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Blast Walls Protect Red Bulls At Basra Base

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Nov 4, 2009 6:49 pm US/Central

Blast Walls Protect Red Bulls At Basra Base

Slideshow: Don Shelby Embedded With Troops In Mideast

Reporting
Don Shelby
BASRA, Iraq (WCCO) ― WCCO-TV anchor Don Shelby and photographer Tom Aviles are reporting from Iraq this week, where the Minnesota National Guard's 34th Red Bull Infantry Division commands all forces in half of the country.

There are still dangers in the operations in southern Iraq, including rocket attacks on the base.

Contingency Operating Base Basra is surrounding by T-walls, also called blast walls, which are made of poured concrete and are shaped like a T at the bottom.

The walls rise up about 12 feet into the air. They are used to stop blasts from coming into the base.

When blasts do hit the wall, it appears as dents in the concrete. So the wall did its job.

On the other side of the wall, inside the base, about 52 feet away, is where Shelby and Aviles sleep.

And the blast that put the dents in the concrete, happened just one week ago.

No matter how hard the Minnesota 34th Red Bull Infantry Division is working to keep the peace here in southern Iraq, there are still attacks.


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