FOB in a Box: Complete Base Camp Systems Speed Deployments

By: Sgt. Jon E. Dougherty
Public Affairs NCO, 203rd Engineer Battalion


FOB SHARANA, Afghanistan - Call them forward operating bases made easy or, perhaps more appropriately, a "FOB in a box."

The Force Protection 150 system is a complete base camp that can be fitted into a cargo con-ex maritime shipping container and set up to accommodate 150 personnel within a few days.

And, such systems just could be one way to provide quick, inexpensive housing and other amenities for the thousands of troops ordered to Afghanistan earlier this month by President Barack Obama, at least until more permanent accommodations can be built.

The systems are so portable and so easily assembled that a platoon of soldiers could get an FP-150 completely set up and functioning within a week, says Staff Sgt. John C. Snider, a carpenter-mason-builder engineer with Forward Support Company, 203rd Engineer Battalion, Missouri Army National Guard.

"The FP-150s have everything for a company of soldiers," said Snider, who is responsible for the set-up and maintenance of one such Force Pro 150 campsite for transient, or temporary, personnel here.

"They have showers, latrines, bunks, cots that turn into bunk beds, mops and mop buckets, shovels, and all the electrical and power tools needed to set this base up," said Snider. "You can walk in here with just the uniform on your back and set this base camp up."

Besides sleeping quarters, the FP-150s also come with dining facilities complete with cookware, plates and silverware, as well as laundry facilities and even razors for shaving.

Snider said no small amount of technology has been employed in the development of the FP-150s. For instance, he said, the tents don't have traditional metal and wood frames. Rather, they are formed using air pressure fed by generators, which also feed electricity to each of the structures via a system of electrical cables, also included in the kits.

Also, giant water bladders provide fresh water for showers, laundry and latrine facilities. Separate water bladders are employed to catch the waste water generated by usage, so there is no run-off.

While the design of some aspects of the FP-150 could be improved, other aspects are outstanding, said Snider.

"The showers are excellent," he said. "They've got a huge changing area, and you can separate it into male and female showers.

"And the tents' pressurized air system means there is no hardware to worry about," he continued. "You throw these tents on the ground and put some air to them and it'll blow up and stand there."

He said the tents come with floors built in to them, and the overall design eliminates any leakage as far as rain and the weather elements are concerned.

"The whole [system] is just complete," he said.

As for the FOBs in a box being utilized to quickly house an influx of troops, Snider said he thinks such systems would work out exceptionally well.

"They are great tents, they come complete with lighting systems, the cots aren't bad at all...I can definitely see these being a very viable option," Snider said.

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please call 1-800-GoGuard or visit www.moguard.com