Supporting the Supporting the Global War On Terror Through Construction & Sustainment error Through Construction & Sustainment

About GRD:

The Gulf Region Division 

was activated on Jan. 25, 

2004. It operates with three 

district offices located 

throughout Iraq and a 

division headquarters 

office in Baghdad. The 

GRD provides quality, 

responsive, full spectrum 

engineering in Iraq in 

support of military and 

civil construction, delivers 

logistical services, and 

assists the Government of 

Iraq to assume full 

responsibility for national 

reconstruction. 

In this Issue

Page 2 AED Project Update

Page 3 Iraq Project Metrics

Page 4 Capacity Development

Page 5 DoD Reconstruction Partnership

PROJECT UPDATE: Gulf Region Division

Ramadi Generation Installation 

Completed...An Iraqi contractor 

completed the $451,000 Kabeer Water 

Treatment Plant generator installation 

project in Ramadi, Al Anbar Province. The 

contractor supplied materials, labor and 

equipment necessary to perform 

installation of generators, transfer 

switches, cable, and a fuel tank. The work 

will provide additional power capacity for 

the nearby Kabeer Water Treatment Plant 

which provides clean drinking water to 

approximately 400,000 residents.

PHCs Completed ...The Iraqi Ministry of 

Health accepted eight completed primary 

healthcare centers from the U.S. Army

Lightning over Tarin Kowt

Lightning highlights Forward Operating Base Tarin Kowt. Tarin

Kowt area construction includes road building and Afghanistan 

National Police/Afghan National Army facilities construction. 

USACE civil engineers work side by side with Dutch, Afghan, and 

Australian counterparts. Tarin Kowt is the capital of the Uruzgan

Province, north of Kandahar. (Photo by Matthew Rowe)

GWOT Reconstruction Report Reconstruction Report

The

Vol. 1 Issue 3 July 18, 2007

Project Totals...As of July 13, 2,979 Iraq Relief and Reconstruction 

Fund projects have been completed out of the 3,392 planned. 

Under the Commander’s Emergency Response Program (CERP), 

there have been 6,573 projects completed out of the 7,832 planned. 

CERP is designed to enable local commanders in Iraq and 

Afghanistan to respond to urgent humanitarian relief and 

reconstruction requirements within their areas of responsibility by 

carrying out programs that will immediately assist the local 

population.

Children’s Hospital Update...The Basrah Children’s Hospital is 57% 

complete and work remains ahead of schedule. The 94-bed hospital 

will specialize in children’s cancer research and treatment. The U.S. 

has contributed about $95 million toward the $157 million overall cost 

needed to build the facility and to make it fully operational.

Iraq Provincial Reconstruction Team 

Snapshot:

PRTs are relatively small operational units comprised not just of 

diplomats, but military officers, development policy experts (from the 

U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of 

Agriculture, and the Department of Justice), and other specialists (in 

fields such as rule of law, engineering, and oil industry operations) who 

work closely with Iraqi provincial leaders and the Iraqi communities that 

they serve.

PRTs help to extend the reach of the Iraqi government to all corners 

of the country and help build the stability necessary to complete the 

transition to full-Iraqi control. 

PRTs support Iraqis through targeted assistance (such as 

microloans and grants) to help them start new small businesses and 

create jobs, provide services that meet the local needs of their

communities, and develop the capacity to govern in an effective,

sustainable way. Source: Department of State

What are PRTs?

Where are they?

Continued on Page 2

Corps of Engineers (Gulf Region Central). So far, there have been 

over 20 PHCs turned over to the Iraqis.
PROJECT UPDATE: Afghanistan Engineer District

1 Border Patrol Brigade Headquarters, 1 Border Patrol 

Battalion Headquarters and a Regional Command Center 

are also under construction. 

Road Construction Update...During FY05 and 06, there 

were 811.4 km of roadways under construction. For FY07, 

the road length to be constructed is estimated at 1,405 km, 

almost doubling the pervious two years.

Afghan National Police Projects...The Combined 

Security Transition Command - Afghanistan requested 

AED to develop and issue request for proposals for three 

remote sited Afghanistan National Army garrisons. AED 

has completed 9 of 14 brigades facilities with 1 under 

construction. 

Micro-Hydropower Critical to 90 Communities...Under 

the Commanders Emergency Response Program, AED is 

implementing a micro-hydropower program to provide 

electricity for the first time to over 13,000 families in over 

90 communities in the eastern sector of Afghanistan. 

Many of these sites are in areas so remote that 

construction materials must be transported by pack 

animals or by hand. 

About the 

Afghanistan 

Engineer 

District

The Afghanistan 

Engineer District was 

activated in March 

2004. AED conducts 

construction and 

engineering 

operations in the 

Central Asian 

Republics to facilitate 

the establishment of a 

secure and stable 

environment while 

promoting 

reconstruction and 

infrastructure 

development. AED 

people manage 

programs and projects 

that support the 

International Security 

Assistance Force, 

Combined Security 

Transition Command 

– Afghanistan, 

Regional Command –

East, U.S. Agency for 

International 

Development, and 

other organizations. 

Substation Increases Distribution

Page 2 GWOT Reconstruction Report Reconstruction Report July 18, 2007

The

Professional Reading: Military Review

MAYSAN, Iraq - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf 

Region South district has been upgrading the electrical 

distribution networks in the Maysan Province, building a 

400-kilovolt electrical substation project to enhance 

electricity production in southern Iraq. 

The $36 million project assists in providing a reliable 

source of power to homes and businesses. The purpose of 

the project is to take the pressure off of the existing overburdened substations, increase distribution within the 

region, and give the local electrical distribution department 

the opportunity to supply more electricity to Maysan. 

(USACE photo by Al Bahrani)

Committing to Afghanistan: The Case for More Committing to Afghanistan: The Case for More 

Reconstruction and Stabilization Aid

By Capt. Craig C. Colucci, U.S. Army

Read the Military Review (May-June 2007) article: 

http://usacac.leavenworth.army.mil/CAC/milreview/English/MayJun07/Colucci.pdf

KABUL, Afghanistan - Colonel 

Miroslav P. Kurka assumed command 

of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’

Afghanistan Engineer District from 

outgoing Commander Colonel William 

E. Bulen during a change of command 

ceremony on July 9. (AED Photo)

PRTs Continued from Page 1: NEXT ISSUE - AFGHANISTAN PRTs. 

There are currently 25 PRTs in Afghanistan. Twelve are US-led: Asadabad, 

Bagram/Parwan, Farah, Gardez, Ghazni, Jalalabad, Kala Gush, Khost, Mehtarlam, 

Panjshir, Qalat and Sharana (primarily in eastern Afghanistan). The rest are led by 

other countries: Bamian (New Zealand), Chaghcharan (Lithuania), Feyzabad and 

Kunduz (Germany), Herat (Italy), Kandahar (Canada), Lashkar Gah (UK), Maimana

(Norway), Mazar-e Sharif (Sweden), Pol-e Khumri (Hungary), Qal-e Now (Spain), 

Tarin Kowt (the Netherlands) and Wardak (Turkey). 

Afghan National Police Projects...The Afghan National Police Program has 

grown to over $1billion in FY 2007. There are 42 new District Police Headquarters 

under construction. Another 73 are scheduled for award later this year. In addition 

to the Border Patrol Headquarters, 3 new Border Patrol Company facilities,

Bridge Update: The Afghanistan-Tajikistan Bridge will be 

completed in mid-August, just short of nineteen months 

from when the project started on Jan. 27, 2006. 

The 673-meter bridge will be opened to traffic by the Presidents of Afghanistan 

and Tajikistan at the end of August.
3.0 MBPD oil production capacity

LPG production capacity of 3,000 Tons per 

Day

3 Million Barrels Per Day (MBPD) production 

capacity

Over 2.0 MBPD actual production

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) production 

capacity of 3,000 Tons per Day

Oil

1,136,000 cubic meters per day of water 

treatment capacity (will benefit approximately 

5.2 million Iraqis. All USG projects will 

benefit 8.4 million Iraqis)

Added 540,000 cubic meters per day of water 

treatment capacity (benefits an estimated 3.1 

million Iraqis)

Water & Sewer

142 PHCs serving a population of 5 to 6.5 

million Iraqis

25 IRRF-funded hospital rehabilitation 

projects

45 IRRF-funded Primary Healthcare Centers 

(PHC) completed 

16 IRRF-funded hospital rehabilitation projects 

completed

Health

810 IRRF-funded schools providing 

classrooms for 324,000 students

810 IRRF-funded schools providing classrooms 

for 324,200 students

Education

4 Training Academy Projects

95 Fire Station Projects

265 Border Forts

4 Training Academy Projects

93 Fire Station Projects

265 Border Forts

Security & 

Justice

41 IRRF-Village Road Projects (427km)

98 Railway Station Renovations

19 IRRF Aviation Projects

38 IRRF-Village Road Projects (318 km)

96 Railway Station Renovations

14 IRRF Aviation Projects

Provided emergency response dispatch system 

(‘911’ service) covering 12 million Iraqis in 15 

cities

Transportation & 

Communications

2,023 MW capacity added (2,699 MW for all 

USG projects)

Increased power generation to 1.7 million 

homes

43 400kv and 132kv Substations

89 33/11kV Substations (126 total for USG)

Hours of Power: 10-12 Iraq, 10-12 Baghdad

1,420 MW capacity added

Increased power generation to 1.3 million 

homes

26 400kv and 132kv Substations

65 33/11kv Substations

Hours of Power: Iraq – 12, Baghdad – 8 (last 

week average)

Electricity

Infrastructure Current Progress Final Effects

Sector

PROGRAM FACT SHEET: Iraq Reconstruction Project Metrics

Compiled By: John Daley, HQ USACE

•Over $11.4 billion of the Iraq Relief and 

Reconstruction Fund (IRRF) has been disbursed 

by DoD, representing 84.2% of total funds 

allocated to DoD

•3,366 IRRF projects starts (out of 3,392 planned 

projects) and 2,979 projects are complete. This 

number includes the DoD projects funded by the 

IRRF and the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI)

(As of July 16) 

Page 3 GWOT Reconstruction Report Reconstruction Report July 18, 2007

The

Video takes you to a project site

Projects Abound in Dahuk

The province of Dahuk in northern Iraq is one of 

the most secure areas in the country. Because of 

this, it's seeing a high degree of success in 

infrastructure reconstruction.

Run Time: 2:00 Watch the Video:

http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/video/playvideo.asp?ReleaseID=87
Page 4 GWOT Reconstruction Report Reconstruction Report July 18, 2007

Capacity Development – Vital to Rebuilding Success 

First of Two Parts

The

Capacity Development In the News

• The Royal Government of Norway has donated $2.2 million to support the operation and set-up of the Afghan Civil 

Service Institute. It is expected that the Afghan Civil Service Institute will become the centerpiece for the development of 

the Afghan Civil Service. A training and management group will be responsible for the planning of the delivery of 

training and coaching which will include financial and human resources, needs assessments, and certification of 

participants.

By Sheryl Lewis 

Capacity Development Program Manager 

HQ, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The U.S. Government’s (USG) success in rebuilding the infrastructure in Iraq and Afghanistan will be 

measured in terms of whether the completed facilities function and produce the services as planned over the 

long term. To meet this need, the focus has turned towards Sustainability. Sustainability means that the local 

staff manages, operates, and maintains the new or refurbished facilities, systems, and equipment upon 

handover, without additional support from the USG or other coalition partners. 

Capacity Development (CD) is one of the prerequisites for 

Sustainability and encompasses a wide range of activities from the 

highest level of government structure and policy to training of 

operations and maintenance staff at a newly constructed facility. 

CD is one of the basic tools being used by the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers’ Gulf Region Division (GRD) and Afghanistan Engineer 

District (AED) to transfer knowledge, skills, and abilities to the Iraqi 

and Afghan workers at various infrastructure facilities. This process 

is a critical step in preparing them to assume control of completed 

infrastructure.

CD takes place at five interdependent levels (Policy, Laws and Regulations, InterOrganizational, Ministry, and Infrastructure) and involves a number of different 

organizations. In order to successfully implement CD across all five levels, mutually 

supportive activities must be properly coordinated and sequenced. 

Sustainability 

means that the 

local staff manages, 

operates, and 

maintains the new 

or refurbished 

facilities, systems, 

and equipment 

upon handover, 

without additional 

support from the 

USG or other 

coalition partners.

Although GRD, AED, and their contractors work primarily at the infrastructure level 

(Level 5), GRD and AED recognize that Level 5 activities are dependent on Levels 1 

through 4 being in place to provide the framework for infrastructure sustainability.

NEXT ISSUE: Explanation of Capacity Development Levels

• The Embassy of Afghanistan hosted a group of representatives of the 

American Society of Civil Engineers, Society of Afghan Engineers, and U.S. 

businesses in Washington, DC last month. The gathering was part a series of 

events for a delegation of architects and engineering professors from Kabul 

University and Kabul Polytechnic University who were in the U.S. for a weeklong training session. The program, entitled “Afghanistan Engineering 

Capacity Building: An Opportunity for U.S. Firms,” brought together a diverse 

group of engineering and business professionals to discuss engineering 

methodologies and partnerships.

Iraqi workers trouble-shooting power lines. The CD 

program provides training for these types of repair 

activities. (GRD Photo) 

• The U.S. Trade and Development Agency is funding a $2.5 million multifaceted training program for the Iraqi Ministry 

of Oil that addresses the issues of management, technical/engineering, and human resources development. The 

training is designed to respond to specific needs identified by the Ministry of Oil, and is providing critical knowledge 

transfer and establishing long-term relationships between the U.S. and Iraqi oil and gas industry public and private 

sector representatives. 

(Emerging Markets Group Photo)
Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (ASA) for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology 

(ALT) https://webportal.saalt.army.mil/main/aae.htm

Assistant Secretary: The Honorable Claude M. Bolton, Jr.

HQ US Army Corps of Engineers – http://www.usace.army.mil/

Chief of Engineers and Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: 

Lt. Gen. Robert L. Van Antwerp 

HQ US Army Corps of Engineers 

Director, Military Programs: Brig. Gen. Merdith W. B. (Bo) Temple 

US Army Corps of Engineers – Gulf Region Division http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/index.html

Commanding General: Brig. Gen. Michael J. Walsh

US Army Corps of Engineers – Afghanistan Engineer District http://www.aed.usace.army.mil/

Commander: Col. Miroslav P. Kurka

US Army Corps of Engineers – Transatlantic Programs Center

Commander: Col. Lawrence Sansone

Joint Contracting Command – Iraq/Afghanistan http://www.rebuilding-iraq.net

JCC-IA provides responsive operational contracting support to the Chief of Mission and MultiNational Corps - Iraq to efficiently acquire vital supplies, services and construction in support of the 

Coalition Forces and the relief and reconstruction of Iraq. 

Commander: Maj. Gen. Darryl A. Scott, USAF 

U.S. Department of State http://www.state.gov

The State Dept. represents the U.S. overseas and conveys U.S. policies to foreign governments and 

international organizations through American embassies and consulates in foreign countries and 

diplomatic missions. The department negotiates and concludes agreements and treaties and 

coordinates and supports international activities of other U.S. agencies. 

U.S. Agency for International Development http://www.usaid.gov/iraq

USAID is an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance 

from the Secretary of State. USAID advances foreign policy objectives by supporting economic 

growth, agriculture, global health, democracy, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance.

Baghdad Kabul

A Reconstruction Partnership

The GWOT Reconstruction Report is compiled and published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Office of 

Public Affairs, Washington, DC, 20314 -1000. The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or the Department of the Army. Unless otherwise indicated (and except for “by 

permission” or copyright items), material may be reprinted provided credit is given to the author and 

organization. Photographs are U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photos unless otherwise credited.

Commander, USACE

Lt. Gen. Robert L. Van Antwerp 

Director, HQ USACE Public Affairs

Suzanne Fournier (202) 761-0011

Chief, Public Affairs, Gulf Region Division

Grant Sattler (540) 665-1233

Chief, Public Affairs, Afghanistan Engineer 

District 

MSgt. Mark Rodgers (540) 678-2984

Chief, Public Affairs Transatlantic Programs 

Center

Joan Kibler (540) 665-4085

HQ USACE Public Affairs Program Manager

Doug Garman (202) 761-1806

HQ USACE Editor/Writer

Ron Eschmann

Metrics Manager

John Daley

Page 5 GWOT Reconstruction Report Reconstruction Report July 18, 2007

About the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

(USACE) is made up of approximately 32,000 Civilian and 650 military members. 

USACE military and civilian engineers, scientists and other specialists work hand in hand 

as leaders in engineering and environmental matters. USACE serves the Armed Forces 

and the Nation by providing vital engineering services and capabilities, as a public 

service, across the full spectrum of operations—from peace to war—in support of 

national interests. Corps missions include five broad areas: water resources, 

environment, infrastructure, homeland security, and warfighting.

The

This report can be found on the following DoD

websites: Army Homepage, U.S. Central Command, 

Multi-National Force – Iraq, Digital Video and 

Imagery Distribution System, USACE Gulf Region 

Division, and USACE Afghanistan Engineer District.

Subscribe to the GWOT Reconstruction Report here!