Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District-North completes construction, transfers provincial

Afghanistan Engineer District-North
Published June 1, 2012

LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan — he U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District-North's recently completed and transferred its $7.4 million provincial police headquarters project to Afghanistan National Police in Pul-e 'Alam, Logar Province.

ANP officials joined Kabul-based Herai Alpha Construction, Consultancy and Engineering Company and Logar Provincial Governor Taher Sabari and other key provincial and civic leaders from the region in a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 16 to open the modern police facility.

The Corps of Engineers' Afghanistan Engineer District-North Commander, Col. Christopher W. Martin said, "The districts' Logar Residence Office crew epitomizes the team of Corps of Engineer professionals whose work ethic, dedication and wherewithal continue to build critical capacity, stability and security in Afghanistan."

According to Robert King, the project engineer for the design and build-out, two dry holes were drilled before drilling an offsite well to provide water to the facility. The provincial headquarters will also serve as a uniformed police compound.

The new provincial headquarters, located 42 miles (67 km) from Kabul and approximately 50 miles (80 km) from the Pakistan border, was constructed to help police combat the counter-insurgency in the area. An International Security Assistance Force statement released in late April reported Afghan and coalition security forces detained two insurgent leaders during operations in Pul-e 'Alam.

Regional Command-East's Task Force Bulldog conducts counter-insurgency operations with Afghanistan National Security Forces in Logar Province to help build capacity and stability in the region.

The Corps of Engineers is the primary organization building military bases, police stations, roads, air strips and other infrastructure projects in Afghanistan to increase the country's stability, security and economy.
"Our deployed volunteers in the district support our coalition partners so that they can focus on the fight and provide hope for Afghanistan and its people," Martin said.

The Corp's Afghanistan Engineer District-North and its five area offices manage more than $10 billion in construction projects spread across the districts 21-provincial operating footprint in northern Afghanistan in the past three years.

In addition to providing ANSF training facilities, border stations, barracks, dining facilities and other quality of life infrastructure, the district implemented a capacity development program, which creates business opportunities as evidenced by the Afghan-based construction firms receiving contract awards. The impact directly supports coalition counterinsurgency objectives while simultaneously increasing security and stability across northern Afghanistan.

Beyond construction management, the district also supports coalition forces counterinsurgency efforts to 32 Provincial Reconstruction Teams by providing embedded USACE engineers armed with the expertise to support the NATO-led efforts within the northern part of the country -- Regional Command-East, Regional Command-North and Regional Command-Capital.