and facilities that the base have. They are content with shower rooms and living quarters in tents. And now with Delaram 2, they are experiencing some sort of a “luxury” of life.
The main reason they are in Afghanistan and the attainment of their mission which is to bring the country back to normalcy, somewhat makes up for the lack in facilities.
This is really the life of troops assigned in an FOB. They are lucky if they have concrete structures for living quarters. Some of the FOBs though are luckier and they do have concrete structures.
FOB Sharana
FOB Sharana is different from FOB Delaram. In Sharana, broadband internet services are readily available for the troops. FOB Sharana is also located in the Hindu Kush Mountains near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. This FOB serves as a brigade surgeon og the 168th Engineer Brigade of the Mississippi Army National Guard. Although Sharana is part of Afghanistan, the place is far more dangerous for both the US troops and the Afghan natives. FOB Sharana is more complete in facilities than FOB Delaram. This military facility has a base exchange with counters and shelves of goodies. It also has a post office, comfortable living quarters and a more improved plumbing and electrical system for the bathrooms. An added luxury is a deck added to the living area of the Base Commander and the Command Sergeant Major. FOB Sharana, too has more telephone lines and computer stations than FOB Delaram. All of these amenities have tremendously improved the life of the Soldiers assigned to FOB Sharana.
Life in an FOB for U.S. troops is indeed a big sacrifice. This is definitely a classic case of country first before one self. The United States Military has over 700 FOBs all over the world. In as much as the U.S. military leadership would like to give decent and comfortable living conditions to all its troops in FOBs, there are countries areas wherein such little luxury cannot be given.
Notwithstanding the sorry state of the living conditions FOBs in Afghanistan, the troops assigned there are committed and very well motivated to safeguard the Afghans and protect the U.S. interests in the country. Troops in FOBs in Afghanistan are over and above the soldiers who are part of the Allied forces, also in the Afghan nation.