Support: August 20, 2002

Archives

The Army previously invented a portable base camp able to house a battalion of troops, and has deployed 13 of them in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrghizstan (out of 32 it has in the inventory). Each includes showers, heated and air-conditioned rest areas, a fully-equipped kitchen and mess hall, toilets, a chapel, satellite television, an aid station, and generators to run everything. Each costs $6 million. The Army started developing this "base in a box" after the Gulf War, when the troops complained that long periods in bivouac conditions degraded their ability to function. The entire camp fits into 36 standard 20-foot shipping containers and can be set up in 10 days by a crew of 50. Seven C-17s can deliver the entire package. Add-on packages can expand the capabilities to function in extremely hot or cold areas.--Stephen V Cole

 

X

ad

Help Keep Us From Drying Up

We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling.

Each month we count on your contributions. You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
  2. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  3. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage.
Subscribe   Contribute   Close