Photo By Capt. Natasha Price | Spc. Gottschalk operates a 10K forklift to move tent systems around Craig Joint...... read more read more
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Story and photos by U. S. Army 1st Lt. Austin Chapman, 194th Engineer Brigade
On March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic and public health emergency as the virus rapidly spread around the globe.
Three weeks later the Deputy Chief of Staff and Operations Officer for United States Forces Afghanistan declared COVID-19 as a serious threat to readiness for Combined Joint Operations Area Afghanistan (CJOA-A).
By April 1, 2020, as COVID-19 surpassed 1.8 million infections and 117,021 deaths globally and climbing, the Army Theater Engineer Brigade elements and US Air Force Engineers operating in CJOA-A were tasked to construct a 32-bed field hospital at the Bagram Airfield (BAF) located in Southeast Afghanistan.
This no-notice project was assigned to elements of the 194th Engineer Brigade, the Joint Engineer Group, 486th Engineer Vertical Construction Company (EVCC), 829th EVCC, 113th Engineer Battalion, the US Air Force 405th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Group (ECEG) and Prime Power agency and Task Force Power.
“Multiple organizations worked together to plan, design, and build the facility simultaneously,” states Capt. Kevin Carroll, the 194th Engineer Brigades’ Liaison Officer.
The task force selected a building site near the Craig Joint Theatre Hospital and tasked the 405th ECEG to begin site preparation and initial foundational work while 1st lt. Austin Chapman meticulously identified and planned for the acquisition of over five thousand items needed to construct and furnish the facility.
Over the next few weeks over forty 8’x 6’ Conex’s arrived from across the United States, Italy, Japan, Korea, and Kuwait with tent systems, medical supplies, electrical and construction materials.
“The greatest challenge on the management side of the project came to light during the planning phase of this project – those tasked with this projected possessed little to no experience with field hospital force-provider kits, their construction, how they function, or the maintenance needed,” states Warrant Officer 1 Dale Harvat, 829th EVCC Construction Warrant Officer.
“But this did not deter the task force from efficiently planning, designing, and completing this important, highly visible, project,” he added.
Every mission has obstacles which was indicated by the Construction NCOIC of the 829th EVCC, Sgt. First Class, Tyler Harlan.
“The first few tents we received were slightly larger than what the original tent pads were designed to handle, but this was overcome with pad extensions designed, crafted, and installed by the vertical engineer team,” said Harlan.
Additionally, the plan called for temper metal framed tents but we had to transition to air-beam style temper tents due to shortages.
This was also a good thing as several Soldiers had previous experience with the temper metal framed tent system and this expedited our construction efforts.
This significant problem required an internal reorganization and redistribution of tasks to ensure the project remained on course.
On May 10, 2020, a little over five weeks after receiving the tasking, the final hand-over was completed of the field hospital to Task Force Medical to begin medical operations related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The project was an engineering success because of the professionalism and coordinated efforts of the joint Army and Air Force stakeholders and the hard work and flexibility of its Soldiers and Airmen.
| Date Taken: | 07.08.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 07.09.2020 08:39 |
| Story ID: | 373599 |
| Location: | (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION) |
| Web Views: | 133 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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