Master Sgt. Jim Lee watches Staff Sgt. Deseo Schultz and Staff Sgt. Brandon Lukacsko work on a tent-like structure that will soon serve as a movie theater at Tallil Air Base in southern Iraq. Much of the base’s flight mission has moved elsewhere, but airmen, soldiers and allied countries based at Tallil are kept busy with other missions. (Kent Harris / Stars and Stripes)
TALLIL AIR BASE, Iraq — Much of the air operations have moved elsewhere, but the largest Air Force base between Kuwait and Baghdad continues to serve several missions for coalition forces.
Tallil, which served as a base for U.S. fighter jets less than 10 days after the invasion of Iraq, is still a vital link for allied aircraft. But these days, it’s a stopover for American helicopters to refuel and a launching pad for Italian and Dutch aerial operations.
It’s also the Air Force’s largest emergency care medical facility in Iraq.
“We’ve got full surgical capabilities,” says Dr. (Lt. Col.) Mark Erickson, one of the large contingent at Tallil who normally call Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., home.
Erickson, an orthopedic surgeon, is one of a handful of specialists. He was in country for only a few days before performing his first surgery. Three Iraqis were wounded by gunfire in the nearby city of Nasariyah. Two were treated and released, but the third — a woman — required an operation.
Erickson says treating local nationals isn’t the facility’s primary mission, but since it offers options that aren’t available for hundreds of miles, those in dire straits aren’t turned away.
Capt. John Perko, a registered nurse, says it didn’t take long to realize that treating people at Tallil would be different than caring for them back home in Nevada.
“We’re not used to treating this kind of stuff at Nellis, but we are well equipped for it here,” he says.
The large tent-like structure wouldn’t fit into many people’s idea of an emergency-care facility, at least not on the outside. But inside, there’s plenty of the latest medical technology at work.
Erickson said the center is missing some facilities of major military treatment centers, such as Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. But it’s well prepared to handle minor problems or life-threatening injuries.
“We’re essentially like a community hospital in the States,” he said.
Many of the base’s other operations are similar to what one might see at bases in the States or Europe. Hundreds of airmen, soldiers and civilians who live on Tallil are engaged in a variety of typical support missions. The Army’s 300th Area Support Group calls the base home.
But the 407th Air Expeditionary Group also hosts all helicopter traffic heading in and out of Kuwait. Air Force personnel are in the process of taking over refueling operations from the 439th Quartermaster Company, an Army Reserve unit that has refueled more than 10,000 helicopters in its stint on base.
Col. Antonio Albanese commands 300 Italian servicemembers on base, with a squadron of helicopters each from the country’s army and air force. They specialize in night missions.
The overall Italian command in country is in the process of relocating to the base, which is already home to Dutch forces. And there’s a contingent from South Korea providing humanitarian assistance to the local population.
One of Tallil’s first missions was as a stopover site for A-10 Warthogs and other coalition aircraft. Much of that mission moved north to Balad Air Base at the end of January along with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing.
Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Randy Hesgard says there’s generally a lot of work to keep troops busy. There’s also a variety of athletic and entertainment activities through Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
But living in the middle of the desert, with some hostile elements outside the gates, does tend to bring some people closer to God. For those, there are seven weekly services and Bible study.
Hesgard says that most of those assigned to Tallil seem to find it “better than expected.”
That’s the case with at least some of those assigned to the medical facility.
“In 8½ years, this is my first deployment,” says Staff Sgt. Michelle Pinson. “And I’m loving it.”
Adds Perko: “I think this [assignment] is one of the most important things a military person could do.”
