Our Story
The origin of the naming of Area 82 may be as mysterious as what went on at Area 82. Area 82 was located on the Northwest part of Bagram Airfield (BAF), Afghanistan towards the end of the north runway, right across from TMP and near the fuel point and car rinsing off place … that’s right, not a car wash, but a rinsing station.
The shroud of secrecy was only amplified by the 20+ ft concrete walls surrounding the place with only a few markings to guide visitors on where to park and what NOT to do i.e. block the entrance and take pictures. Unless someone paid close attention the casual passerby wouldn’t notice the two gates closed and labeled 82, the long guard arm to alert people that the entrance was closed, the “No Photography” sign and last the heavy steel door on the side to allow pedestrian traffic. Yet, most people just knew it as the “Secret Squirrel” where only highly cleared personnel could go … AND … which couldn’t be further from the truth.
One story that seems consistent is that during Operation Enduring Freedom there was a location far from the headquarters, near the northwest end of the flight line that the Intelligence Community (IC) scratched out their part of the airfield. At that time there were no massive concrete walls guarding the base and it was mostly triple-strand concertina wire guarding parts, but not the entire base. Army Division’s Headquarters (HQ) consistently entered and exited Afghanistan, then replaced the previous Division HQ and took command, which was no different when the Division HQ for the 82d Airborne entered Afghanistan.
The 82nd Airborne Division is steeped in honor and tradition dating back to WWI and the WWII operations: Operation Market Garden, Battle of the Bulge and Operation Overlord. Even though there is no official record of when it was named Area 82 what is known is that the 82nd held the flag for the Division HQ and the area that the IC held grew in secrecy (most people in the IC are introverts). As legend has it, the Division HQ kept wondering what was going on in “that secret place”, which still had no official name, but the Division wanted to give it a name that was reminiscent of another super secret location, Area 51. As time went on someone referred to the “secret place” – where no one knows what they do over there – as Area 82 for the secrecy that went on in that small 30-40 acre section of land on the northwest corner of BAF. The name stuck.
As we stated before, things will change and new pieces of information will come out from under a rock, but the murky and vague details may only enhance the reputation of Area 82 and make you wonder “what really went on there?” as you sip your cup of your favorite THE 82 Coffee Company coffee.
HOW WE STARTED
Before THE 82 Coffee Company was formed, we were just a coffee club that met in office 5-B-2-2 for morning coffee. For a while we called ourselves The 82 Coffee Heads, but slowly changed to The 82 Coffee Club. We had the best coffee in ALL of Afghanistan, hands down! Before we roasted our own beans, we maintained an amazing coffee selection from roasters all over the U.S.A like Lexington Coffee Roasters, Atomic Coffee Roaster, Goofy Foot Coffee, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, and Café Vita Coffee Roasting Company. We were proud of our selection and displayed the bags in our homemade four shelf cabinet.
We started on an SR500 vertical air roaster and that was all we needed to realize that fresh roasted coffee was what we wanted to do till we departed Afghanistan. We roasted on Area 82, on top of the United States Forces – Afghanistan (USFOR-A) building, finally in a little compound.
THE LOGO
The logo for the company is the outline of our compound, Area 82, on Bagram Airfield (BAF), Afghanistan. Area 82 was a logistical and transient hub for the Intelligence Community and people flowed through Area 82 as they entered or departed the country. Area 82 was a relatively quiet place and people killed time in the gym or participating in weekly cornhole competitions that allowed people to blow off steam from the daily grind of being in Afghanistan.
WHAT BEANS WE ROAST
We currently roast green coffee beans from almost every country that produces beans, which is something that sets us apart from a lot of other companies. We want people to experience a different taste, especially one that isn’t burnt or of poor quality. Coffee should be a time to take a deep breath, sip, and enjoy the flavor profiles that each bean brings to the cup!
WHO ARE WE
We are a group of veterans, but more importantly we are a group that recognizes and thanks the people that educate, serve & protect, search & rescue, keep the power on and ranchers & farmers who serve Montana and America. We thank them because they do jobs we can’t do and place their lives in harm’s way or deal with overcrowded classrooms, even farm and ranch during brutal winters to keep their farms and ranches operating or those that keep the roads clear or restore/maintain power in the dead of winter … we thank them because they are the heartbeat that keep us moving.
HOW TO FIND US:
https://www.82coffeecompany.com/
Instagram: the82coffeecompany
Email: the82coffeecompany@gmail.com
- THE Area 82 Coffee Company