The Afghanistan conflict is America’s longest war, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been there since 2002 supporting military contingency operations and U.S. government initiatives. Through various policy shifts in Afghanistan since then, USACE has remained a consistent and reliable provider of engineering and construction services to U.S. and coalition partners.
Today, the Afghanistan District supports Operation Resolute Support, the NATO-led, non-combat mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). The District also supports other U.S. partners in Afghanistan.
“Our efforts to provide quality facilities are evident in the number of projects completed and turned over to help establish security and provide infrastructure,” said Col. Jason Kelly, Afghanistan District Commander. “As the U.S. mission has evolved, USACE now has additional projects that may carry into the next four years.”
The Afghanistan District operates similarly to other USACE districts in terms of following USACE policies and procedures, but it does so in a contingency environment and with a revolving workforce of military and civilian members. Their work is supplemented by Afghan citizens under the Local National Quality Assurance program where these citizens assist in construction oversight.
The participation of Afghan citizens falls under the Afghan First Program, a NATO program designed to contribute directly to the long-term stability, security, and economic development of Afghanistan. The program also promotes use of Afghan firms – all with a goal of building the capacity of Afghan workers and companies.
The District’s mission is a country-wide, three-pronged effort with U.S. Forces-Afghanistan (USFOR-A), Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) with concentration on power generation, distribution and transmission and ANDSF construction programs. In addition, an operations and maintenance program instills the skills necessary for the Afghans to operate and maintain the newly constructed facilities.
Afghanistan District works in partnership with USFOR-A and CSTC-A to carry out these programs. The District also partners with the Defense Department and State Department to complete water and power infrastructure projects.
In 2017, the Afghanistan District was focused on reducing its footprint and aligning itself with the projected workload for a reduced U.S. mission in theater. However, that changed with the Resolute Support Commander’s plan for a conditions-based strategy, which included an uplift of forces and an aggressive train, advise, and assist mission in conjunction with significant increases in the size and scope of the ANDSF platforms.
The District’s projected workload over the next four years tripled. New and expanded programs include projects for Afghan Air Force modernization, Afghan Special Forces, and Women’s Participation Program, while the District remains committed to completing projects identified under the Northern Electrical Power System and the Southern Electrical Power System.
“In addition, USAID and the District established an unprecedented partnership to finish out the U.S. contribution to the national power grid, taking on the more than $300 million power transmission project country wide. When complete, this project will establish power throughout the country, connecting Afghanistan civilians and military to stable reliable power,” Kelly said.
Over the course of 2017-2018, the District applied the concept of the “speed of relevance at the speed of war,” taking deliberate steps to ensure it was engaged early in the operational planning cycle, connected to its partners, and offering engineering solutions in a dynamic and volatile environment. The District placed people at critical locations where it could best support its partners’ key priorities, increased District access to USACE, and reduced the lines of communication needed in a theater constrained to air movements over geographically dispersed locations.
The Afghanistan District’s ability to reach back to the USACE enterprise brings the might of the entire USACE team. From design expertise on Women’s Participation Program training facilities to technical specialties for closed circuit television in support of NATO’s effort to secure Kabul in the month’s preceding the parliamentary elections, the District leveraged expertise from 32 stateside organizations.
Thousands of Americans, Afghans, and people from all over the world have and are working on USACE projects throughout Afghanistan.
USACE members continue to volunteer because of the sense of purpose they get by being a part of something bigger than themselves. Transatlantic Afghanistan District continues needing volunteers interested in serving in Afghanistan well into the future and encourage your participation in this vital national defense mission.