Where is Tuzla
Air Base?
Tuzla
Tuzla AB is
located near the city of Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina, a Balkan State which was
once part of the Former Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY). Bosnia-Herzegovina is
located across the Adriatic Sea from Italy, to the northwest of Albania and
Greece, at what once was a crossroads between the Byzantine Empire to the
southeast, the Roman Empire to the northwest, and the Kievan Rus' to the
northeast. The region's location near the junction of Europe and Asia Minor give
it a cultural feel all its own; Turkish, Slavic, German, and Greek influences
are all evident here. Unfortunately, the area's location also means that the
Balkan peoples have suffered through waves of conquest from virtually every
direction as the balance of power in the region has shifted from Greece to Rome
to the Ottoman Empire to the Austro-Hungarian Empire to the Third Reich to the
Soviet-led Warsaw Pact.
The resulting mix of religious and cultural influences in the Balkans has
resulted in a fracturing of what was once a unified Slavic people into distinct
ethnic groups, each characterized by its own religion and by subtle language
differences. Each of the ethnic groups (in Bosnia-Herzegovina, mainly Bosnian
and Serbian) has its own political goals and agendas, which are sometimes in
competition with, and incompatible with those of their neighbors.
The ethnic groups you will hear most about during your stay in the Balkans are
the Bosniacs, a group characterized by adherence to the Muslim faith; Serbians,
a group characterized by closer ties with Slavic countries to the east and adherence
to Orthodox Christianity; and Croatians, more closely tied with Western Europe
and characterized by their adherence to the Catholic faith.
Tuzla Air Base is located in the northeastern portion of Bosnia-Herzegovina; a
hilly, scenic region resembling the northern reaches of the Appalachian
mountains. Sarajevo is about a two-hour winding drive from Tuzla. Much of the
region has a sleepy, agrarian feel to it. Although travel opportunities off base
for military members are limited, day trips into Tuzla and Sarajevo are
available and participation is highly encouraged.
