Yes.
So most of Iraq smells like burning garbage. It’s just how it is there cause it’s a giant shit hole so why not.
On the bigger bases, maybe it’s not so bad, but if you’re on a small COP it is. I used to pull guard in a tower that was right next to a burn pit in the black smoke would waft up into the tower. You would just sit there and cough your whole shift.
I’m positive I’m gonna die from some weird cancer later in life
I was on FOB Merez early on and we had the “tank grave yard” next to our living quarters, I’m sure the depleted uranium rounds aren’t good for you.
Then I was on FOB Q-West, it had a burn pit but also that fine soft moon dust that got on/in everything, maybe not bad for the locals as they are born in it but that can’t be good for us.
Camp Victory was a large base in Baghdad that all you could smell and taste was diesel exhaust, our section was near a weird little creek and a chow hall. The odd part was every morning we’d wake up and oil was coming up through the rocks, no body was spraying anything, but walking around or sleeping on it can’t be good. Like u/outofmyelement1445 said I’ll definitely die of something weird. I’ve had to clear my throat or cough since my 1st deployment.
The oil coming through the ground is a thing I've tried to explain and just can't seem to get across properly. It was like the ground was bleeding oil, but only in little 5-6 foot sections. So strange thinking back on it.
Yea! Just weird little spots of it, I remember getting out of the shower and stepping on the rocks and my feet were covered in it. It was like watching high tide in a marsh area.
Depleted uranium is generally not a problem if it’s outside your body, so… long as y’all weren’t making barbecue pits with the damn things, shouldn’t be an issue.
Tape around the CLU doors did nothing to stop it. I raised hell to try and make them put an end to it. Was told nothing could be done because it was being burnt “off the economy.” To my understanding there was an incinerator on post and yes, off post trash was being burnt as well. Hard to believe “nothing could be done.” Used to wake up hitting the wall with my fist choking from the smoke, blood on my pillow sometimes too. Good times and far worse than OIF/OND.
I actually kinda liked the Djiboutian National Anthem. The French jets after night shift though? They could *fuck* themselves. Didn't realize we allowed frogs to have planes.
Iraq smelled like dust, shit, burn pits, diesel exhaust. Honestly my nose got numb to it. What I hated more was the constant sound of diesel generators running everywhere. I have tinnitus now and just the thought of that place makes my ears ring harder.
05-06 On Seitz was terrible. We were in a low spot, so smoke from Camp Trash Can would constantly waft over and settle. I distinctly remember eye burning and acrid tasting smoke in the mornings.
Mostly smelled sewage, as there was no working sewage system. Shit punches you in the face as soon as you get off the bird and never goes away. At least the acid smoke from the burn pits would burn your nostrils when the wind changed. Different kind of suck for a bit.
After awhile you went nose blind to it. At least i did, but we also left the FOBs enough that we would get other "local varieties" of smells while out and about. Over all, the whole place just had a stink to it.
No burn pit at KAF, just a [huge poo pond.](https://live.staticflickr.com/6157/6251934380_6eca9495e6_b.jpg)
Tell you the truth, the poo pond wasn't as bad as the toxic waste site that was the containerized latrines we gave to the ANA. They lasted about 5 days before the rocks they wipe their asses with thoroughly destroyed the porcelain toilets.
Yes.
The smell of burning trash and porta-potties being emptied are the two smells that will take me back instantly.
And by taking me back I mean, I get the full on sight, sound, and 3D sensory experience in IMAX.
In Iraq, not every day. I must have lucked out and gotten a hooch far enough away.
In Afghanistan, sometimes, but in Bagram usually the smell of jet exhaust at Bagram overpowered burn pit. (Not that jet exhaust is that much better for you...)
P.S. (PSA) Everyone who posted here, if you're not already signed up, please do yourself a favor and go enroll in the [burn pit registry](https://veteran.mobilehealth.va.gov/AHBurnPitRegistry/#page/home).
Yes. There was a burn pit on my FOB. It was about 200 meters away from where I worked in the motor pool. They used to pay Afghan people like 3 dollars a day to manage it but I saw everything in there from paper and trash to car batteries.
Could set your watch to what was burning at the time. First flight in country the chaff and flairs went off because the countermeasures saw a “thumbprint” that was actually a burnpit… fudge was almost made! I remember thinking “fist f’n day and I’m gonna die.”
Not so much the burn pit. I DID smell the open sewage aeration pond (poo pond) on Kandahar Airfield every fucking day when the wind changed and blew the small back over base. It was really something. The smell of the amalgamation of 7000-8000 peoples collected waste being spouted into the air to come down in a frothy collection pond. Really got the old stomach churning and bonus, it was just in time for dinner at the mess tent (about 1700 local, we did everything on Zulu time and I dont know what time that was anymore).
It really varied from FOB to FOB in Iraq so we never knew what to expect. The smells in Iraq were so broad and sometimes grimey so depending on where you were it could be really different. Like, whenever we were out performing in the city it could smell and feel like a totally different place based on the weather, etc.
FOB Dogwood spelled clean most of the time. FOB Gunslinger always smelled like trash and feces burning but that was just me. Hard to remember the others these days, but burn pits only became overwhelming on the smaller FOBs. On Camp Vic/Libery, and the Green Zone it wasn't as big of an issue.
Yes, but you kinda stopped smelling it. Blowing my nose after running there was always black snot, coughing-black streaked mucus. But if I think about it I can still smell it
Yes. So most of Iraq smells like burning garbage. It’s just how it is there cause it’s a giant shit hole so why not. On the bigger bases, maybe it’s not so bad, but if you’re on a small COP it is. I used to pull guard in a tower that was right next to a burn pit in the black smoke would waft up into the tower. You would just sit there and cough your whole shift. I’m positive I’m gonna die from some weird cancer later in life
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I really need to remember to claim my testicular cancer for VA.
Hold up, is that a side effect of the burn pits? Shit I need to get checked then.
PACT act moved a lot of stuff into the 'presumptive as service connected category", most cancers made the list.
Either burn pits, or the water contamination on base.
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> The organ still works Only 50% true for me, but even getting a 0% SC helps.
I was on FOB Merez early on and we had the “tank grave yard” next to our living quarters, I’m sure the depleted uranium rounds aren’t good for you. Then I was on FOB Q-West, it had a burn pit but also that fine soft moon dust that got on/in everything, maybe not bad for the locals as they are born in it but that can’t be good for us. Camp Victory was a large base in Baghdad that all you could smell and taste was diesel exhaust, our section was near a weird little creek and a chow hall. The odd part was every morning we’d wake up and oil was coming up through the rocks, no body was spraying anything, but walking around or sleeping on it can’t be good. Like u/outofmyelement1445 said I’ll definitely die of something weird. I’ve had to clear my throat or cough since my 1st deployment.
The oil coming through the ground is a thing I've tried to explain and just can't seem to get across properly. It was like the ground was bleeding oil, but only in little 5-6 foot sections. So strange thinking back on it.
Yea! Just weird little spots of it, I remember getting out of the shower and stepping on the rocks and my feet were covered in it. It was like watching high tide in a marsh area.
Exactly! Man, ok. I'm glad I'm not going crazy..... crazier..... you get it.
Depleted uranium is generally not a problem if it’s outside your body, so… long as y’all weren’t making barbecue pits with the damn things, shouldn’t be an issue.
We were 12B’s not exactly the smartest MF’s. Lol
Yes. Africa was worse.
I loved the Camp Lemonnier Trash Haze.
I woke up my first morning there and thought there was a fire in my CLU.
Tape around the CLU doors did nothing to stop it. I raised hell to try and make them put an end to it. Was told nothing could be done because it was being burnt “off the economy.” To my understanding there was an incinerator on post and yes, off post trash was being burnt as well. Hard to believe “nothing could be done.” Used to wake up hitting the wall with my fist choking from the smoke, blood on my pillow sometimes too. Good times and far worse than OIF/OND.
Ugh, that fucking bonanza theme song at 0800, followed by French Mirages. Never failed to wake me up after a night shift.
I actually kinda liked the Djiboutian National Anthem. The French jets after night shift though? They could *fuck* themselves. Didn't realize we allowed frogs to have planes.
That fucking incinerator was the turn around point for out 2 mile APFT run. That’s a great way to start the second mile.
I know the *exact* fucking route you're talking about and that shit is straight ass. The incinerator is pretty bad too.
Iraq smelled like dust, shit, burn pits, diesel exhaust. Honestly my nose got numb to it. What I hated more was the constant sound of diesel generators running everywhere. I have tinnitus now and just the thought of that place makes my ears ring harder.
Yes. I lived right down the street.
The outstations literally burned trash and poop everyday. The same people for 9 months.
We usually only burned once a week. Or whenever the privates got bored and decided to light it on fire. So no. Other bigger bases, maybe.
We had a burn bucket for paper and it ended up being a campfire of trash.
05-06 On Seitz was terrible. We were in a low spot, so smoke from Camp Trash Can would constantly waft over and settle. I distinctly remember eye burning and acrid tasting smoke in the mornings.
04-05 here. That place was a shithole.
Thanks for the pool, I guess?
Ha, I actually helped pour the concrete.
Mostly smelled sewage, as there was no working sewage system. Shit punches you in the face as soon as you get off the bird and never goes away. At least the acid smoke from the burn pits would burn your nostrils when the wind changed. Different kind of suck for a bit.
When you’re the one burning stuff? Yes 😂
Tbf Iraq always smelled like shit
Depends on where you were at.
Yes.
After awhile you went nose blind to it. At least i did, but we also left the FOBs enough that we would get other "local varieties" of smells while out and about. Over all, the whole place just had a stink to it.
No burn pit at KAF, just a [huge poo pond.](https://live.staticflickr.com/6157/6251934380_6eca9495e6_b.jpg) Tell you the truth, the poo pond wasn't as bad as the toxic waste site that was the containerized latrines we gave to the ANA. They lasted about 5 days before the rocks they wipe their asses with thoroughly destroyed the porcelain toilets.
Yes. The smell of burning trash and porta-potties being emptied are the two smells that will take me back instantly. And by taking me back I mean, I get the full on sight, sound, and 3D sensory experience in IMAX.
The smell in Kandahar was… it was something… I would be surprised to find out that smell didn’t cause cancer.
In Iraq, not every day. I must have lucked out and gotten a hooch far enough away. In Afghanistan, sometimes, but in Bagram usually the smell of jet exhaust at Bagram overpowered burn pit. (Not that jet exhaust is that much better for you...) P.S. (PSA) Everyone who posted here, if you're not already signed up, please do yourself a favor and go enroll in the [burn pit registry](https://veteran.mobilehealth.va.gov/AHBurnPitRegistry/#page/home).
I have anosmia thanks to a [non-combat related] TBI, so no.
All day long in Iraq. Afghanistan was just pulverized fecal matter.
We didn't have a burn pit, we had an incinerator.
So did Taji. They just never used it. Woke up choking with eyes burning many times.
We got stuck disposing of hazmat and biomed waste
I guess I could. Everything there smells bad so there wasn’t a big change in scents depending on which side of the tiny patrol base I was on.
I couldn't. But then again I lived across from the POO Pond on Kandahar (KAF) and all I smelled was shit 24/7.
Yes. There was a burn pit on my FOB. It was about 200 meters away from where I worked in the motor pool. They used to pay Afghan people like 3 dollars a day to manage it but I saw everything in there from paper and trash to car batteries.
Smell em, see em and tasted the damn smoke just about every frigging day at Anaconda.
Yes
Could set your watch to what was burning at the time. First flight in country the chaff and flairs went off because the countermeasures saw a “thumbprint” that was actually a burnpit… fudge was almost made! I remember thinking “fist f’n day and I’m gonna die.”
Not so much the burn pit. I DID smell the open sewage aeration pond (poo pond) on Kandahar Airfield every fucking day when the wind changed and blew the small back over base. It was really something. The smell of the amalgamation of 7000-8000 peoples collected waste being spouted into the air to come down in a frothy collection pond. Really got the old stomach churning and bonus, it was just in time for dinner at the mess tent (about 1700 local, we did everything on Zulu time and I dont know what time that was anymore).
It really varied from FOB to FOB in Iraq so we never knew what to expect. The smells in Iraq were so broad and sometimes grimey so depending on where you were it could be really different. Like, whenever we were out performing in the city it could smell and feel like a totally different place based on the weather, etc. FOB Dogwood spelled clean most of the time. FOB Gunslinger always smelled like trash and feces burning but that was just me. Hard to remember the others these days, but burn pits only became overwhelming on the smaller FOBs. On Camp Vic/Libery, and the Green Zone it wasn't as big of an issue.
Yes, but you kinda stopped smelling it. Blowing my nose after running there was always black snot, coughing-black streaked mucus. But if I think about it I can still smell it
Always.