Victory Base Complex – also referred to as VBC – is an amalgam of military installations around the Baghdad international airport. The complex includes 10 bases – Victory Fuel Point, Slayer, Striker, Cropper, Liberty, Radwaniyah Palace, Dublin, Sather Air Base, Logistics Base Seitz and Victory. The most important one is Camp Victory. It hosts the headquarters for all the US operations in Iraq. The camp also includes the Al Faw Palace.
Lifestyle
Camp Victory – the head camp of Victory Base Complex – has a tight connection with one of the multitude of US bases maintained in Germany – the Heidelberg base. The name comes from the Victory Corps hosted there. The area was occupied by the American forces in 2003. It was among the first and most important successes in Iraq. The camp is relatively wide, therefore it was split into smaller communities, such as the Ohama Beach, the Freedom Village or the Dodge Cities. If these bases host the American troops, there are a few smaller communities hosting various contractors. A third of them are Iraqi.
The place includes a popular dining facility with multiple options for the troops. There was a smaller cafe bar as well, but it was closed as the Iraqi invasion lost its intensity. Other than that, the troops are free to choose between a wide variety of restaurants, including Pizza Hut, Subway, Burger King or Taco Bell. The coffee lovers can always waste their mornings at Green Beans. Recently, a new Turkish restaurant was opened in the area, as well as a new recreational bowling place for the fans. The shopping lovers can kill their boring days as well through the chain of shops located close to the dining facility. Those who love sports can practice on the basketball and football courts in the area. The excellently equipped gym is almost always occupied by the troops.
The recreational aspect doesn’t stop here though. There are not less than three recreational buildings providing multiple facilities, such as access to Internet, a few television sets, phones and indoor sports, like air hockey or table tennis. The Internet access on site can also be purchased from a private contractor inhabiting Victory Base Complex.
To keep the troops entertained, WWE holds a yearly tribute to the troops. The Bluegrass music from the native lands is also part of the process to entertain the soldiers. The Baghdad Bad Boys – a local group founded inside the camp – gather every Friday in very entertaining meetings with the people around the camp to participate and listen to such music.
Popular culture
Victory Base Complex is not important for the US government only, but also in the movie history. The base was featured in the 2008 Oscar winning movie “The Hurt Locker”. At the same time, the base was also included in the 2007 NORAD program. The NORAD program installs cameras in multiple parts of the world to track down Santa Claus. It is a popular habit that takes place every year around Christmas.
