U.S. flag lowered for last
time as
Camp Dobol in Bosnia closes By Adam Ramirez
Bosnia bureau
CAMP DOBOL,
Bosnia and Herzegovina — In a "significant, not sad" gesture, the American
flag that has flown over this base camp for five years was lowered Sunday morning for the
final time.
With a
group formation of about 150 soldiers standing at attention, Camp Dobol ended its
five-year reign as a hub for U.S. tanks, assault vehicles and peacekeepers along the
eastern border between the Croat-Muslim Federation and the Serb Republic.
Dobol was a
strategic base camp on the front lines when it opened in 1996 but recently has been
replaced by Camp Conner, a hilltop outpost.
Command
Sgt. Major Otis Smith of the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, said the ceremonial flag
lowering should be seen as a sign of a job well done for departing soldiers.
"There
is nothing to be sad about today — this is a sign that our mission on this camp has
been completed," Smith told the crowd gathered near the front gate.
Retreat was
played over the public address system as Old Glory was lowered. It was folded and
presented to Lt. Col. Bruce Hain, the last task force commander of Camp Dobol.
"This
base was named after Command Sgt. Major Todd Dobol," a war hero with three decades of
military experience, Hain said. "I am honored to be one of the last ones to serve at
Camp Dobol."
Hain and
the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor will move to nearby Camp Comanche. In the next few weeks,
they will withdraw from Bosnia.
Base
officials decided last week to turn the camp over to the Brown & Root contracting
company.
"Brown
& Root will use the camp for office space and as a service facility," said Capt.
Juan Sandoval, an Army public affairs officer.
Camp Dobol,
sitting 10 miles east of U.S. headquarters at Eagle Base, was an important base when it
opened. At its busiest point, it was home to about 3,000 U.S. troops, most recently a
mechanized infantry operating tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles.
"This
was on the front lines back in ’96 — the easternmost U.S. base near the
Federation border," said Sandoval, who has lived on Dobol the past five months.
"It is sad to see a part of our history and our temporary homes close, but we’re
continuing our mission and this is part of how NATO is reconfiguring things.
"With
Camp Conner further east now open, we will have better reaction time than we’ve had
from Dobol."
Camp
Conner, formerly known as the Forward Operating Base, is up and running and will have an
official opening ceremony April 3.
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