[HCCN] Fwd: Air base expansion plans reflect long-term investment in Afghanistan

[Judith Robbins]

[enlarged bold type my own emphasis -- JR]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Global Network" <globalnet at mindspring.com>
>
> Air base expansion plans reflect long-term investment in Afghanistan
>
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/22/ 
> AR2010082201670.html?hpid=topnews
> By Walter Pincus
> Washington Post Staff Writer
> Monday, August 23, 2010; A06
>
>
> Three $100 million air base expansions in southern and northern  
> Afghanistan illustrate Pentagon plans to continue building  
> multimillion-dollar facilities in that country to support increased  
> U.S. military operations well into the future.
>
> Despite growing public unhappiness with the Afghan war -- and  
> President Obama's pledge that he will begin withdrawing troops in  
> July 2011 -- many of the installations being built in Afghanistan  
> have extended time horizons. None of the three projects in southern  
> and northern Afghanistan is expected to be completed until the  
> latter half of 2011. All of them are for use by U.S. forces rather  
> than their Afghan counterparts.
>
> Overall, requests for $1.3 billion in additional fiscal 2011 funds  
> for multiyear construction of military facilities in Afghanistan  
> are pending before Congress. The House has approved the money, as  
> has the Senate Appropriations Committee. The full Senate has yet to  
> vote on the measure.
>
> In addition, the United States has already allocated some $5.3  
> billion to construct facilities for the Afghan army and the  
> national police, with most of the "enduring facilities . . .  
> scheduled for construction over the next three to four years,"  
> according to a Pentagon news release this month.
>
> For example, a $30 million contract was recently awarded to build a  
> regional military training center in Mazar-e Sharif, according to  
> Col. Mike Wehr, engineer director of the combined NATO training  
> mission. That facility, too, will not be completed until late 2011,  
> and then it will be used to train Afghans in various military  
> specialties, including engineering.
>
> "We're only about 25 percent complete in our construction [for  
> Afghan security forces], and there is quite a bit more to go over  
> the next three years," Wehr told a defense bloggers roundtable last  
> week. One goal of the NATO transition program is to have Afghans  
> ready to maintain these facilities by 2013, Wehr added.
>
> The three bases being expanded for U.S. use after 2011 reflect the  
> expectation of continued combat operations, but they are just part  
> of a broader expansion of U.S. facilities across the country.
>
> North of Kabul, the Pentagon is planning to build a $100 million  
> area at Shindand Air Base for Special Operations helicopters and  
> unmanned intelligence and surveillance aircraft along with office,  
> ground and maintenance facilities, plus barracks for 60 new  
> personnel, according to a notice posted last week.
>
> "The force increase in Afghanistan will require additional ISR  
> [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] and airlift  
> aircraft at the base," reads Pentagon material sent to Congress to  
> justify the expense. It notes that roughly 800,000 gallons of jet  
> fuel are needed to be stored "in near proximity to planned U.S. air  
> operations at the base." The cost alone for constructing the  
> temporary storage facility for that fuel and facilities for parking  
> and operation of 14 refueling vehicles is put at $2.5 million.
>
> Another $100 million project is planned for the air field at Camp  
> Dwyer, a Marine base in Helmand province, where expansion is needed  
> to accommodate fixed-wing and helicopter aircraft.
>
> Dwyer's airfield is described as "a key hub" to support Special  
> Operations Forces operations in southern Afghanistan, according to  
> the congressional presentation. Currently, there is not enough  
> parking and runway space to handle the number of Special Operations  
> aircraft required, it adds.
>
> Contractor proposals were also due last week for a third $100  
> million project, this one at Mazar-e Sharif, where increased  
> operations and incoming supplies for northern Afghanistan require  
> more taxiways and parking space for both helicopters and fixed-wing  
> aircraft plus three or more maintenance hangars.
>
> Part of the expansion is to be able to handle up to six helicopter  
> and two fixed-wing aircraft. According to the material sent to  
> Congress, the two aircraft could be C-5 or equivalent strategic  
> transports "in order to expand major logistical and combat support  
> operations into the region."
>
>
>
> Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
> PO Box 652
> Brunswick, ME 04011
> (207) 443-9502
> globalnet at mindspring.com
> www.space4peace.org
> http://space4peace.blogspot.com/  (blog)

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