KANDAHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Engineers from the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team traveled to the Dand District Aug. 23 to assess three sites for possible use as Afghan National Police checkpoints.
The engineers performed site evaluations for three proposed ANP checkpoint sites. The checkpoints will be buildings between 30 and 50 square meters in size. The buildings will include a hand-pump well and a drainage system for rain water.
“We are making these sites very simple to maintain and operate,” said Jack Babon, Kandahar PRT engineer technician with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from Missoula, Mont. “We don’t want to give them something that they can’t handle or maintain.”
The first potential site will be located closer to the local area that it supports, and is located next to a school.
“The ANP are currently residing in the school,” said Babon. “This checkpoint will give them a place to go.”
The second potential site is located across the street from a current checkpoint. The surrounding area has a lot of fields and orchards and the Taliban has been known to transit those areas.
“This is a real strategic area,” said Babon. “It’s a pretty busy area with a lot of activity.”
Although this site is small, it meets what they need right now, said Babon.
The third potential site is located in a very critical area--at a crossroad near a canal.
These checkpoint sites provide the communities more choices towards battling the insurgency. They allow the government to be a part of the community and become more involved in the local areas.
“I have seen some places where it is a mud hut,” said Babon. “That setup doesn’t offer then much protection.”
These checkpoints can either be temporary or permanent. They have the ability to be moved around to different areas that will better support the ANP’s mission.
“Sometimes the checkpoints do not work as well in some areas,” commented Babon. “This allows the ANP to have the option to move or not.”
The checkpoints will be built by local Afghan contractors who will design and build them as they feel necessary.
“I would like to see the ANP be successful and take pride in what they have concluded,” said Babon. “It will allow them to become more of a part of the community.”
| Date Taken: | 08.23.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 08.24.2011 02:56 |
| Story ID: | 75818 |
| Location: | KANDAHAR, AF |
| Web Views: | 203 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Kandahar PRT engineers conduct site assessments, by SSgt Sean Martin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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