As the last major missions by American and NATO troops prepare to leave Afghanistan, one of the most important milestones in their departure was the closure of what was once the largest US base in the country last week.
In the past 20 years, Bagram was so big in various places that troops stationed there could enjoy Subway and Pizza Hut, but another consequence of the many young Americans in one place was that in recent years the base has developed its own base Pokémon Go
As this piece in Stars & Stripes outlines, Bagram was home to several Pokémon Go Gyms and loads of them Pokémon Go Player, which meant it became a welcome relief from danger and an opportunity to make friends for many young men and women stuck overseas.
“Being able to start a conversation about something like Pokémon with a complete stranger in the middle of a war zone was a great way to keep people sociable,” a contractor who worked at Bagram last year told the website.
The closure of the base – it has since been turned over to local Afghan forces – also raised the prospect of “lost” Pokémon as gyms that were once hotly contested remain unchallenged.
Screenshots of Bagram after troops have withdrawn show low-level Pokémon that are usually easy to defeat and may be guarded indefinitely. A tiny Lotad defended the former warrior chapel in Bagram for 10 days, while a humble Aron defended a memorial to a fallen soldier for about two weeks.
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On the other hand, there may be locals or members of the Afghan Armed Forces interested in the game and making sure the gyms change hands. And if not – or even if they exist and the gyms just sit there – some veterans like Alaska National Guardsmen John Sutter try to look forward to a world where Afghanistan is not a war zone, but a place where some Pokémon are left it behind.
“Maybe in 20 years I can ride my motorcycle south and win the Pokémon gym back,” Sutterutter said Stars & Stripes. You should read the full feature here.
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