KANDAHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Members or the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team engineering department performed a quality assurance, quality control assessment in Babur Village Aug. 13.
The engineers assessed an ongoing village rebuilding project to verify the quality of building construction and the condition of canals running through the neighborhoods.
“In the future, we would like to have this place populated again by people who lived here in the past,” said U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Jerry Foster, Kandahar PRT engineer from Gulfport, Miss. “So it is important that everything is done correctly.”
The village rebuild consisted of approximately 20 small buildings constructed from a combination of brick, mortar and plaster that will be used to house Afghan families. A mosque is also being constructed.
The PRT was asked to come out to Babur Village by a forward deployed civil affairs team. The team needed subject matter experts from the PRT to assess the project and give them the benefits of their experience and knowledge.
“It feels good to be able to use your expertise and knowledge on something and be able to assist others,” said Foster. “We are both here for the same reason and it is good to be able to work together on such an important rebuild.”
The completion of this project will allow the residents of the lower Babur Village to return to their homes. The construction of the road will also give them an easy way to travel to the village from the main road. The village was destroyed approximately a year and a half ago.
The new houses in the village vary from typical Afghan houses in that these are constructed from brick and mortar then covered in plaster, whereas the old ones were constructed of mud.
“This is a big step for the new occupants,” said Foster. “It is a step towards modernization.”
“We hope that the Afghans accept their new homes and respect the time and effort that was put into rebuilding their village, stated Foster. “There is a lot of work going into this rebuild. These are not your typical Afghan-style house.”
The PRT engineers will be making more site assessment visits to the village in the weeks ahead and giving more assistance in the rebuilding of the lower Babur Village.
“This particular project is important to me because it will have an immediate impact on the lives of the Afghans,” said Foster. “It is not very often that we get to see one of our projects or our efforts take immediate effect, and that is what the PRT is here for.”