Coalition forces construct ANA base, support regional security

CAMP MIKE SPANN, AFGHANISTAN

05.15.2011

Courtesy Story

ISAF Joint Command

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Mike Andriacco

CAMP MIKE SPANN, Afghanistan – Regional Support Command - North engineers have taken the next step in transitioning the national security of Afghanistan over to the Afghan National Army by helping them place a foothold in the Samangan Province in the northern part of the country.

A new forward operating base, in Hazrat-e-Sultan, will allow the sustainment of up to 800 full-time ANA soldiers and is scheduled to open late May.

Regional Support Command – North is one of six RSCs that come under the control of the deputy commander, Regional Support, headquartered in Kabul.

“The FOB cost $2.2 million to build and will give the ANA a significant presence in the province, something they lack right now,” said Air Force Master Sgt. Phil Harkleroad, the project budget analyst and noncommissioned officer-in-charge of engineering.

Ultimately, the goal will be to have an ANA FOB in each province, he added.

Building defensible positions in the often-remote areas of the northern region supports the Afghan government’s efforts to protect citizens from insurgent violence, especially during the annual spring offensive conducted by those opposed to the coalition- supported government.

“The FOB at Hazrat-e-Sultan is undergoing final inspections,” said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Eric Denner, the engineer technical adviser on construction. “After everything is complete and the contractor is deemed finished, the FOB will be turned over to Afghan forces and they will begin operations immediately.”

Coalition transition forces will remain on-hand to provide assistance to the occupants of the FOB. A contingent of German military mentors will be co-located with the ANA and will advise them on conducting regional security operations. This is a part of the International Security Assistance Force’s plan to work toward an increasingly stable and secure Afghanistan.

• Date Taken: 05.15.2011
• Date Posted: 05.15.2011 12:06
• Story ID: 70418
• Location: CAMP MIKE SPANN, AF