Dashing out of the shadows, he pounces on a soldier, berating him for carelessness.
He is looking out for the men and women of Bagram, Afghanistan, protecting them when the soldiers cannot protect themselves.
He is Batman.
Bagram Batman.
He wanders Bagram Airfield – one of the largest bases in Afghanistan - in his cape and mask and Army fatigues, looking for troops who are breaking base rules: wearing headphones while out for a jog, smoking near flammable liquids and forgetting their weapons. He has also warned soldiers of the dangers of shoplifting and car theft.
Batman will tackle soldiers who do wrong.
In one video, Bagram Batman saw a soldier jogging while listening to bad pop music (maybe that’s why Batman was offended) and base sirens went off. Other soldiers ducked to the ground, the jogging guy did not. Batman swooped in and pushed the soldier to the dirt, lecturing while saving lives.
If you haven’t seen the videos of Bagram Batman in action yet, they are funny official videos. The two main videographers, Staff Sgt. Jesse Dyer and Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott Bourque, have been lucky enough to catch the elusive Bagram Batman on film, uploading the videos to prevent other soldiers from being careless.
Bagram Batman’s true identity, however, remains unknown. Is it Bruce Wayne taking a break from Gotham, and if so, will Robin be making an appearance soon? For the moment, Bagram Batman is the lone caped hero of the base, always on the lookout for trouble. Batman will find you. And Batman will yell at you.
Do you know of other places that have a superhero protecting servicemembers? Send Meredith an email at tibbetts.meredith@stripes.com
Twitter: @mjtibbs
