LIFE IN TAJI
LIFE INSIDE THE TAJI COMPOUND
THE BULLETIN’S RACHEL RILEY REPORTS FROM TAJI MILITARY COMPLEX NEAR BAGHDAD. PHOTOS BY ZAK SIMMONDS
IT’S home away from home for about 300 Australian, 100 New Zealand, thousands of US Army troops and a small number of other coalition partners for months at a time.
It’s no holiday camp. It borders some of the most dangerous stretches of road in the world – among them, the highway between Baghdad and Mosul.
It’s dusty. It’s rocky. It’s heavily fortified with concrete walls and bunkers on every street.
The roads are torn up. There are ruins on nearly every corner.
Living quarters are basic. Internet is limited. But somehow they make it work, bringing bustling life to a place that once had a chequered past and now is a symbol of hope in the battle to wipe out Islamic State in Iraq.
HISTORY
The Taji Military Complex is located in a rural region about 27km north of the city of Iraq’s capital, Baghdad.
The base was constructed during the Saddam Hussein era. It was once a place of power and great luxury. The base was and is home to an important airfield and was reportedly used to manufacture chemical weapons.
It was also known as the largest and most advanced military base in Iraq that dealt with tank maintenance and repair operations.
A legacy that appears to remain frozen in time is the infamous tank graveyard – neat rows upon rows of Soviet- built hardware that’s heavily worn and graffitied.
The December 1998 bombing of Iraq – Operation Desert Fox – was a major four- day bombing campaign that destroyed much of Iraq’s military infrastructure, including Taji. Five years later Saddam Hussein lost control of the base, with the US unleashing a second savage air attack in 2003 that set off a chain of events leading to the capture and death of the ruthless dictator.
Today, it is a secure compound with coalition forces living inside what’s known as the green zone surrounded by what is the Iraqi- run amber zone, home to units, soldier academies and a prison.
LIVING
Demountable living quarters are broken up into sections known as pods according to country and gender. Most have just a single bed frame with other bedroom furniture if you’re lucky.
If not, there are DIY wood workshop classes where you can make your own furniture to personalise your space.
Bathrooms are also demountable and can sometimes be more than 100m from room doors, making late night dashes sometimes quite an ordeal.
There is a combined mess hall, which serves all the American classics, a feat that grows weary on the Aussies who are used to quality, fresh food at home.
There are also desserts, daily smoothies specials, iced teas, soft drinks and slushies. Theme nights like Taco Tuesday and Mongolian Barbecue help to ease the pain.
From late 2004 to late 2010, Camp Taji had Subway, Burger King and Pizza Hut franchises.
A food court also included Taco Bell, Popeye’s Chicken and Seattle’s Best/ Cinnabon.
These American favourites are now gone, but a Green Beans Coffee Shop remains with all the coffee favourites, smoothies, milkshakes and the infamous quadruple shot MOAC ( Mother of all Coffee). There are also Iraq- run restaurants where you can order pizzas or traditional Iraqi food.
For those working in the amber zone, you can try your luck with the popular Falafel truck, comparable to the Aussie “fat truck”.
For those needing retail therapy, there are also American and Iraqi shops where you can find food and legitimate and imitation clothes, electronics and souvenirs.
Very popular on site is the Iraqi tailor, who fixes uniforms and also makes customised military patches and flags.
WORKING
Coalition forces operating within the TMC run a 24- 7 operation.
Whether it be the training itself of the Iraqi Security Forces, operational planning, supplies, maintenance or escorts, there is little time to stop other than sleep. For the Aussies, some are allocated one morning off a week.
That’s when you’ll see the recreational space known as Anzac Cove become a hive of activity.
Whether it be mates cheering each other on during FIFA tournaments, ping pong or just watching television, it’s a great place to relax, with a good Wi- Fi connection.
There are also options for late afternoon team sport like soccer and volleyball. For those not blessed with much time off, the on- site gym is also a sanctuary with cardio equipment, weights and a new CrossFit training area.
Getting to work is an interesting challenge.
The green zone is a large area and very few soldiers are allocated vehicles, so the base is a little bicycle city with soldiers, in full uniform and carrying weapons, braving the rocky and ruined roads to get around. For those not keen for pedal power, there is also a regular bus service.
THE IRAQIS
The thing that strikes you the most about the Iraqi Security Forces is their confidence. For a country once criticised for downing weapons and walking away from a conflict that ultimately gave the green light for the uprising of Islamic State in Iraq, they are on the road to redemption.
What is most unbelievable about the training being provided by the coalition is that many Iraqi soldiers have never even received formal training. Due to the immediate threat of Islamic State, many were issued a weapon and told to go and fight. For them, being taught correct marksmanship and how to use weapons like mortars will see them evolve into a 21st century military, capable of doing things once thought impossible, being able to defend its own borders. If you ask them, ISIS has all but been banished from Iraq. On the surface, it’s true. Those we met, some in their late teens or early 20s, have in recent months survived one of the most brutal battles since World War II: the recapture of Mosul. Some don’t know why they survived, while their friends and brothers in arms fighting next to them didn’t.
This alone gives them motivation to not give up again. The stakes are too high.
They’ve come too far now. Just like Aussie soldiers, they have a spirit of mateship, and when they spotted two Western journalists passing through, requests for selfies come thick and fast.
So in most ways, they’re just like us. They want freedom and safety like Australia enjoys and sometimes take for granted. It will still take more time, but I think they’ll get there.