Base camps provide creature comforts for soldiers in austere environments

Posted 8:51AM on Sunday 10th February 2002 ( 23 years ago )

ALBANY - Just like their World War II counterparts, modern soldiers in the war on terrorism endure rain, mud and bitter cold. But when they return from the field, they enjoy better accommodations than leaky pup tents. The Army has created deployable towns, known as Force Provider modules, each capable of housing 550 soldiers in comfort, with satellite televisions and heated tents. Each $5 million module can protect soldiers from the elements, even if the temperature outside is 15 below zero or 120 above. The 10-acre base camps can be up and running in about 10 days. Since Sept. 11, when the United States launched its war on terrorism, civilian workers at the Albany Marine Corps Logistics Base have been working relentlessly to pack the base camp components into hundreds of desert-tan shipping containers. A complete module may consist of 100 or more shipping containers, said Marine Lt. Col. Charles T. Thompson, commander of the Albany base's Defense Distribution Depot. The Albany depot has a contract with the Army's Materiel Command to pack and ship the modules. They can go by truck, sea or air. Some of the containers are more than shipping crates. They come equipped with toilets, sinks, showers and washing machines and become an integral part of the camp. For security reasons, Thompson declined to say how many Force Provider base camps his workers have shipped since the attacks in New York and Washington, but he said they have been unusually busy. The modules were developed at the Army's Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass., where much of the modern military gear is designed. Soldiers sleep in heated or air conditioned tents. When their clothes are dirty, they can head for the laundry. When they're hungry, they can grab a table in the dining hall. Designers also considered soldiers' recreational and spiritual needs, providing satellite television to watch the news back home or sporting events such as the Super Bowl. The towns also have weight rooms and a tent chapel for religious services. ``These kits benefit soldiers,'' said William Oliver, a supervisor at the Albany base. ``It's a better way of life. It keeps them off the dirty ground. They've got just about everything you've got at home, except a wife.'' Michael Gallagher, Force Provider's program manager, said 27 modules have been assembled so far, with 12 stored on prepositioned ships that give the Army the ability to respond anywhere in the world. Another nine are planned. Gallagher said eight modules have been sent to the ``current area of operations.'' Military officials decline to be more specific. ``It gives them a little slice of home while they are away,'' Gallagher said. The Army has set up one base camp at Fort Polk, La., for testing and for training. The first module was used at Guantanamo Bay in July 1994, and in November 1995, six modules were sent to Bosnia for the peacekeeping force. Gallagher said some Force Provider officials recently visited troops overseas living in the modules. ``They were getting handwritten notes from the troops, saying, 'I've never deployed in conditions as good as this,''' Gallagher said. ``That's what it's all about.''

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