Military

Camp Snoopy
Doha International Airport, Doha, Qatar
25°15'40"N 51°33'54" E

The Air Expeditionary Force [AEF-III] deployment in 1996 was the first for an Air Force unit to Doha.

In 1999 the Screaming Eagles of VP-1 were rotated through a quad-site deployment with detachments operating in Diego Garcia, Masirah, Oman, Manama, Bahrain and Doha, Qatar.

Army Forces Central Command-Qatar (ARCENT-Qatar), headquartered at Doha, Qatar, is responsible for base support for a heavy brigade set and division base of pre-positioned equipment. ARCENT-Qatar is prepared to conduct reception, staging, onward movement, and integration of forces deploying in support of operations, exercises, and contingencies. In conjunction with the other Third Army/ARCENT forward commands, ARCENT-Qatar is prepared to facilitate rapid movement of personnel, equipment, and supplies by land, sea, or air throughout the CENTCOM AOR countries.

Camp Snoopy is located at Qatar International Airport. Seabees constructed observation towers at Camp Snoopy, Doha, Qatar. The late cartoonist Charles M. Schultz would be puzzled over how a barren, arid military outpost in Doha, Qatar was name after his humorous cartoon pet.

Camp Snoopy was little comic relief for some 60 Air Guard engineers tackling more than a dozen construction projects in summer 2000 in fierce heat and periodic high winds. As part of a three-month deployment, Red House units from Pennsylvania and Ohio constructed 15 force-protection projects in some of the toughest weather this small Persian Gulf nation can dish out. From high-security entrance points to kennels, engineers chiseled, chopped and cut the concrete-like bedrock, preparing sites for new facilities.

The work plan had engineers pouring 650 cubic yards of concrete, moving 10,000 cubic yards of dirt and erecting 50,000 pounds of steel. The work also included building 32 Scud bunkers, placing five towers, building 180 feet of blast wall, constructing a mile of road and digging a mile of trenching. Heat was the common theme throughout the deployment. Doors had to remain closed or temperatures could rise high enough inside to trigger fire-suppression sprinklers; pools had to chilled before entering. As temperatures soared through the 100s each day, Guardsmen devised ways to work through the desert menace. They included 4 a.m. start times and air-conditioned shelters at each job site.

The Remote Visual Assessment [RVA] system is being considered for flightline use by AETC and for perimeter security at Camp Snoopy, Qatar by ACC. Security of Minuteman and Peacekeeper missiles will also be improved by the Remote Visual Assessment (RVA) initiative. This initiative allows the missile alert facility personnel to see a real time image of the cause of launch facility alarms before dispatching response teams. This enables the security forces to send an immediate, and appropriately sized and equipped response force with full knowledge of the threat to be encountered. The RVA initiative successfully finished a year-long operational test at Minot AFB. Based on the results, HQ AFSPC submitted a POM initiative to fund the installation of RVA at all unmanned launch facilities.

Qatar's major ports are Doha, Umm Sa'id, and Ras Laffan. Doha is the country's main commercial port while Umm Sa'id is the primary petroleum export port. Qatar hosts a US Central Command, detachment at Doha, which oversees a contingency stockpile of Bradley Fighting Vehicles and tanks.

Under the 1998/99 budget, only one major project, the new Doha International Airport, received an allocation of funds from the Qatar government. But despite several rounds of bidding, as of January 1999 the estimated $110 million terminal building contract had still to be awarded by the Municipal Affairs & Agriculture Ministry. It is not difficult to see why. In late November 1998, Doha newspapers carried front page stories, detailing the ministry's difficulties in meeting its wage bill, which had caused lay-offs and delays in sending out monthly salary checks.

The new Doha International Airport, operated by Qatar Airways, has added a whole new dimension to transiting there to onward flights on the airline's rapidly expanding Asian network. A completely redesigned departures terminal, with a large, well-stocked and competitively-priced duty free shop, ensures a swift and comfortable transfer for the ever-increasing numbers of Europe-based passengers who use Doha as the best gateway to their destinations in Asia. The new terminal is characterised by its massive windows, giving a perception of wide open spaces with extensive natural light, enhanced further by the indigenous palms and tropical vegetation which abound throughout the waiting areas and lounges. The design was the responsibility of architect Mr Sherif Seleem from GHD Consultants.

In May 2002, Qatar Airways announced the new expansion and renovation plans for the Doha International airport. Under the project, the arrival terminal was renovated at a cost of US$ 20 million and the work was completed by October 2002. When completed, the renovated terminal will wear a modern look with new furnishings and facilities at par with the best in the world. As part of the plan to make the airport user-friendly, the parking facility at the airport will be expanded to accommodate 2,000 cars. Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer, Akbar Al-Baker has given top priority a new international airport to be built to the east of the present one at a cost of US$ 750 million.