Members of C Battery also saw combat in the area surrounding Camp Anaconda and Abu Ghraib, a military prison.

In March 2006 Charlie Battery departed Kuwait and was flown to Camp Anaconda, Iraq.

On December 14, 2003 his colleague, Ryan G. Manelick was gunned down just after leaving Camp Anaconda.

When he came home in February after 14 months overseas, mostly at Camp Anaconda northwest of Baghdad, he found himself $110,000 in debt.

He commanded a walk-in clinic and ambulance service at Camp Anaconda in Balad, a base of about 25,000 soldiers, about 40 miles north of Baghdad.

He was tasked with the protection of Camp Anaconda.

Camp Anaconda was the second most trafficked airport on the globe, which housed 28,0000 soldiers and 8,000 civilian contract workers.

Due to the strategic military importance and size, Camp Anaconda was the target of 40 to 50 mortar attacks a day.

While embracing his cultural values, Hilman organized a regular Saturday camp cookout during his time at Camp Anaconda.

The troops were ferrying emergency jet fuel to Baghdad Airport from Camp Anaconda, 60 miles away.