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ZARANJ, Afghanistan –Brig. George Norton, Regional Command Southwest deputy commander, paid a visit to Zaranj district to meet with the provincial governor and his staff, Feb. 22.
“We took Brig. George Norton, deputy commander for RC Southwest, and several other Marine officers to meet with provincial governor Barahawi and his provincial staff primarily to continue our engagement with key leaders in Nimruz province and Zaranj district itself,” said Lt. Col. Michael G. Geffroy, Task Force Nimruz officer-in-charge.
This trip marks the second time Norton has been met with Barahawi in person. During their meeting, the deputy commander and provincial governor exchanged gifts in an effort to show respect for each other’s cultures.
“The deputy commander gave the provincial governor three volumes of Beluch poetry that had been translated into English, and Beluch-to-English dictionaries as a gift to help demonstrate our interest in learning more about their culture,” Geffroy said. “In return, the governor gave a number of gifts to the [deputy commander] and some of the officers who where present, which include traditional fabrics to make turbans or scarves.”
After their initial meeting and conversation over lunch, Norton and his staff toured the local area surrounding the provincial governor’s headquarters. The nearby hospital was the first stop on the deputy commander’s list.
“The hospital is the district hospital for the district of Zaranj,” Geffroy said. “It also happens to be the only hospital of that size in the province. They say they can handle up to 400 outpatients each day and approximately 50 inpatients each day. They’re staffed with doctors, nurses, and lab technicians; and they can handle the basics. They have an emergency room and a basic operating maternity ward.”
After inspecting the area’s medical facilities, Norton’s party walked to Mushtark Bazaar, the closest of Zaranj’s several major bazaars. The streets and stores were packed with shoppers browsing through the bazaar’s wide selection of food, electronics, and computer equipment. In addition to perusing the several multilevel, indoor malls, Zaranj residents can also use the many banks and pharmacies open for business. Geffroy attributes the bustling economy to the outstanding security in the district.
“It’s a vibrant city with a vibrant economy,” Geffroy said. “I think the security situation that they’ve created there helps to encourage that. The [Afghan Uniformed Police] command down there has done an excellent job establishing security in Zaranj district and expanding it.”
Norton ended his tour of the local area with a visit to the local AUP compound. The deputy commander met with the provincial chief of police, who was eager to show off the newly constructed barracks, gardens, and equipment staging areas.
The deputy commander and his staff headed back to Barahawi’s office for a final meeting between the two leaders. The RC (SW) and Task Force Nimruz staff will continue to make routine visits to Zaranj to continue the relationship with the leadership of Nimruz province.
| Date Taken: | 02.24.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.24.2011 12:05 |
| Story ID: | 66006 |
| Location: | ZARANJ, AF |
| Web Views: | 151 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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