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My younger brother recently arrived in Iraq

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My younger brother is in the Army and recently arrived in Iraq. I'm sure it's weird enough for him as it is, it doesn't help that he works for the JAG, and thus is in the unenviable position of having to enforce military rules on his fellow soldiers.

Anyway, in part because I'm curious in general, but mostly because I'm a little worried for the guy, I'm going to learn a little about his new home.

He lives at FOB Iskan.

Though it means something else to my fellow commercial law geeks, in military parlance "FOB" stands for "forward operating base." Here are links to a very short Wikipedia article and an article from the Dallas Morning News:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forward_Operating_Base

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...fe.32f033b.html

The Dallas Morning News article refers to FOB Iskan as "relatively rugged" and added that it "surrounds a working power plant that burns crude oil. Dirty smoke floats across the base, and pools of spilled crude form black, reeking ponds. 'Our own little Love Canal,' [Lt. Col. Pat Donahoe] said."

One soldier blogs that the base is on the south end of the "triangle of death," though he adds that he's told that "t's not as bad as it used to be here." It was written in August. Hopefully the situation has improved. http://people.tribe.net/shooter-666/blog?page=4

A report for the Air Force Times states in March that FOB Iskan "can only be described as an industrial hazmat nightmare." Thankfully, the author added that "I need to point out that improvements are on the way . . . ." The article was written in March, so I hope those improvements came, but it does not paint a rosy picture. In fact, it paints a disgusting picture, like a Jackson Pollock.

According to a forum, back in February soldiers found roadside bombs and weapons caches. http://www.hannity.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-55921.html

Here's a story in April about a couple soldiers from this base who died from a roadside bomb: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/ir...n.4f25618e.html

The above article also adds that the base is along the Sunni-Shiite fault line. Great.

I'm done searching this stuff for now. Not a great outlook so far, but Aaron doesn't think it's too bad. Aaron, don't die you little punk.

If anyone stumbles across any more recent information about Iskan, I invite you to post it here.

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As a military wife, my husband and my friends' husbands have recently deployed to Iraq and are at FOB Iskan. It is very important in war to be in the right mindset. Well, right now moral is really low. Not only have I been told that conditions at the FOB are more dangerous than the soldiers expected, but some soldiers living quarters are unacceptable. Some are living two to an 8'x8' "cell" with no bed because one was provided and it was broken. Prisoners are getting better treatment than our soldiers that are volunteering their lives to help others.

AT&T Global Prepaid cards are the only way for the soldiers to call home. Hardly any one is able to call because that card can only be purchased at the PX, and no one was told what kind of calling cards to buy before they left. There is a mobile PX that comes, but once items are sold out, tough luck for every other soldier. The PX here is sold out of calling cards as well.

Files are going into their medical records after being stationed at FOB Iskan. The soldiers should be able to collect 10% disability pay because of the hazardous conditions there. So, not only do we have to fear that our soldier may never come home, but if he does he may die from cancer or God knows what. Do we really know what is in all the barrels that are oozing "oil" near that power plant?

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  • 1 year later...

My husband has soldiers at Iskan. I came here trying to learn a little more about the conditions so I can assist the wives of those that are there. As far as the phone card situation, I'd suggest buying them through AAFES online here:

https://thor.aafes.com/scs/default.aspx

They can ship them directly to him. These are always the ones to get when one deploys because it can be used everywhere. I don't know what the internet situation is there but, you can order one (or buy if you want to wait on the PX to get them in stock) and then email him the 800# and the PIN. They're rechargable, so it's the only card you'd need to get. That's what we did for the last rotation. I just kept recharging the same card since they always sell out of them.

I don't know if this helps but I thought I'd try....

Edited by asuwur
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My ex-husband is a veteran of the Gulf War. There are few things anyone can say to comfort someone who is worrying about a loved one in a war zone; however, just to keep things in perspective, there are a few things I like to remind myself of.

1.) The odds of a soldier (or any of us for that matter) dying in a car wreck on an American highway are far greater than his odds of dying in the war.

2.) Our military is the best trained and best equipped military the world has ever known.

For me, the thing I worry about most, is the long term psychological effects of war on the soldier and how it can affect members of his family. I can tell you from personal experience that the psychological trauma my ex-husband experienced had direct bearing on our relationship and its failure. (I think it can be attributed to many of his other personal problems as well.)

They say that getting out of the military and/or a war zone is much like getting out of prison in that these men (and women) often feel that they don't know what to do now or how to go on with "normal" life. My advice to anyone with a loved one in the military is to watch their behavior closely when they come home and help them adjust to civilian life in a healthy and rational way, and if they're not, please encourage them to seek help.

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