Troops Celebrate By Leisure Time Fishing
With the continued reduction of crisis, and the improving security situation inside Iraq, slowly things relax a bit and soldiers look around for other things during their off duty time to occupy themselves. Recently a group of soldiers the complex Victory Base in have found a surprising activity to keep them busy: Fishing.
Conditions for fishing are not those you would find anyplace else, but slowly fishing has established a group that practices it earnestly. They fish on canals and lakes that are scattered around Victory Base complex, which is an area of different bases in the west part of Baghdad.
One of the most dedicated soldiers to the fishing cause is Sgt Kerley, who is a member of the 4th Infantry division country and rock music band. When he can, he spends his lunchtime breaks looking to hook a fish in the different canals that run alongside the roads and behind the band headquarters.
Kerley is one of several soldiers that spend their off duty time pursuing fishing. He has his own fishing tackle that he brought back from the United States. This is the second deployment to Iraq for Kerley, and he has enjoyed being able to fish during his off duty hours.
Camp Liberty has a post exchange that stocks a basic style of fishing rod and reel, and other tackle. “It keeps selling out,†said Ron Barfield, the manager of the base PX.
