KABUL, Afghanistan – Maj. Hashem Kahn, commander of Afghanistan National Police (ANP) District-15, praised the district’s new $6 million ANP headquarters during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Oct. 9. Kahn said that the new facility is a symbol of the Afghan people working hand-in-hand to build a safer and stronger country.
Col. Richard Heitkamp, commander of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Transatlantic Afghanistan District’s (TAA) Kabul Area Office, said, “It is truly an honor because the facility was built by an Afghan construction firm to house Afghan police officers to protect the people of Afghanistan. It is truly working shoulder-to-shoulder to provide for the Afghan people.”
The modern facility will house more than 200 men and women Afghan police officers, plus a criminal investigative unit. The three-year project was awarded in August 2010 to FCEC-United Infrastructure Projects, a local Afghan construction firm.
During the ceremony, Paul Holcomb, TAA area engineer, explained that many obstacles were overcome before construction could begin. “There were real estate issues as well as security and supply logistical problems, but we persevered. Thanks to Maj. Hashem Kahn for providing security, and Ghulam Rasoul Tarsshi with FCEC for staying the course and personally working through the logistical issues, which insured the project was completed.
“This project represents the spirit of the Afghan people to fight through, persevere and overcome,” Holcomb added. “As we celebrate today, we honor the great effort of the Afghan people. This project was built by an Afghan construction firm for the Afghan people, and we are proud that effort.”
Holcomb also recognized four U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees who started the project three years ago and returned to deliver the facilities. “I’d like to thank some of my staff that were here during the groundbreaking and returned to finish the mission,” Holcomb said. They were Eddie Pena, the resident engineer; Tim Kerr, the project manager; Brian Lane, a project engineer; and Perry Taylor, a construction representative.
The project consists of design, construction and site improvement for the facilities to support the Afghan National Police units in Kabul’s ANP District-15. The new facility includes the headquarters building, a dining facility, separate barracks for men and women, a perimeter wall with access control points, and basic electrical, water and wastewater infrastructure.
Transatlantic Afghanistan District is the USACE primary organization for building military bases, police stations, roads, air strips and other infrastructure projects in Afghanistan to increase the country's stability, security and economy.
In addition to providing Afghan National Security Force facilities and quality of life infrastructure, the district’s capacity development program creates business opportunities, as evidenced by the Afghan-based construction firms receiving contract awards. The impact directly supports coalition counterinsurgency objectives while simultaneously increasing security and stability across Afghanistan.