Living in the Shadow of Ur

"Conscience is the authentic voice of God to you." - Rutherford B. Hayes
COB Adder is a sprawling complex that is home to around 10,000 personnel. It is a place that sprouted up all around Tallil Air Base, which is near An-Nasiriyah on the Euphrates. I've been here before. But when I was here before there was no COB Adder. That was back in May 2003. The initial invasion had just ended. I stayed a couple nights at Tallil waiting for a sandstorm to blow over. Back then this place was dirty, dusty, broken down, with the debris of the Iraqi Army and Air Force everywhere. There were no CHU's, DFAC's, or even port-o-jons. It was a terrible place to be for more than a few days. Hell, this whole country was like that. But there was a common denominator that keeps this place familiar to me - the Ziggurat of Ur. The ancient Babylonian city of Ur is less than a couple of miles outside the perimeter of the base. This city dates back over 4,000 years. Somewhere within the ruins of this city is the birthplace of Abraham, who is the father of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. While most of the original city of Ur succumbed to the desert long ago, the Ziggurat remains. It is a large, brick pyramid with a long flight of stairs on one side. At one time, the pyramid that remains was just the base of a much taller structure. Time, weather, and wars have gradually cropped the top of the structure. However, it is still an impressive sight and it looms over the base from its distant perch. I had the good fortune of visiting the ruins at Ur during my short visit here back in 2003. A small group of us met the Iraqi curator who gave us a complete tour of the Ziggurat and the ruins that surround the structure. We were able to freely roam the grounds - unburdened by body armor or other equipment. Nowadays we aren't even allowed to visit the location. It just teases us in the distance. Command has ruled it too dangerous to venture outside the wire simply to visit such a historic place. I am saddened by this because I had hoped many of my Soldiers would have an opportunity to stand on top of the Ziggurat. I won't deny that I want desperately to visit the place again. It looks like the view from Adder will be as close as I will ever get to Ur again. We will see it every day for as long as we are at Adder.

And so, another chapter of our historic deployment begins - our mission will now encompass the entire country of Iraq with our HQ at Adder. It is truly fitting that we are making history in the shadow of history.