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ZARANJ, Afghanistan – Major Gen. Charles M. Gurganus, commanding general of Regional Command (Southwest), along with coalition leadership traveled to Zaranj, Nimruz province, Afghanistan, to meet with government officials and visit a checkpoint construction site at the Iranian border, April 21.
The general’s first visit to Nimruz gave service members and civilians of RC(SW) and the regional platform an opportunity to discuss plans for future development with Nimruz line ministers.
“I’d like to ensure we get the right people together and let them work through some of these issues,” Gurganus said.
With almost as many linguists as Marines and civilians, the delegation traveled from the largest Marine base in Helmand to the largest city in Nimruz. At the landing zone, they loaded into Afghan Uniform Police vehicles bound for the provincial governor’s compound. The police cordoned off the route along streets crowded with vehicle traffic, sidewalks where women walked unescorted and children waved from the tops of several-story buildings. Tiled architecture, paved streets and the high morale of passersby indicated the city’s prosperity.
Provincial Governor Abdul Karim Brahawi greeted the delegation as warmly as the people of Zaranj. In the Afghan tradition of hospitality, he invited leaders from the regional command and regional platform to join him for tea. The provincial chief of staff and deputy governor escorted the party into a room reminiscent of Western bureaucrats’ offices. Backed by a bookcase packed with hefty looking tomes, the governor sat at an oversized wooden desk and welcomed his visitors to the capital city. He expressed gratitude for support already provided to the people of Nimruz, including the development of an emergency clinic at the Zaranj hospital, cleaning of the Lashkari canal, the distribution of almost 2,000 tables and chairs to schools and the construction of roads and bridges.
Coalition efforts “created positive change in people’s lives, for which we can say thank you from all the people of Nimruz,” Brahawi said.
The border checkpoint project is funded by coalition forces and the U.S. State Department to monitor traffic across the Iranian border.
Before the Afghans and coalition forces toured the construction site, the governor also shared his wishes for continued partnership, imploring the RC(SW) service members and civilians to think about the potential impact of increased support.
“My hope is that you see everything closely through your own eyes,” Brahawi said.
To build on progress in Nimruz, roads, bridges, canals, schools and hospitals all require maintenance for physical structure and training for personnel, said Col. Sean P. O’Doherty, the RC(SW) director of stability operations.
The colonel and governor agreed about the challenges ahead.
“We have some very good progress, but we still have to maintain,” Brahawi said.
“Infrastructure never ends,” O’Doherty said.
State department support for nation building will continue after coalition troops drawdown, but the key to lasting progress remains increased Afghan capability, said O’Doherty.
“It’s no secret that the number of U.S. forces will get smaller, but don’t think for a minute that that means we’re leaving,” Gurganus said.
Shuras like this one strengthen relationships between coalition forces, civilian agencies and the Nimruz government. However, people come and go. The policies they create will be the legacy of lasting progress in the province, O’Doherty said.
The RC(SW) leadership is committed to providing the mentorship and means to realize enduring stability and security in Nimruz, including advocacy to coalition and Afghan organizations, he said.
“I certainly believe that the people not only of Zaranj, but of Nimruz deserve the best opportunities in the future,” Gurganus said.
| Date Taken: | 04.21.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2012 09:46 |
| Story ID: | 87232 |
| Location: | ZARANJ, AF |
| Web Views: | 173 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Nimruz hosts coalition leaders for shura, site visit, by 1LT Joanna Cappeto, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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