Camp Bastion

Camp Bastion is the main British military base in Afghanistan. Accommodating 28,000 people it is situated northwest of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand Province, and exists to be the logistics hub for operations in Helmand. It is the largest British overseas military camp built since the Second World War.

Built in early 2006 by personnel from 39 Engineer Regiment Royal Engineers and various contracting firms, all under the supervision of 62 Works Group Royal Engineers, the camp is situated in a remote desert area, far from population centres. Four miles long by two miles wide, it has a busy airfield and a field hospital and originally had full accommodation for the 2000 men and women.

The base is divided into a number of different sections (Bastions). Bastion 1 and 2 were the first sections with Bastion 2 containing Camp Barber (US) and Camp Viking (DK), Bastion 0 was added in around 2010 and houses the contractors and Bastion 3 is used for in-theatre training.

Bastion also adjoins Camp Leatherneck (US) (which also contains Camp Tombstone) and the Afghan National Army (ANA) Camp Shorabak.

In November 2006, Tony Blair visited Camp Bastion, and, while addressing a gathering of British troops, described it as an "extraordinary piece of desert ... where the fate of world security in the early 21st century is going to be decided".

In May 2013 the BBC obtained documents showing that up to 85 Afghan nationals were being detained at Camp Bastion. Philip Hammond, the defence secretary, has confirmed that the UK is holding "80 or 90 Afghan detainees" at the base. The Ministry of Defence maintains the detention of the Afghans is legal.

History
Camp Bastion was built in early 2006 by 39 Engineer Regiment from the Royal Engineers. The camp was specifically in a remote desert area far from population which allows clear vision to spot attackers and originally had full accommodation for the 2000 men and women.

The camp is divided in different areas called "Bastions" with Bastion 1 and 2 being the first sections to be created. Bastion 2 originally contained Camp Barber (United States) and Camp Viking (Denmark).

According to the Royal Air Force Camp Bastion includes Bastion Airfield, Bastion Garrison and Camp Leatherneck.

The first runway set up in April 2006 was designed to handle no more than three aircraft movements per week. However by late 2007 a 2,350 m long and 28 m wide concrete runway became operational enabling the number of movements to rise to 5,000 per month by the end of 2008. However in February 2011 construction of a new 3,500 m runway was completed and can now handle almost all commercial and military aircraft. The old shorter runway is now only used as a parallel taxiway.

During August 2013 the Headquarters of Task Force Helmand moved from Lashkar Gah to Bastion.

Accidents and incidents
The base has been attacked several times including on 14 September 2012, when two United States Marine Corps (USMC) service personnel were killed and six USMC McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier IIs were destroyed and two were "significantly damaged." Three refuelling stations were also destroyed, with six soft-skin aircraft hangars damaged. Of the 15 Taliban attackers, 14 were killed and 1 captured.

Current use
Camp Bastion airfield and heliport handles 600 fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft movements every day, operating combat, medical and logistics flights. Its air traffic controllers are integral to the support of the UK's operations in southern Afghanistan and the Air Traffic Control Squadron at Camp Bastion is the first to recruit and train US Marines to UK air traffic control standards.

It has now grown to become the fifth-busiest UK-operated airport.

In 2013, the British opened a training school for Afghan troops at Camp Bastion, as part of their exit from Afghanistan strategy.

During 2014 Camp Bastion is expected to be transferred to the American forces with Camp Leatherneck being closed.

Operational units
Bastion Airfield

British Armed Forces
 * No. 903 Expeditionary Air Wing RAF.
 * Joint Aviation Group.
 * Task Force Jaguar - tri-service helicopter capability.

United States Armed Forces


 * 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

Bastion Garrison:


 * Joint Force Medical Group.
 * Military Working Dogs Squadron.
 * Crew Training School (for vehicles).
 * Bastion Force Protection Wing.

Hospital
Camp Bastion's Hospital is operated by regular and reserve personnel of the British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force of the Joint Force Medical Group as well as medical assets from the US Army to include Orthopaedic Surgeons, General Surgeons, Anesthetists, Nurses and Medics, and is the location to where wounded military personnel from the British, US and other ISAF forces in Helmand Province are evacuated to from the battlefield and treated, supported by US Army, Navy, and Air Force medics, or from where they are evacuated to the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. Afghan nationals are also treated at the hospital in many circumstances including accidental injuries and road traffic collisions. Currently they are the busiest Role 3 NATO hospital in Afghanistan.

In popular culture
Camp Bastion has been featured in several documentaries, often focusing on medical evacuations.


 * The Air Hospital (Channel 4) - Aired 25 March 2010.
 * Frontline Medicine (BBC 2) - Aired 20 and 27 November 2011.
 * Extraordinary Dogs (Documentary Channel).
 * Prince Harry: Frontline Afghanistan (BBC3) - Aired 28 January 2013.