CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq – When soldiers in Iraq get some down time, fishing may not come to mind while considering a list of things to do, but the recreational activity is alive and well on Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq.
Thanks to one soldier’s efforts, service members on COB Adder have been able to cast lines in the middle of the desert, in hopes of catching some fish.
Specialist Kenneth J. Russell, III, multi-channels transmission systems operator and maintainer, Bravo Company, 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, from Fountain, Mich., made it possible for soldiers to enjoy some fishing on deployment.
Russell has been involved in building soldier’s morale since before his deployment to Iraq. He has been involved with Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers, a program designed by the U.S. Army dedicated to boosting the morale and well being of single soldiers.
“I’m the Bravo company BOSS rep,” said Russell. “I did a lot of stuff back at Fort Hood for the soldiers. And I was trying to figure out what I could do to boost morale here.”
“I Googled the top 100 fishing companies in the United States,” said Russell.
He contacted several of the companies through email explaining that some of the soldiers here enjoy fishing, and asked if they were willing to donate some equipment.
The response Russell received to his emails was a success; one company donated eleven fishing poles, another sent 15, and he received three-and-a-half cases of lures, he said.
But in order for soldiers to fish there needs to be a water source, and that water source is an artificial pond located a short distance from the soldier’s living area.
“It’s a man-made pond,” said Russell. “It’s called Z Pond, named after the Ziggurat.”
While fishing at Z Pond, soldiers have a view of the Ziggurat of Ur located just outside the COB Adder perimeter.
“There are a lot of weeds in the lake too, that makes it a good fishing hole,” said Russell. “There’s a sign out there that says, ‘No swimming. No diving. No rafts,’ basically nothing but fishing.”
Soldiers fish for the sport, but they do not eat the fish from Z Pond.
“They’re like a weird version of bass,” said Russell. “I think they’re called Gar. They look like a combination between a Karp and Bass. And then there’s another type of fish. It’s called a Mangar. Those can get pretty big.”
Although Russell hasn’t caught any fish himself, some of his fellow soldiers have, and that has made it worth his efforts, he said.
“I enjoy knowing that the soldiers can go out there and have a little bit of down time,” he said. “They’ve enjoyed it a lot, and the greatest thing is it’s free.”
Russell’s unit is getting ready to go home soon and he already has plans for all the fishing equipment he received in theater.
“They’re heading back to Fort Hood right now in a ‘conex’ for a 3BSTB fishing competition when we get back,” he said. “We’re going to try to organize… a family fishing day for the soldiers when we get back.”
Fishing spots in Iraq are scarce, but Z Pond has served as a relaxing place for soldiers and allowed them to enjoy the sport in the middle of the desert, giving them a taste of home, during their deployment.