Khabari Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Demonstrates Continued Partnership

Photo By Officer Candidate Nahjier Williams | U.S. Army Col. Guy Reedy, 1st Theater Sustainment Command’s Operational Command Post chief of staff gazes across the Khabari Crossing into Iraq following a ribbon cutting ceremony April 30, 2019. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Nahjier Williams)  

KHABARI CROSSING, KUWAIT

04.30.2019

Story by Sgt. Nahjier Williams 

184th Sustainment Command

KHARABI CROSSING, Kuwait — The snip of a giant pair of ceremonial scissors marked the reopening of Building T-100, a newly renovated facility at Kharabi Crossing on May 1, 2019.

Kharabi Crossing, also known as K-Crossing, is a customs and logistics gateway on the Kuwait — Iraqi border used to transport equipment and troops back and forth between the two countries.

Every day the movement control team (MCT) is doing trans-load operations, equipment coming out and into Iraq, said Staff Sgt. Steeven Pluff, 184th Sustainment Command.

Supplies and equipment enters Kuwaiti to eventually head back to the U.S, while supplies and equipment entering Iraq headed to U.S troops in Taji, Erbil, and Mosul.

Having all the neccessary teams working in the same building speeds the entire process.

“We are not waiting for border patrol to come open the gate, we don’t have MCT spread all over the place, we have everybody in one central location,” said Pluff.

“This location is not only important to the supplies and equipment we move to our Soldiers but our coalition partners” said Col. Guy Reedy, 1st Theater Sustainment Command's Operational Command Post chief of staff.

“We are very proud of our partnership with the State of Kuwait over the past fifteen plus years, and we hope that we can continue it into the future,” Said Reedy.

The completion of the three year project not only helps strengthen the partnership but also sustain security cooperation within the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility.

“I would like to ensure you the Kuwaiti customs has a great relationship with the American side,” said Jamal Al-Jalawi, director general of customs administration. “The Kuwaiti customs is keen on developing and maintaining a bigger relationship on both sides.”

Col. Abdullah.H. Al-Masama, Khabari Crossing operations manager said "first I would like to thank the American side for their effort for the past three years. We understand this loaded us in the process, but it is a big effort that you have shown the Kuwaiti side," he said wile thanking his American counterparts for continued support since 2003.

“This gate serves everybody in terms of both sides, both U.S and Kuwaiti,” said Abdullah, “The completion of this project goes back to cooperation between both sides.”

• Date Taken: 04.30.2019
• Date Posted: 05.06.2019 06:47
• Story ID: 320380
• Location: KHABARI CROSSING, KW