By Sgt. Jason Stadel
2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – American writer John Updike once said "the golf swing is like a suitcase into which we are trying to pack one too many things." Golfers at Forward Operating Base Kalsu can now work on their swings at a newly-built driving range.
The range opened Jan. 12. Maj. Mark Andres, aide to Maj. Gen. James Simmons, MNC-I deputy commander, visited FOB Kalsu recently and Soldiers there had expressed interest in having a golfing range.
The project began when Andres' parents started an organization in the Chicago area called "Support our Troops." Anders said his parents asked what kind of supplies deployed Soldiers wanted. He said some Soldiers wanted golf equipment for the driving range at Camp Victory.
"Chicago, even though it's a big city, is made up of a lot of small neighborhoods and the people in those neighborhoods really love the American Soldier," Andres said. "They wanted to do something to help support the Soldier."
Huge amounts of golf equipment started to pour in, more than could be used at Camp Victory. Andres' parents spread the word in the Chicago area that troops wanted golf clubs and golf balls. Andres also got in touch with a club pro at a Chicago golf course where he used to be a caddy, and an e-mail was sent on to other pros, including members of the PGA, the largest professional golf tour in the world.
"Several people donated their old sets of clubs," Andres said. "Golf courses gave us a lot of old clubs and they gave us a lot of new clubs too, demo sets and stuff like that."
Soon Andres had more than 70,000 golf balls, numerous sets of clubs and other golf equipment.
"Something like this helps keep your game in shape," said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Harris, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.
Harris, a Daytona Beach, Fla., native, said he comes from a golfing family and sees the FOB Kalsu driving range as a way to keep on top of his game here in Iraq.
Leaders are hoping the driving range will give Soldiers a way to unwind and relax in their free time.
"This driving range will allow Soldiers to get away from the daily grind on or off the FOB. Hopefully it will take their mind off the war and out of Iraq if only for a little while," said Maj. Spencer Ashford, the 26th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. operations officer in charge. Ashford also serves as the FOB Kalsu mayor.
Recent rainfall slowed completion of the driving range but the FOB Kalsu Morale, Welfare and Recreation coordinator, 1st Lt. Andrew Shadley, said the range should be fully operational before the end of January. Once finished, golfers will be able to drive golf balls into a large net to prevent the balls from being lost.
"This place is going be packed, once the word gets out; I think we're going to have a lot of positive response," said Shadley, from San Antonio, Texas.
The driving range will be managed by the MWR center staff; when Soldiers want to use the equipment they sign it out from the center.