Bagram Air Base or Bagram Airfield (ICAO: OAIX) is a militarized airport and housing complex that is located next to the ancient city of Bagram, southeast of Charikar in Parwan province of Afghanistan. The base is currently occupied and maintained by the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army as well as the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing of the United States Air Force. It is speculated that the military of the United States will remain at Bagram for many years to come.^[1] An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier [1], is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). ... The ICAO (IPA pronunciation: ) airport code or location indicator is a four-letter alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world. ... The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... “The U.S. Air Force” redirects here. ... Aromatic vials in the shape of Greek gods, Begram, 2nd century. ... The term above mean sea level (AMSL) refers to the elevation (on the ground) or altitude (in the air) of any object, relative to the average sea level. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the construction material. ... The ICAO (IPA pronunciation: ) airport code or location indicator is a four-letter alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world. ... Aromatic vials in the shape of Greek gods, Begram, 2nd century. ... Capital of Parvan one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. ... Parwān (Persian: پروان, also spelt Parvān) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. ... The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... The 455th Air Expeditionary Wing (455 AEW) is an air expeditionary wing of the United States Air Force located at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. ... “The U.S. Air Force” redirects here. ... The United States Armed Forces are the military services of the United States. ...

Bagram Air Base has three large hangars, a control tower, and numerous support buildings. There are over 32 acres (130,000 m²) of ramp space and five aircraft dispersal areas, with a total of over 110 revettments. Many support buildings and base housing built by the Soviets were destroyed by years of fighting between the various warring Afghan factions. However, new barracks and office buildings are slowly being constructed at the present time. There is also a detention center at Bagram Air Base, which has been criticized in the past for its abusive treatment of prisoners.^[2] CCCP redirects here. ... A sally port at the Bagram Theater Internment Facility. ... In 2005, a 2,000-page U.S. Army report was obtained by the New York Times concerning the homicides of two unarmed civilian Afghan prisoners by U.S. armed forces in 2002 at the Bagram Collection Point. ...

The ICAO ID is OAIX and it is specifically at 34.944N, 69.259E at around 1500 m above sea level. The airfield had a single 3003 m (9852 ft) runway built in 1976. A new 3.5-kilometre long runway was built and completed by the United States in late 2006, at a cost of 68 million US dollars. This new runway is 2000 feet longer than the previous one and is 11 inches thicker, which gives it the ability to handle larger aircraft if necessary, such as the C-5 Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III or the Boeing 747.^[3] The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an agency of the United Nations, develops the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a military transport aircraft designed to provide strategic heavy airlift over intercontinental distances. ... For the Lockheed aircraft with this designation, see C-17 Super Vega. ... The Boeing 747, sometimes nicknamed the Jumbo Jet,[4][5] is a long-haul, widebody commercial airliner manufactured by Boeing in the United States. ...

History

Communist era

Bagram Air Base played a key role during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989, serving as a base of operations for troops and supplies. Bagram was also the initial staging point for the invading Soviet forces at the beginning of the conflict, with a number of airborne divisions being deployed there. Aircraft based at Bagram provided close air support for Soviet and Afghan troops in the field. Some of the Soviet forces based out of Bagram included the 108th Motor Rifle Division and the 345th Parachute Landing Regiment of the 105th Airborne Division. Belligerents DRA USSR Mujahideen of Afghanistan Commanders Soviet 40th Army: Sergei Sokolov Valentin Varennikov Boris Gromov DRA: Babrak Karmal Mohammad Najibullah Abdul Rashid Dostum Abdul Haq Jalaluddin Haqqani Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Ismail Khan Ahmad Shah Massoud Strength Soviet forces: 80,000-104,000 Afghan forces: 329,000 (in 1989)[1] 45...

Civil War era

Destroyed aircraft line the runway in early 2002, in what was called the "Bagram aircraft petting zoo".

Following the withdrawal of the Soviet forces and the rise of the Mujahideen, Afghanistan plunged into civil war. Control of the base was contested from 1999 onward between the Northern Alliance and Taliban, often with each controlling territory on opposing ends of the airfield. Taliban forces were consistently within artillery and mortar range of the field, denying full possession of the strategic facility to the Northern Alliance. 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. Mujahideen (Arabic: ‎, , literally strugglers) is a term for Muslims fighting in a war or involved in any other struggle. ... Flag flown by the UIF (Northern Alliance). ... The Taliban (Pashto: , also anglicized as Taleban) are a Sunni Muslim and ethnic Pashtun movement [2] that ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, when their leaders were removed from power by a cooperative military effort between the Northern Alliance, United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. ...

Reports also indicated that Northern Alliance rocket attacks on Kabul had been staged from Bagram, possibly with Russian-made FROG-7 Rockets. Taliban attacks on the airbase included mortar attacks and airstrikes using cluster bombs. FROG-7B (Luna M) FROG-7B (Luna M) FROG-7B (Luna M) FROG-7B (Luna M) The FROG-7 is the final version of the FROG family of unguided, spin-stabilized, short-range artillery rockets. ... Cluster bomb exploding A cluster bomb is an air-dropped bomb that ejects multiple small submunitions (bomblets). ...

US and allied forces

A-10 ground support fighters taxiing on Bagram runways.

During the U.S-led invasion of Afghanistan the base was secured by a team from the British Special Boat Service. 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 and soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division from Fort Bragg. The British force consisted of Bravo and Charlie Companies from 40 Commando Royal Marines, based in Taunton, Somerset. As of mid-December 2001 more than 300 American troops, mainly with the 10th Mountain Division, were providing force protection at Bagram. The troops patrolled the base perimeter, guarded the front gate, and cleared the runway of explosive ordnance. As of early January 2002 the number of 10th Mountain Division troops had grown to about 400 soldiers. Image File history File links File links The following pages link to this file: Bagram Air Base ... Image File history File links File links The following pages link to this file: Bagram Air Base ... The A-10/OA-10 Thunderbolt II, often known as the Warthog, is the first US Air Force aircraft specifically designed for close air support of ground forces. ... For other uses of War in Afghanistan, see War in Afghanistan (disambiguation). ... The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the British Royal Navys special forces unit. ... 2001 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December Events: December 2 - Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection five days after Dynegy canceled a US$8. ... The 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) is a light infantry division of the United States Army currently serving under the XVIII Airborne Corps. ... Aerial Photo of MacDill Air Force Base, Florida - March 1987 MacDill Air Force Base Emblem showing a KC-135 Stratotanker of the 6th Air Mobility Wing with the Tampa Skyline and Gasparilla ship in the background. ... The 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army was constituted in the National Army as the 82nd Division on August 5, 1917, and was organized on August 25, 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia. ... Troopers of the 82nd training on Fort Bragg Paratroopers in training at Fort Bragg Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke Counties, North Carolina, USA, near Fayetteville. ...

As of late January 2002, there were somewhat over 4,000 US troops in Afghanistan, of which about 3,000 were at Kandahar airport, and about 500 were stationed at Bagram Air Base. The runway was repaired by US, Italian and Polish military personnel.

As of mid-June 2002, Bagram Air Base was serving as home to more than 7,000 U.S. and multinational armed services working together in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Numerous tent areas house the troops based there, including one named Viper City.

A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter taking off at Bagram Air Base in 2007.

By November 2003 B-huts were replacing the standard shelter option for troops. There were several hundred, with plans to build close to 800 of them. 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. The increased construction fell under US Central Command standards of temporary housing and allowed for the building of B-huts on base, not to show permanence, but to raise the standard for troops serving here. The wooden structures have no concrete foundation thus not considered permanent housing, just an upgrade from the tents, the only option Bagram personnel and troops had seen previously. The small homes offer troops protection from environmental conditions including wind, snow, sand and cold. On average, B-huts house up to 8 people, as does the majority housing option, the tent. For other uses of Blackhawk/Black Hawk, see Black Hawk. ...

By 2007 Bagram has become the size of a small town, with traffic jams, many commercial shops selling everything from clothes to food. The base itself is situated high up in the mountains and sees temperatures drop to -20. Due to the height and snow storms commercial aircraft have difficulty landing older aircraft and often rely on very experienced crews to land there.

2007 Bagram Air Base bombing

Wikinews has related news:

Taliban target US Vice President Cheney with suicide bomb attack

Main article: 2007 Bagram Air Base bombing

Image File history File links WikiNews-Logo. ... Wikinews is a free-content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ... The 2007 Bagram Air Base bombing was a suicide attack that had killed up to 23 people and injured 20 more at the Bagram air base in Afghanistan, while Dick Cheney, the Vice President of the United States, was visiting. ...

Bagram Theater Internment Facility

Main article: Bagram Theater Internment Facility

Bagram Air Base is the main detention facility for persons detained by US forces in Afghanistan.^[4] A sally port at the Bagram Theater Internment Facility. ...

The detention facility has housed as many as 500 enemy combatants who are mostly held in a building deep in the heart of the base.^[4] The detainees have included senior members of Al-Qaeda and suspected Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters. In July 2005, about 450 suspected militants were being detained there.^[5] Apart from US military and intelligence personnel, the only people officially allowed inside the prison building are Red Cross representatives who inspect the facility once every two weeks.^[6] An enemy combatant has historically referred to members of the armed forces of the state with which another state is at war. ... Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ... The Taliban (Pashto: , also anglicized as Taleban) are a Sunni Muslim and ethnic Pashtun movement [2] that ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, when their leaders were removed from power by a cooperative military effort between the Northern Alliance, United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. ... The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. ...

The Detention Center at Bagram has been heavily criticized for its abusive treatment of prisoners.^[2] In 2005 the New York Times reported that two detainees had been beaten to death by guards in December 2002.^[7] Amnesty International has used the word "torture" to describe treatment at the detention center.^[8] A sally port at the Bagram Theater Internment Facility. ... In 2005, a 2,000-page U.S. Army report was obtained by the New York Times concerning the homicides of two unarmed civilian Afghan prisoners by U.S. armed forces in 2002 at the Bagram Collection Point. ...

Many of the officers and soldiers interviewed by US Army investigators in the subsequent criminal investigation said the large majority of detainees at Bagram were compliant and reasonably well treated.^[7] However, some interrogators routinely administered harsh treatment which included beatings, sleep deprivation, sexual humiliation, shackling to ceilings, and threats with guard dogs.^[7] Amnesty International has criticized the US government for using dogs at the detention center at Bagram Air Base.^[9]

In July 2005 four suspected Al-Qaeda militants escaped from Bagram detention center.^[5]

Gallery

Special meeting in July 2007 at one of the hangers in Bagram Air Base	C-17 Globemaster III at Bagram Air Base For the Lockheed aircraft with this designation, see C-17 Super Vega. ...	Special visit in October 2007 by U.S. Navy Admiral and the 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Michael Mullen USN redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer of the United States military, and the principal military advisor to the President of the United States. ... Admiral Michael Glenn Mullen (born October 4, 1946) is currently the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as of October 1, 2007. ...	Special visit in July 2007 by United States Deputy Secretary of Defense, Gordon R. England The United States Deputy Secretary of Defense is the second-highest ranking official in the United States Department of Defense. ... Gordon England Gordon Richard England (born 1938) is an American businessman who serves as United States Deputy Secretary of Defense. ...
Special visit in July 2005 by the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Peter Pace The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer of the United States military, and the principal military advisor to the President of the United States. ... Peter Pace (born November 5, 1945 in Brooklyn, New York) was the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first Marine appointed to the United States highest-ranking military office. ...	UFC fighters at Bagram Air Base in 2007 This article covers the organization itself. ...	Pro-wrestler Paul Wight of WWE and WCW at Bagram Air Base in December 2005 Paul Randall Wight, Jr. ... World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ... For the Australian professional wrestling promotion, see World Championship Wrestling (Australia). ...	American country music singer Michael Peterson at Bagram Air Base in November 2006 Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. ... Michael Peterson catapulted into the national spotlight in 1997 on the success of the hit single, Drink, Swear, Steal & Lie and his follow up release, From Here To Eternity, which became his first #1 hit as an artist and second as a writer. ...

See also

• List of airports in Afghanistan
• Kandahar Air Base
• Manas Air Base
• Provincial Reconstruction Team
• International Security Assistance Force
• Afghanistan War order of battle
• Bagram torture and prisoner abuse

List of airports in Afghanistan, sorted alphabetically within each category. ... Kandahar International Airport (more commonly known as Kandahar Airport) (IATA: KDH, ICAO: OAKN) is located 10 miles (16 kilometers) south-east of Kandahar City in Afghanistan. ... Emblem of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, stationed at Manas Air Base Ganci Air Base is the unofficial name of Manas Air Base, a United States military installation at Manas International Airport near Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, primarily operated by the U.S. Air Force. ... A Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) is an administrative unit of international aid to Afghanistan, consisting of a small operating base from which a group of sixty to more than one hundred civilians and military specialists work to perform small reconstruction projects or provide security for others involved in aid work. ... Logo of ISAF. Pashto writing: Ú©Ù…Ú© Ùˆ همکاری (Komak wa Hamkari) means Help and Cooperation. International Security Assistance Force (10) (ISAF) is the name of a NATO-led security and development mission in Afghanistan which was established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001[1] and consists of about 35... Spc. ... In 2005, a 2,000-page U.S. Army report was obtained by the New York Times concerning the homicides of two unarmed civilian Afghan prisoners by U.S. armed forces in 2002 at the Bagram Collection Point. ...

References

Mohammed Sulaymon Barre (born December 27, 1964) is from Somaliland, held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, in Cuba. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Detention, Treatment, and Trial of Certain Non-Citizens in the War Against Terrorism Wikisource has original text related to this article: Declaration of Stephen Abraham, Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army Reserve, June 14th, 2007 This is the trailer where the Combatant Status... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Bagram Air Base

• Bagram Airbase at GlobalSecurity.org
  • Global Security Numerous maps and photos from the sky as of August 13, 2001
• runway dimensions
• The Prisoner, NOW on PBS
• May 15, 2005 News "Slowly, but steadily, a slew of construction projects is providing troops with better housing and improved work areas as well as a handful of new shops for eating and entertainment."
• "Cheney targeted in Taliban attack", Aljazeera.net.