Geographically Separated

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Patrick R. Hyde
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Incirlik has five Geographically Separated Units within Turkey, but a unit located at Eskisehir may be the most separated of them all.

"The Combined Air Operations Center Six, Operating Location-Alpha, in Eskisehir, Turkey, is truly a remote assigned place to be stationed," said Tech. Sgt. Jimmy Evans, CAOCSIX Information Systems Management, chief.

Eskisehir is a city of approximately 500,000 people and is located in the mountains of west central Turkey. The town experiences the same four seasons as most of the Northeastern states in America.

Eskisehir is a very remote town separated by great distances from any other major cities. The closest city is Ankara, located about 230 Km away, which equates to about a three- hour drive. Someone from the detachment travels to Ankara once a week to pick-up mail and visit the Commissary and Base Exchange to buy essential items not available locally.

"Living in Turkey without our families for a year is difficult, but we have a tremendous opportunity to experience the true culture of Turkey," said Col. William T. Davidson, CAOC6 director of operations. "Without the typical base facilities surrounding us, we get a chance to see and interact with the day-to-day lives of the Turkish people. Our work gives us the chance to interact with the officers and enlisted of several other countries that live in Eskisehir and work at the CAOC."

OL-A does not have a Base Exchange, Commissary, medical facility, dining facility or other support usually found on a base. Emergency medical care is obtained through a local hospital and routine medical appointments are scheduled through Incirlik Air Base approximately seven hours away.

Most of the personnel buy fresh fruit and vegetables from open air markets, but there are grocery stores much like Wal-Mart and K-Mart within the local area. Since United States presence in the area is small, it is very hard to find someone that speaks fluent English.

"Living in Turkey is incredible because there is so much biblical history here in this region and to have the opportunity to venture out and tour some of these areas is like taking a step back into history," said Sergeant Evans. "Our Turkish counterparts are extremely helpful with interpreting and communicating with local businesses which makes our lives here a lot more comfortable."

Eskisehir is a moderately sized city with a river-walk, a crowded pedestrian shopping zone, movie theaters with up-to-date American movies in English, nightclubs and restaurants, a bowling alley and two universities with sports facilities.

The majority of U.S. personnel in Eskisehir work at the COAC which is located on a Turkish military garrison in the hills outside of Eskisehir. The other personnel work from the OL-A compound which is located in a Turkish military housing complex, and dormitory facility.

The primary mission of the CAOC is "air policing" of North Atlantic Treaty Organization airspace. In the event of a NATO combat operation, the CAOC could be called upon to plan, task and execute a full array of combat operations.