JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq — Everything from helicopters to printer cartridges is being wrapped, stamped and shipped out of Iraq. U.S. military bases that once resembled small towns have transformed into a cross between giant post offices and Office Depots.
Soldiers who battled through insurgents and roadside bombs are now doing inventory and accounting. Their task: Reverse over the course of months a U.S. military presence that built up over seven years of war.
Every item is assessed to see whether it can be moved and, if so, whether it is needed anywhere else in the country. Many of the materials — water tanks, generators, furniture — are eventually donated to the Iraqi government. As of July 27, $98.6 million worth of equipment had been handed over, most to the Iraqi army and Interior Ministry.
About half the vehicles that have left Iraq have gone to Afghanistan. More than 180,000 items such as weapons and communications equipment have also been sent to Afghanistan over the past year.
Col. David Demartino said that while going through shipping containers, buildings and offices, soldiers have been stunned at the materials hoarded over the years in nooks and crannies all over the base. The biggest surprise was the thousands of printer cartridges tucked away by soldiers worried they would one day run out.
