LIKE many American visitors brought to Bulgaria on business, Jim Muscatell says he loves it here and would like to come back, next time with his wife.

But Muscatell is not like many American visitors in another respect. The business that has brought him here is the very serious one of waging war. Holding the rank of colonel, Muscatell commands the 409th Air Expeditionary Group, temporarily based in Sarafovo, near the coastal resort town of Bourgas.

The 409th is in the business of refuelling operations in support of the US-led Operation Iraqi Freedom. It has six KC-10 Extender aircraft, deployed here from their base in New Jersey, to help keep coalition aircraft fuelled and flying on their air routes through Bulgaria and on to the theatre of war.

Krassimir Nikolov is the host of the US forces, a Bulgarian army colonel who said he was happy to welcome his comrades-in-arms. The US and Bulgarian flags, raised at the base at a March 15 ceremony, symbolise the co-operation and shared goals of the two countries, Nikolov said.

In New Jersey, Muscatell commands about 1300 people; here the deployment is smaller, about 500, living in a total of 19 tents on the base.

Among his principal duties is that team work goes well and the duties of all involved are fulfilled. The help and hospitality of the people of Sarafovo had made this possible, he said.

"The work our airmen do every day, with the help of our Bulgarian partners, is incredible," he said.

"I can do it only because I have great and talented people to work for me and I try not to micro-manage but let them do their job".

Muscatell believes there is a character trait shared by Bulgarians and Americans that has been useful in getting the job done: "you can be yourself and joke and this is not something you can do everywhere".

"I love it here," Muscatell told The Echo team that visited the base last week, adding that the food, shopping in Bourgas, and the social events in which his troops had participated, were great.

The Bulgarian National Police had done a great job to support those based at Sarafovo, he said.

He was missing his wife, but the telephone and other modern communications were helping to shrink the distance.

"I want to show her Bulgaria and take her for a vacation after the mission is over," Muscatell said.

As he said at the flag-raising ceremony on March 15, he believes that co-operation between the US and Bulgaria will continue and strengthen in future.

"With more than 400 airmen in one place, you need a lot of support from the host country," said Muscatell. The Bulgarians had been extremely gracious and accommodating.

There are 74 Bulgarian National Police officers at the base, brought in through a contract deal to help with security on the camp.

Staff-Sergeant Jason Smith, media liaison officer for the US forces at the base, emphasised that there was a reciprocity in the relationship with the Bulgarian staff. "Anything that we have done we were hand in hand with Bulgarian contractors," Smith said.

Muscatell earlier told Bulgarian journalists that since the US unit arrived just more than a month ago, it had spent about $1.7 million on contracts to support the airfield and camp, and had spent about $140 000 on supplies and materials.

Smith expressed his liking for the Bulgarian sense of humour and the friendliness of the country's people. "It seems the sense of humour in Bulgaria coincides with the American sense of humour but everyone is a little friendlier here," he said.

Smith is from Charleston Air Base, South Carolina, and has served 10 years in the military. Initially a security specialist, he became a public affairs officer five years ago.

He emphasised that it was the duty of military personnel serving in foreign countries to behave in a professional manner, in line with this duty and their role here, this included the responsibility to make a good impression the Bulgarian people.

"At least as good of an impression as they have made on us and everyone on camp because Bulgarians are great people," Smith said.

The 409th would now try to be ambassadors for Bulgaria to the rest of the world.

The camp's life varies every day, as those involved strive to improve its workings, a goal towards which the Bulgarian and American teams share their endeavours.

Like many teams, after-hours time is sometimes shared too, with social visits to various places.

Recent expeditions have included one to a local school by a group including, among others, a flight surgeon, other aircrew members, two military dog handlers, and Waldo, their four-legged foot soldier.

Last Saturday, a group of airmen went to the Bulgaria Hotel in Bourgas to watch a beauty contest. There have also been excursions to restaurants, and to shop.

With tight security, and the usual military procedure, troops are mainly confined to base, but Smith said that the troops did their best to mix with the local people and to contribute to community life.

"We have donated a sum of money for a purchase of a computer in one orphanage," Smith said.

"When we go out we wear regular civilian clothes down town Bourgas but we are easy to spot because all our clothes have American writing on."

He said that there was no communication barrier in Sarafovo because interpreters were on hand to help, and that co-operation with Bulgarian military staff was going well.

"We work great together, that is what I can say," Smith said.

He described Bulgaria as the best place he had ever been, and said it reminded him of his native Pennsylvania.

"I did not know much about Bulgaria before actually coming, but I found out that it is exactly as I expected," he said.

From weather reports, he got the impression ahead of his arrival that Bulgaria would be very like his original home; the surprise was to find the people so friendly.

"We were nervous at first, coming all the way here, wondering what people would be like, but it took only a couple of days to realise how friendly and nice everyone was," Smith said.

Smith has been on missions to Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Germany, all over the US, Hawaii, Italy, Spain but the people here have been the most open.

He has tried the typical shopska salad and the famous Bulgarian rakia (brandy). Most of the troops like the local beer Kamenitza, and the coffee made in the canteen.

"The coffee here tastes better than in the US where you sip it all day," Smith said.

Sport events, chess games, cards and working out are only a tiny part of leisure time activities in Sarafovo. Smith watches CNN in his free time to be informed on the latest development of the coalition plan.

"So far the coalition plan is going according to schedule," he said.

On-base leisure time includes entertainment and sports, including American and regular football, and troops also play cards and chess and work out around the site. Plans are for a gym to be built.

A charity football match of troops versus journalists is planned.

A chaplain is on duty to help personnel with their spiritual needs, whether they are Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists or any other faith.

Sarafovo's "Morale Tent" has four computers and three telephones to help troops keep in contact with their families.

Smith said he felt secure at Sarafovo.

"I don't personally feel threatened here at all, since the President of the US George Bush says that I am safe here, I believe him," Smith said.

He was upset about the pictures of prisoners of war aired on television and added that he would be scared if he were in their shoes.

"We know we are going into a war and this could happen," Smith said, adding that it it was also known that some people would die.

The job of the coalition forces was to ensure people did not die needlessly.

"If I have to I am ready to go to the front line if that is what my president needs and that is what I would do," Smith said. "I think that I would handle myself the way the US POWs did, behave with pride and I will keep my military job in mind," he said.