Delaram 1 Opens, ANA Increases Autonomy
3/16/2011
By
1st Lt. Timothy Irish
,
8th Marine Regiment
.
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan-- Forward Operating Base Delaram 1 officially opened as an exclusively Afghan National Army owned and operated base, March 14.
The 2nd Brigade, 215th Corps headquarters Commanding Officer, General Abdul Wasea, cut the ribbon to open the base for operations.
Two Kandaks, or ANA battalions, will soon live at and operate from the base. 6th Kandak, 2nd Bridgade, 215th Corps, graduates next week from training in Kabul and will take up residence. 1st Kandak will also operate from the base.
During the ceremony General Wasea was confident 2011 would bring increased combat effectiveness for his forces.
“We had 28,000 combat activities with U.S. Marines last year,” said Wasea. “With coalition forces we will expand our abilities.”
Completing FOB Delaram 1 meets the unit’s needs in expanding their abilities in both training and combat operations. It also provides a strategic location. The town of Delaram is in the middle of four major roads and highways, including Highway 1, which circles all of Afghanistan. Its location will allow the 2nd brigade and it’s Kandaks to mobilize quickly for operations in every cardinal direction.
The new base contains 16 buildings that will allow the ANA to be more self-sufficient from coalition forces and closer to the local populace. After the ceremony Col. Eric M. Smith, commanding officer of Regimental Combat Team 8, toured the base with ANA counterparts from the brigade and corps headquarters and Col. Anthony Funkhouser, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commander whose unit built the base.
“These buildings were built by Afghans for Afghans,” commented Funkhouser while shaking hands with Wasea on the tour.
Lt. Col. Daniel Wagner, the officer-in-charge for the detachment from 4th Civil Affairs Group, observed that 50 percent of the workforce that constructed the base was comprised of Afghan citizens. He saw more than a collection of military buildings in the work that was done. To him the chance to train Afghans in a vocation, employ them and unite them with their military is an opportunity to be exploited.
With a communications facility, barracks, a dining facility, and maintenance bays, the base can hold more than 1,000 troops. The ceremony today marked the completion of phase one construction.
At 11:17 a.m. the flag of the Government of the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan was raised for the first time
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HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan-The Delaram Acting District Governor Noorallah cuts the ribbon on a new Afghan National Army base, March 14. Delaram 1 is the new home for units from the 2nd Brigade, 215th Corps, Afghan National Army. The base can house more than 1,000 troops and contains a barracks, dining facility, communication facility and other buildings. Surrounding the acting district governor are officers from brigade and corps headquarters, the district chief of police and Col. Eric Smith, commander of Regimental Combat Team 8. (Official Marine Corps photo by 1st Lt. Timothy Irish), 1st Lt. Timothy Irish, 3/13/2011 9:53 PM
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan-Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade, 215th Corps stand in formation for review immediately following the ribbon cutting of Delaram 1. Delaram 1 is the Afghan National Army's newest base. The ceremony included elders from the District of Delaram, local government officials and representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers that built the base, March 14. (Official Marine Corps Photo By 1st Lt. Irish), 1st Lt. Timothy Irish, 3/13/2011 9:56 PM
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan-Local elders from the District of Delaram along with officers from the 2nd Brigade, 215th Corps, Afghan National Army raise the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan flag for the first time over the new base, March 14. (Official Marine Corps Photo By 1st Lt. Timothy Irish), 1st Lt. Timothy Irish, 3/13/2011 10:38 PM
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan-Col. Anthony Funkhouser (left), the Army Corps of Engineers commander for Afghanistan District-South, is thanked by Brig. Gen. Wasea, commanding officer of 2nd Brigade, 215th Corps, for the base his unit will soon occupy. A ribbon cutting ceremony was conducted March 14. (Official Marine Corps Photo By 1st Lt. Timothy Irish), 1st Lt. Timothy Irish, 3/13/2011 11:00 PM
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