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USACE Breaks Ground on Warehouses for Kuwait’s legendary 35th Brigade

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Expeditionary District
Published Feb. 24, 2025
(U.S. Army photo by Catherine Carroll, USACE Transatlantic Division public affairs.)
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Alaa Jafar, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kuwait Area Program Management Office project engineer (center), discusses project plans with a local construction contractor following the groundbreaking ceremony for a $39.9 million initiative to deliver five multi-functional warehouses for Kuwait’s legendary 35th Brigade at the 35th Armored Brigade Base in Kuwait, Jan. 21, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Catherine Carroll, USACE Transatlantic Division public affairs.)

(U.S. Army photo by Catherine Carroll, USACE Transatlantic Division public affairs.)
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers professionals and Kuwaiti Army officers, along with engineers and construction team representatives break ground for a $39.9 million initiative to deliver five multi-functional warehouses for Kuwait’s legendary 35th Brigade at the 35th Armored Brigade Base in Kuwait, Jan. 21, 2025, reinforcing USACE’s commitment to strengthening partnerships and building capacity for the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense. (U.S. Army photo by Catherine Carroll, USACE Transatlantic Division public affairs.)

(U.S. Army photo by Catherine Carroll, USACE Transatlantic Division public affairs.)
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U.S. Army Lt. Col. Eder Ramirez, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Expeditionary District commander (center right), and U.S. Air Force Colonel Matthew Johnson, Security Cooperation Office’s Office of Military Cooperation – Kuwait chief (far right), along with Alaa Jafar, USACE Kuwait Area Program Management Office project engineer (center left), and Russ Wahlay, Expeditionary District supervisory civil engineer (far right), stand for a photo following the groundbreaking ceremony for a $39.9 million initiative to deliver five multi-functional warehouses for Kuwait’s legendary 35th Brigade at the 35th Armored Brigade Base in Kuwait, Jan. 21, 2025, reinforcing USACE’s commitment to strengthening partnerships and building capacity for the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense. (U.S. Army photo by Catherine Carroll, USACE Transatlantic Division public affairs.)

(U.S. Army photo by Catherine Carroll, USACE Transatlantic Division public affairs.)
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Construction safety sign indicates danger on the project site for a $39.9 million initiative to deliver five multi-functional warehouses for Kuwait’s legendary 35th Brigade at the 35th Armored Brigade Base in Kuwait, Jan. 21, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Catherine Carroll, USACE Transatlantic Division public affairs.)

(U.S. Army photo by Catherine Carroll, USACE Transatlantic Division public affairs.)
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U.S. Army Lt. Col. Eder Ramirez, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Expeditionary District commander (center left), and U.S. Air Force Colonel Matthew Johnson, Security Cooperation Office’s Office of Military Cooperation – Kuwait chief (center right), along with Alaa Jafar, USACE Kuwait Area Program Management Office project engineer (far left), discuss project plans with Kuwait Army Brigadier Gerneral Bader Alkhyri during the groundbreaking ceremony for a $39.9 million initiative to deliver five multi-functional warehouses for Kuwait’s legendary 35th Brigade at the 35th Armored Brigade Base in Kuwait, Jan. 21, 2025, reinforcing USACE’s commitment to strengthening partnerships and building capacity for the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense. (U.S. Army photo by Catherine Carroll, USACE Transatlantic Division public affairs.)

(U.S. Army photo by Catherine Carroll, USACE Transatlantic Division public affairs.)
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Alaa Jafar, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kuwait Area Program Management Office project engineer (far right), U.S. Air Force Colonel Matthew Johnson, Security Cooperation Office’s Office of Military Cooperation – Kuwait chief (center right), along with a local construction contractor and Russ Wahlay, Expeditionary District supervisory civil engineer (far left), discuss the project plans for a $39.9 million initiative to deliver five multi-functional warehouses for Kuwait’s legendary 35th Brigade at the 35th Armored Brigade Base in Kuwait, Jan. 21, 2025, reinforcing USACE’s commitment to strengthening partnerships and building capacity for the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense. (U.S. Army photo by Catherine Carroll, USACE Transatlantic Division public affairs.)

(U.S. Army photo by Catherine Carroll, USACE Transatlantic Division public affairs.)
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Alaa Jafar, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kuwait Area Program Management Office project engineer (center) Listens to a local construction contractor discuss project plans following the groundbreaking ceremony for a $39.9 million initiative to deliver five multi-functional warehouses for Kuwait’s legendary 35th Brigade at the 35th Armored Brigade Base in Kuwait, Jan. 21, 2025, reinforcing USACE’s commitment to strengthening partnerships and building capacity for the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense. (U.S. Army photo by Catherine Carroll, USACE Transatlantic Division public affairs.)

(U.S. Army photo by Catherine Carroll, USACE Transatlantic Division public affairs.)
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers professionals and Kuwaiti Army officers, along with engineers and construction team representatives stand for a group photo following the groundbreaking ceremony for a $39.9 million initiative to deliver five multi-functional warehouses for Kuwait’s legendary 35th Brigade at the 35th Armored Brigade Base in Kuwait, Jan. 21, 2025, reinforcing USACE’s commitment to strengthening partnerships and building capacity for the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense. (U.S. Army photo by Catherine Carroll, USACE Transatlantic Division public affairs.)

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KUWAIT – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers marked a major milestone with the groundbreaking ceremony for a critical infrastructure project in Kuwait, Jan. 21. The $39.9 million initiative will deliver five multi-functional warehouses for Kuwait’s legendary 35th Armored Brigade, reinforcing USACE’s commitment to strengthening partnerships and building capacity for the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense.

This project also provided an opportunity for the USACE Expeditionary District and the Middle East District‘s Kuwait Program Management Office to showcase the collaborative power of their unified team in support of one of the Kuwaiti Land Forces’ legendary brigades.

“The 35th Brigade has a proud legacy, one that dates back to their pivotal role in the Battle of the Ridges during Operation Desert Storm,” Lt. Col. Eder Ramirez, the Expeditionary District commander, shared.

“Their legacy of service and resilience is something we deeply respect,” Ramirez continued. “These facilities ensure the 35th Brigade is equipped to continue that legacy well into the future and provide the Kuwait Land Forces with state-of-the-art maintenance facilities to maintain optimal readiness for the armored fleet.”

Leading this effort is USACE KPMO Project Engineer Alaa Jafar, who has been with USACE for nearly 15 years and worked in Kuwait focusing on Military Construction and Foreign Military Sales projects for two years now. Her expertise ensures that the project remains on schedule and lives up to USACE’s longstanding legacy of engineering, design, and construction excellence.

“This project reflects the best of what we do at USACE,” said Jafar. “By working closely with our partners, we are able to deliver facilities that directly enhance mission capabilities while fostering collaboration and innovation.”

“This base serves as Kuwait’s first line of defense,” Jafar explained. “The construction of these warehouses is critical to ensuring the 35th Brigade has the infrastructure needed to maintain and deploy their equipment efficiently. By supporting their operational capabilities, we are also reinforcing regional security and our enduring partnership with Kuwait.”

“This project involves the construction of five new pre-engineered metal building system warehouses at the 35th Armored Brigade Base in Kuwait,” said Alaa Jafar, project engineer and Contracting Officer’s Representative for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “Each warehouse is designed to house 44 Abrams M1A2K tanks and 4M88 recovery vehicles, providing state-of-the-art facilities to support the 35th Brigade’s mission readiness. These tanks will be acquired through the Foreign Military Sales program, further strengthening the collaboration and partnership between the U.S. and Kuwait.”

The groundbreaking ceremony also highlighted the collaborative spirit that has defined this project from the start. The design phase leveraged a Virtual Value-Based Design Charrette, conducted in partnership with the USACE Philadelphia District and the Kuwait Ministry of Defense. This innovative approach streamlined the design process, minimized costs, and optimized the final design to meet mission requirements.

Mission partners for this initiative include the Kuwait Ministry of Defense, the Kuwait Land Forces, the Office of Military Cooperation Kuwait, and local contracting companies who will execute the construction. Together, these partnerships underscore USACE’s role as a trusted leader in delivering infrastructure that supports operational readiness and regional stability.

“This was a truly collaborative effort that exemplifies teamwork and lasting partnership with a key ally for the United States armed forces in the Middle East,” said Ramirez. “By working closely with our Kuwait mission partners and drawing on USACE’s experience in the region, we’ve ensured this project supports Kuwait’s defense capabilities and reflects the shared legacy of service and partnership between our nations.”

As construction progresses, the five identical warehouses, each spanning approximately 7,800 square meters, will stand as a testament to the shared commitment of USACE and its mission partners to building capacity and preparing for the future.

“I enjoy the diversity of projects we handle here at USACE,” said Jafar. “Every project has a unique challenge, whether it’s serving the public or supporting the nation’s defense. I also find fieldwork to be incredibly dynamic and rewarding, especially knowing that our efforts directly contribute to meaningful outcomes for our mission partners.”

“We look forward to continuing this journey with our partners,” Jafar concluded, “ensuring the delivery of facilities that will have a lasting impact on one of Kuwait’s legendary brigades.”


The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division serves as USACE’s tip of the spear in one of the most dynamic construction environments in the world, STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS, BUILDING CAPACITY, and ENHANCING SECURITY for our nation, allies, and partners. 

We SAFELY deliver agile, responsive, and innovative, design, construction, engineering and contingency solutions in support of U.S. Central Command, U.S. Special Operations Command and other global partners to advance national security interests.

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