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 South Carolina National Guard unit builds relationships, infrastructure for Afghan people By Army Sgt. Rebecca Linder, Task Force Rushmore Public Affairs
 CAMP PHOENIX, Afghanistan - Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 178th Field Artillery are winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan people by improving infrastructure in Kabul. Members of the civil military operations (CMO) section within the 178th are supervising the reconstruction process of schools and other infrastructure projects. The Georgetown-based, South Carolina Army National Guard unit has been stationed at Camp Phoenix in Kabul for more than four months and has already helped alleviate many of the struggles Afghanis face daily. The CMO has completed several projects, has plans for more, and has a future goal of continuing to enhance living conditions throughout the area. Past projects include security lighting improvements at Kabul University, village water and sanitation upgrades, and construction of a vehicle bridge between two villages to improve economic opportunities, said Amy Capt. Kevin McClure, assistant CMO leader. With villages, schools and roads in need of more improvements, McClure and the CMO continue to coordinate projects around Kabul to reduce problems. One of the most significant problems in Afghanistan is education: schoolchildren struggle to learn because of limited resources. School populations range from 3,000 to 9,000 students throughout Kabul. Because of overcrowding, students must attend school in shifts. Most sit on the floor or sit two to three at a desk and only attend for three to four hours a day in a cramped classroom of 40 to 50. “The overcrowding makes it hard for the Afghan children to receive the education they should be getting,” said McClure. “With newer and bigger schools, desks, chairs and chalk boards, the children will have a better learning environment.” The CMO is currently managing the construction of eight schools in the Kabul area that will positively affect many children getting an education. “We have been collaborating with United States Forces – Afghanistan and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers – to improve future designs of schools so they are safe and earthquake resistant,” said McClure. Another project the CMO section continues to oversee is the Kabul University lighting project to enhance the security around the campus. Old, rusted and inoperable lights are being replaced with new, automated photocell-sensor lights. “Students who attend the university are now able to conveniently sit outside at night with light and feel safe studying, instead of having to go back to their dorms every night,” said McClure. With these and more projects underway, including a new bridge, a boundary wall at a school and the installation of four new water wells in a remote village, the 178th will continue to help the Afghanis to live a better, more convenient life. The CMO has accomplished a number of reconstruction assignments, enhanced education and economic opportunities and overall continues to improve the Afghan way of life. “The giving hearts of the CMO are helping to heal the Afghan hearts and minds one at a time,” said Sgt. 1st Class Kris Alvey, CMO NCO. “It is rewarding and gratifying to see the joy we bring to the Afghan people.”
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