MORTARITAVILLE OASIS
Mortaritaville Oasis
By Master Sergeant Jeffrey Phipps
Deployed life on Logistics Support Activity (LSA) Anaconda/Balad Air Base is an ongoing effort to maintain a high operations tempo dictated by the critical missions while maintaining some modicum of sanity and relaxation. The Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) units for the Army and Air Force offer many activities and services to help with this endeavor.
Quietly tucked away in the corner of the flightline, smack in the interface between the LSA and airfield, sits a caffeine-charged desert oasis called Original Java. This break from the stresses and strains of life in the combat zone is operated by the men and women of the 57th Air Ambulance Company, the Original Dustoff. The brainchild of the flight crews services a small clientele with coffee, frozen drinks, and a (relatively) peaceful setting where warriors can sit and unwind after a hard day.
“The best part about this place is the fact that people come here and get so much enjoyment out of a simple atmosphere. That warms us as much as anything we do.” remarks Staff Sergeant Richard Simmons, a MedEvac Flight Medic and one of the driving forces behind the coffee shop. “That we can bring a smile to the faces of these Soldiers, Airmen and Civilian Contractors with a simple drink and maybe a cigar is amazing.”
Smiles abound. “I didn’t know there was anything like this here until one of the firemen brought me here. Now I try to get here as often as possible.” says Technical Sergeant Donna Casas of the 332nd Expeditionary Communications Squadron at Balad AB. She is but one of the ‘customers’ that frequent the shop near MedEvac Flight Ops. SSG continues “We run entirely off of donations."
With the grim reminder of what man is capable of doing to other men looming ever so close by, Original Java provides a welcome spot to unwind, tell stories and compare notes about the families at home. Lifelong friendships are forged in this alcove slightly removed from the war. SSG Simmons sums it this way: “We are called upon to pick up the broken pieces from the results of the insurgency. By having this place available to ‘get away’ we are serving a greater cause.”
Living under the moniker ‘Mortaritaville’, LSA Anaconda/Balad AB has its’ fair share of drama. Original Java is an oasis, a desert hideaway with the right stuff to make the hard days seem like a mirage…if only for a little while.
By Master Sergeant Jeffrey Phipps
Deployed life on Logistics Support Activity (LSA) Anaconda/Balad Air Base is an ongoing effort to maintain a high operations tempo dictated by the critical missions while maintaining some modicum of sanity and relaxation. The Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) units for the Army and Air Force offer many activities and services to help with this endeavor.
Quietly tucked away in the corner of the flightline, smack in the interface between the LSA and airfield, sits a caffeine-charged desert oasis called Original Java. This break from the stresses and strains of life in the combat zone is operated by the men and women of the 57th Air Ambulance Company, the Original Dustoff. The brainchild of the flight crews services a small clientele with coffee, frozen drinks, and a (relatively) peaceful setting where warriors can sit and unwind after a hard day.
“The best part about this place is the fact that people come here and get so much enjoyment out of a simple atmosphere. That warms us as much as anything we do.” remarks Staff Sergeant Richard Simmons, a MedEvac Flight Medic and one of the driving forces behind the coffee shop. “That we can bring a smile to the faces of these Soldiers, Airmen and Civilian Contractors with a simple drink and maybe a cigar is amazing.”
Smiles abound. “I didn’t know there was anything like this here until one of the firemen brought me here. Now I try to get here as often as possible.” says Technical Sergeant Donna Casas of the 332nd Expeditionary Communications Squadron at Balad AB. She is but one of the ‘customers’ that frequent the shop near MedEvac Flight Ops. SSG continues “We run entirely off of donations."
With the grim reminder of what man is capable of doing to other men looming ever so close by, Original Java provides a welcome spot to unwind, tell stories and compare notes about the families at home. Lifelong friendships are forged in this alcove slightly removed from the war. SSG Simmons sums it this way: “We are called upon to pick up the broken pieces from the results of the insurgency. By having this place available to ‘get away’ we are serving a greater cause.”
Living under the moniker ‘Mortaritaville’, LSA Anaconda/Balad AB has its’ fair share of drama. Original Java is an oasis, a desert hideaway with the right stuff to make the hard days seem like a mirage…if only for a little while.
posted by ORIGINAL JAVA (tm) at 11:09 PM
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