Building 365 was an Internment Facility located at Bagram Air Field (BAF) Afghanistan. The building number 365 was chosen because it was operational 365 days a year. It was a Russian building leftover from their occupation of Afghanistan and used as an aircraft maintenance facility. During Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) it was used to house enemy combatants captured on the battlefield. From 13 January 2006 to 24 January 2007, I was the NCOIC of the multi-service guard force tasked with operating the facility.
Spending just over a year in the facility was a real eye-opener. It made me appreciate the little things, like a bathroom and running water in the building where I lived or not sleeping next to an airfield that operates 24/7.
It also allowed me to look directly into the face of evil; to stand toe-to-toe with men who, given the opportunity, would shoot me in the face without hesitation. It changes you. It changes your outlook. It changes your priorities. I retired eight months after my redeployment. Thirty years was enough.
I think the combination of solitude, age and seeing the world as it really is, changed me to a degree. I will always associate that change with Building 365.
