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Home away from home: JBB H6 housing complex

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Phillip Butterfield
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq --  Airmen have many concerns about their gaining deployed location. An obvious one may be where they are going to live when they arrive.

Servicemembers staying in the H6 housing complex on Joint Base Balad can put their worries to bed.

As soon as the member's first sergeant receives news that an Airman will be living in the complex, he will make reservations for them, which will ensure an easy transition into their containerized housing unit, said Tech. Sgt. Pedro Martinez, 332nd Expeditionary Force Support Squadron lodging superintendant.

After settling in to their temporary homes, Airmen will notice that the complex is not exclusively Air Force. They share the complex with Soldiers, Sailors and civilians who contribute to the mission on the East side of base.

The H6 complex is unique because it contains three different styles of containerized housing units where Airmen stay.

"The complex is the only housing area at JBB that has dorms," said Staff Sgt. William Kelly, lodging NCO in-charge. "Airmen in the dorm style CHUs share a shower room and are designed to accommodate five Airmen."

Sergeant Kelly added that there are three different styles of two-person CHU, and an Airmen's length of stay and rank determine which CHU will be available.

The 26-pod layout, a pod is a series of CHUs grouped together and are alpha or numerically labeled, helps new residents find their way. With this layout, finding the complex's many amenities is easier.

"H6 is laid out well, and it has many amenities conveniently located for our residents," said Sergeant Martinez, deployed from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. "We're often approached by non-residents trying to find out how they can move into H6."

The complex is a gated community only accessible to residents. The complex has its own chapel, recreation and fitness center, food court, Base Exchange, library and volunteer center.

"The other housing complexes may have one or two of these amenities but we have them all, and this is what separates H6 from the rest of the base," said Sergeant Martinez.

In the event an Airmen arrives here they may have to be sub located to one of the other eight housing complexes around base, until a CHU that corresponds to their career field becomes available.

"I would not want to live anywhere else," said Sergeant Kelly who is deployed from March Air Reserve Base, Calif. "This complex is its own little world inside a big country you have everything you need.