WINCHESTER, Va. – During a multi-country visit to the Middle East, Command Sgt. Maj. Clifton D. Morehouse, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division senior enlisted advisor, traveled to Qatar on February 5, for a strategic engagement with U.S. Air Force Col. Timothy Dreifke, the Senior Defense Official/Defense Attaché to the U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, and Dr. Khaled M. Masoud, the USACE Transatlantic Middle East District regional programs manager and Joint Project Management Office director, along with U.S. Navy Capt. Joseph Manion, the Office of Military Cooperation chief with the U.S. Embassy Doha, Qatar; and Middle East District program managers, Scott Ritchie and Jim Moore.
During the engagement, the leaders discussed current progress on Falcon 3 and Falcon 5 Beddown support projects, and other ongoing and future Qatar Emiri Air Force projects. The Transatlantic Division and its districts serve as USACE’s tip-of-the spear throughout the Middle East and Central Asia, supporting U.S. Central Command and regional U.S. allies through programs like Foreign Military Sales which addresses the operational, training and maintenance needs of our allied nation partner’s military efforts, enabling sustainable security and continued stability with the region.
Dreifke serves as the principal military advisor to the U.S. Ambassador, principal liaison to the host nation Chief of Defense, as well as the principal in-country representative of the Secretary of Defense and Geographic Combatant Commander, U.S. Army Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, USCENTCOM commander. Foreign Military Sales projects require close coordination with the host nation and the SDO/DATT is a critical piece in that relationship.
The USACE projects will construct the needed maintenance support facilities, airfield taxiways and apron areas, operations facilities, munitions support areas, and aircraft alert hanger to support their F3/F5 mission and continue as a deterrent to regional threats, strengthening its homeland defenses.
These required facilities and infrastructure will support the beddown and operations of the Apache helicopter mission and allow for integration with U.S. forces for training exercises, which contributes to regional security and interoperability.
Qatar is an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Persian Gulf region. Their relationship with the U.S. is anchored by mutual defense interests with the Qatar Emiri Air Force having a predominant role in Qatar's defenses. The FMS purchase of aircraft heightens the State of Qatar's capabilities for current and future air-to-air and air-to-ground threats.
“Qatar has been a key USACE partner in the region for decades and our relationship continues to grow.” said Morehouse. “We remain firmly committed to strengthening our partnerships throughout the region, to include Qatar, as we continue to focus on building the capacity and enhancing the security of our nation, partners and allies.”
| Date Taken: | 02.24.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 02.24.2023 14:57 |
| Story ID: | 439147 |
| Location: | WINCHESTER, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 130 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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