Airborne Combat Engineer

James Bondish Soviet sub base

[LINK] Fun Mansion (via Defense Tech)

And we thought those elaborate hidden facilities in the Bond movies were fun but implausible.

Guess the key is having the approval of the government.

Remember, we had the secret underground quarters for Congress at Greenbrier.

If you really want to let your imagination run wild, search for "underground US bases" and you'll find a number of pages like this, which believe there are over a hundred underground bases in the US. Some believe they are inhabited by aliens or underground people [insert spooky music here].

Dubai's indoor skiing facility

[LINK] "Is this really my life" blog (by a sailor)

Check out the photos at the link above (apparently actually from Snopes) at the link. More by Eric himself here. Impressive engineering. Read about it a Al Jazeera (you can probably believe this.)

And they say the West is decadent.

See also Dubai's man-made resort islands.

Balad Air Base (in the Sunni triangle)

[LINK] Thomas E. Ricks, Washington Post, 04 FEB 2006

Balad Air Base is a unique creation, a small American town smack in the middle of the most hostile part of Iraq. While soldiers drive as fast as they can beyond its perimeter to avoid roadside bombs and ambushes, on base they must drive their Humvees at a stately 10 mph, the strictly enforced speed limit.

The 20,000 troops based at Balad, home to the major Air Force operation in Iraq and also the biggest Army logistical support center in the country, live in air-conditioned containers. Plans are being made to wire the metal boxes to bring the troops Internet, cable television and overseas telephone access.

Balad is scheduled to be one of the last four U.S. bases in Iraq ...

al-Asad Base (in Western Iraq)

[LINK] Telegraph

Last summer reports began to emerge that plans had been drawn up to create four "super-bases", giant camps that would house tens of thousands of US soldiers similar to other sprawling military facilities around the world.

The intention was for the newly trained and equipped Iraqi army to gradually take over the majority of combat operations, allowing a proportion of the 138,000 US troops to depart. Those remaining would provide back-up from their new centres of operation when requested.

That hand-over has already begun with a dozen smaller bases evacuated in recent weeks. In total 100 are scheduled to be transferred to the Iraqi government this year.

Although no official confirmation will be given of where super-bases will be located, at al-Asad there is every impression that one is in the process of being created.

According to other reports, the other three long-term bases will be at Balad in the east, Tallil in the south, and Al Qayyarah in the north; as shown on this map.

Atlanta to fight base closings

FtBraggNC.com reports:

Georgia officials said Monday they will fight to keep the Army Forces Command headquarters in Atlanta from moving to Fort Bragg.

Base realignment recommendations released Friday call for Fort McPherson in Atlanta to close. The Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) and the Army Reserve Command would be moved from Fort McPherson to what is now Pope Air Force Base, which would be taken over by Fort Bragg.