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Kerry Barrett Reporting With as many as 30-thousand troops at Balad Air Base and Camp Anaconda right now, it's interesting to look at what role Balad plays in the big picture of the war in Iraq.
With it's strategic location and valuable assets, it's no wonder it's become the central hub for those fighting in Iraq.
It lies about 42 miles north of Baghdad.
Lt. Col. Peter Gersten/ 388th Fighter Pilot & Commander of the 4th Fighter Squadron: "Our location sits right dead center of what's going on. We are in the middle of it. We are the most forward based unit in the Air Force right now."
By forward based he means very far into the actual combat zone, not sitting on the outskirts.
Col. Tip Wight/ Vice Wing Commander of Balad Air Base: "Kerry, we serve as the strategic air hub for the Iraqi theatre of operations, or Iraqi area of operation if you will."
And, in the heart of the Sunni triangle near the last holdout of Saddam loyalists in the town of Balad, the base is indeed in the thick of things.
"This isn't something that we would typically think. Usually you conceive of a major strategic aerial base behind the lines, and we're in the middle of it."
And, because of it's central location, it's the perfect home for the only airlift squadron in Iraq.
"Everybody gets here via airlift, and all the supplies and replenishments and the rotation in and out is all done through this strategic airhead."
Employment of troops and the pilots out of Hill and medevac of wounded soldiers.
"You stand at the end of the runway and there is just constant movement."
The runway there is second only to Heathrow Airport in terms of the sheer volume of aircraft coming in and out. They are the launching point for F-16's.
But they do so much more-- reconnaisance, surveillance and information gathering, keeping track of all military aircraft operating in the entire country.
Operating as a jack of all trades with just about everyone and everything in Iraq coming through on their way in or out.
"This is a composite base in every sense of the word."
Balad is scheduled to be one of the last four U.S. bases in Iraq and probably will be the very last.
One of the reasons-- it's the launching point for our F-16s because of how close it is to Baghdad and because it is so centrally located.
We're told that literally by the time the jets' gear is up, they're already well into the combat zone.
Coming up Monday we take a look at those jets and the role they play in Operation: Iraqi Freedom.
