New life support area increases living capacity

305th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Story by Staff Sgt. Edward Daileg

Date: 09.05.2011
Posted: 09.08.2011 02:46
News ID: 76617
New life support area increases living capacity

BAGHDAD - Forward Operating Base Union III recently opened Life Support Area - Union Village, adding 62 containerized housing units to provide additional living quarters for the FOB’s residents Sept. 5.

The LSA was constructed to support housing some of United States Forces – Iraq personnel deployed to the Iraqi Joint Operations Area.

“Back in December, USF-I stated that they will be moving people to the International Zone and they needed a space to house their personnel,” said Lt. Col. Detrick Briscoe, a native of Louisville, Ky., and the FOB Union III headquarters commandant and mayor, International Zone Support Element, USF-I.

“We started to look for places, and FOB Union III was the Department of Defense site that was chosen,” he said.

During the planning and building process, the FOB Union III Mayor Cell made use of resources from Camp Victory and contacted a U.S. Air Force engineering squadron to minimize construction costs.

“A storage area called the Australian Compound was chosen as the construction site,” said Briscoe. “It had overhead cover and carports that we had to clear out before we could start constructing.”

“The 467th Prime Beef Squadron engineers came out and turned it into a life support area, so we didn’t have to hire a contractor to build the LSA,” he said.

The CHUs and furniture from Life Support Areas Omaha Beach and Audie Murphy at Camp Victory were transferred here so the mayor cell didn’t have to spend money buying them.

The 467th Prime Beef Squadron engineers and the FOB Union III Mayor Cell made LSA Union Village the first of its kind to maximize space and provide proper protection.

The new life support area will also be used to house personnel to upgrade the existing LSAs on the FOB.

“Union Village could be used as an alternate living area when the construction of overhead cover begins on the other LSAs around the FOB,” said Briscoe.