26The Military Engineer l May-June l 2010 Military News (continued) Taken together, these three sources of energy will reduce electrical short- ages and blackouts within the head- quarters building, Ernster said. As the Ministry of Interior modernizes with new technologies, the electrical infrastructure within its headquarters building will need to reliably handle the added energy demand. USACE has completed thousands of reconstruction projects in partnership with the U.S. and Iraqi governments. Since 2004, USACE has completed 5,257 projects throughout Iraq valued at more than $9.1 billion. The overall reconstruc- tion effort in Iraq currently provides jobs for more than 20,000 Iraqis. (Contributed by Mike Scheck, USACE Gulf Region District-North) Seabees Bring More Support to Afghanistan Surge Two additional battalions of U.S. Navy Seabees are being deployed to Afghani- stan in support of the 30,000-troop surge ordered in December 2009 by President Barack Obama. Extra engineering ex- pertise is needed to build forward op- erating bases, pave roads and construct air?elds for the increased numbers of U.S. and coalition forces scheduled to arrive in country, Rear Adm. Mark A. Handley, USN, Commander of the 1st Naval Construction Division, said dur- ing a DoDLive bloggers roundtable. Aside from being critical to the suc- cess of the mission in Afghanistan, the admiral said the infrastructure Seabees provide improves the quality of life for troops. We are the ones who build them a wood ?oor under their tent, build them a galley and build them a command and control facility, Adm. Handley said. The Seabees were among the ?rst U.S. troops to enter Afghanistan at the start of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001 to upgrade and repair air?elds. For the past year, theyve had two bat- talions on the ground, mostly assisting the Marines in southern Afghanistans Helmand Province. The new additions also will be concentrated in the south, and will bring the total number of Sea- bees to some 3,800. Adm. Handley said the toughest part of the mission is transporting construc- tion equipment and getting raw build- ing materials into position, due to the remote and rugged terrain. Were moving all of our equipment with a combination of air and sealift, he said. Sealift will go into Karachi, Pakistan, and then over the passes into Afghanistan. Its unusual to deliver the heaviest construction equipment by air, Adm. Handley said, but its sometimes necessary in Afghanistan because some gear doesnt ?t through the passes. Adm. Handley added that the Seabees have enjoyed a great deal of success re- sourcing materials so far, thanks to care- ful planning. The two biggest problem areas, he said, have been getting electri- Warrior in Transition Barracks Fort Hood, TX Armed Forces Reserve Center Buckeye, AZ Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facilities Fort Bliss, TX Herb Chong 480-293-3255 hmchong@sundt.com www.sundt.com ??Design-Build?/?Design-Bid-Build?/?ECI?/?CMc ??Dormitories?/?BEQ?/?UEPH ??Headquarters ??Tactical?Equipment?Maintenance?Facilities ??Aviation?Hangars ??Research?Laboratories ??Air?eld?Paving ??Over?$1.2?Billion?in?LEED®?Certi?ed?Projects ??In?House?BIM?Department ??Over?160?LEED?Accredited?Professionals ??Seven?Marvin?Black?Awards?for?Partnering?Excellence ??Recognized?by?the?DBIA?for?Design-Build?Excellence ??Awarded?AGC?Grand?Award?for?Safety ??2007?Contractor?of?the?Year,?South?Paci?c?Division PROVEN PARTNER FOR PROJECT SUCCESS
If you would like to view publication without flash plugin, please click on link below
