Admiral Handley visits Task Force Stethem in Kandahar

News: Admiral Handley visits Task Force Stethem in Kandahar

22nd Naval Construction Regiment

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Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Aaron Evans Subscribe To This Journalist

Petty Officer 1st Class Aaron Evans

RADM Handley, commander 1st Naval Construction Division, visits with Major General Abdul Raziq Sherzai, commander Kandahar Air Wing, on 16th May, 2012. RADM Handley was in Afghanistan to meet with senior US and Afghan engineering personnel.

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Rear Admiral Mark Handley, commander 1st Naval Construction Division, paid a visit to the 22nd Naval Construction Regiment in Afghanistan on Monday, May 14, 2012. 22 NCR, Commander of Task Force Stethem, is currently deployed to Afghanistan executing general engineering, infrastructure construction and project management in support of coalition missions. During his visit to Kandahar, he met with Brig. Gen. Bryan Watson, Joint Engineering director for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, the Commodore of the 22nd Naval Construction Regiment, Capt. Kathryn Donovan, and Maj. Gen. Abdul Raziq Sherzai, commander Kandahar Air Wing. RADM Hanley also conducted an awards ceremony, toured the Task Force Stethem headquarters, met with the 738th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group and NMCB 7, and flew to Leatherneck to meet with NMCB 11.

The awards presented at the ceremony were a Navy Commendation medal, four Army Letters of Commendation, and a Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist pin for Petty Officer Carolyn Hoffman who had passed her board the previous week but had elected to wait to be pinned by the Admiral. Lt. Inaraquel Miranda-Vargas, recipient of the Navy Commendation Medal, expressed her surprise at the guest presenter for the award ceremony, “I was pleasantly surprised and honored to have RADM Handley present my end of tour award”.

After a brief stint in Camp Leatherneck with NMCB 11, RADM Handley met with the 738th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group who advise, mentor, train, assist and equip the Kandahar Air Wing across all wing and base level functions to conduct air support operations to the ANA and government of Afghanistan. During the tour BU2 (SCW) Matthew Bettes, the project lead, led RADM Handley around and displayed multiple projects at several states of completion. BU2 is a member of Infrastructure Training Advisory Team who is partnered with the 738 AEAG for the engineering advisory mission.

The next stop scheduled was a visit with Maj. Gen. Abdul Raziq Sherzai, commander Kandahar Air Wing. Maj. General Sherzai was responsible for the capture of Kandahar Airfield from the Taliban which catapulted him to be the first commander of the Kandahar Air Wing, a position appointed to him directly from President Karzai in 2002. During the meeting, tea was served and the two discussed how the Seabees and their Afghan partners could continue to work together in future operations.

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