Disney Drive

the main drag on BAF (Bagram Air Field), has nothing to do with good old Walt. Like most other named locations here, there is a story relating to a death on or near here. In this case, SPC Jason Disney who was killed in an industrial accident, Feb 2002.

Disney Drive has transformed from a dusty, gravel strewn road in 2005-2006 to a paved, busy two lane road with sights and sounds that rival many a small city.  What I actually found amazing is how little about it appears in blogs and posts. Only a couple of mentions – like in the Burlington Paper, we just take it for granted. 

Early in the morning – 0530-0700, Disney is off limits for vehicular traffic except for the rare bus so that all of us military types can do PT in the road without risk of getting run down or run over. You knew I was going somewhere with this. Biking in the morning in PT uniform is PT. I can bike on Disney, staying on the pavement rather than fighting dust, dirt and gravel along the edge.  The rest of the time, on a bike, I am vehicle traffic just like the “big guys.” Those big guys are not just the occasional 4×4 but a seemingly endless string of pickups, buses, 18 wheelers, gators, ATVs, tactical vehicles and tankers. So far, the only transport that I have not seen taxiing down Disney are those with rotors or jet engines.

Many of the major organizations, Task Forces, contractors, and facilities line both sides of Disney. Craig Joint Theater Hospital, Dragon DFAC, the PAX terminal, USO, 3AV DFAC, Coley DFAC, the JOC and CIF are all on the eastern side. Oh, and the BBQ Shack DFAC is also there. On the west there is the North DFAC, R&R Billeting, Dragon MWR, Dragon Billeting, Dragon Clamshell, Faith Chapel, the Korean Hospital, the PX, the Eqyptian Hospital and half a dozen other important places that I can picture in my mind but not name.

Even more dense than the vehicles is the constant flow of foot traffic. An electric billboard at the corner of Disney and (whatever) near the Air Force three story billeting seeks to remind everyone that pedestrians do not always have the right of way.

Could not prove that by observation – pedestrians act like they have the right of way. Pedestrians in uniform are armed (amber status in case anyone who is military cares) and they out number the heavy stream of traffic by more than 10:1. There are a few locations along Disney where there are bridges over the deep ditch that separates the sidewalk from the road; most of the traffic crosses at these points.

Disney is lighted in the evenings, traffic flowing through out the night. As I walk back after dark, I am more likely to hike along the flightline fence where it is quiet, uncrowded and I don’t have to salute every two feet.

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One Response to Disney Drive

  1. Linda M says:

    biking on a flat paved surface in pt clothes sounds like a great option.

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