Ali Air Base was built on the ruins of the ancient city of Ur in historical Mesopotamia.
That's where I found myself in the summer of 2009.
There I was, an imperial storm trooper in a long ago forgotten place.
War had raged in that place for 30 years.
This is where Saddam Hussein had fortifications built for his air force.
The grounds are littered with the remains of Russian built mig engines, land mines, and a garbage dump where the detritus of war was burned on a 24 hour basis.
Ur is where Abraham is said to have grown up.
This is what it looked like in 2009.
