Operation enduring presence

Iraq | President Bush says Iraqis will take charge June 30; what he's not saying is how long the United States will have boots on the ground | Mindy Belz

Balad Air Base is an Army logistician's dream㬆 square miles of perfectly flat, hard-baked clay with two 2-1/2-mile runways. Forty hardened aircraft bunkers dot the base, built by Yugoslav contractors in the 1980s. Retreating Iraqi forces land-mined the base mosque and other buildings a year ago; otherwise, there are few signs that Saddam Hussein once operated an air force out of here.

Americana is now the dominant décor, from round-the-clock cargo arrivals via Air Force Sherpas, C-5s, and C-130s to the endless sea of olive tents, the pasta-and-pizza chow lines, and bus-stop benches colorfully painted in Stars & Stripes or Twin Towers motifs.

When U.S. officials hand control of Iraq back to Iraqis on June 30, it's hard to imagine it will make much difference at Balad, now known as Camp Anaconda, the largest coalition staging area outside Baghdad. Every day the base takes on more the air of a permanent U.S. installation.