Assigned to Al Udeid Air Base near Doha, Qatar, with US Central Command Air Forces-Forward. I was responsible for communications within and between our air bases in the region, and this involved a lot of travel to those bases. Occasionally, it was possible to get out and see a little of the surrounding areas as well.

C-130 aircraft went everywhere, and almost all my travel was space-available on those aircraft. Like everyone else, I usually rode with the cargo, but every once in a while I got to ride up front and see the views.

Decorations left on various buildings once used by the Iraqi military forces.

The Ziggurat, in the ancient Mesopotamian city of Ur, near Tallil Air Base, Iraq, and view from the top.

I think this was Kandahar Air Base, but it also could have been one of several in Iraq. They do look a lot alike.

Weekly market at Kandahar. It was part of the pace and practice of the area for some of the residents to fire mortars at the base on Fridays, and then there’d be a market set up right outside the base on Saturdays. I don’t know if the same people participated in both activities.