FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan -- Less than 10 miles from training camps that produced many of the 9/11 hijackers, a team of coalition service members are working together to make sure the area once home to Osama Bin Laden's terrorist organization becomes an environment that will deny such people a support base ever again.
But for this joint service team, spearheading the fight against terrorism in eastern Afghanistan's Khowst province doesn't involve executing tactical military operations, but in providing reconstruction assistance.
The Khowst Provincial Reconstruction Team, based in Forward Operating Base Chapman near Khowst City, serves as the main effort in rebuilding Khowst province by distributing humanitarian aid, mentoring local government officials, planning for construction projects and providing security for important events, said Cmdr. Dave Adams, commander of the Khowst PRT.