Engineer, Construction, Build, Infrastructure tasks for Iraq & Afghan Security Forces

[Rob Thornton]

I know we have a diverse readership here on the SWJ/SWC and as one who has often participated I need to ask a favor of some of you in the community who I may not be able to reach by other means.

For those who don't know me I work at the Joint Center for International Security Force Assistance at Fort Leavenworth, KS. We are Center of Excellence that looks for the best practices associated with developing foreign security forces for the purpose of helping DoD incorporate it into the way it does business - which by extension helps force providers generate the better capabilities to support operational requirements.

There has been some good work done by many folks to help DoD better understand what are the range of tasks those serving in advisor positions have been asked to do, and there has also been some good work on what tasks units are doing to assist foreign security force partners with overcoming conditions.

An area we don't have allot on is the construction, building/rebuilding, infrastructure support and contracting done by U.S. and other allies in support of developing capabilities. We know these tasks have been undertaken from a variety of units and leaders, some of them directly done, some of them contracted out (where possible to local companies to build economic capacity). We know that in some cases its been the building of Combat Outposts, training sites, HQs, barracks, installation support (sewage, heating and other life support issues) - but we also suspect there are more that don't fit easily into a category.

We are looking for details like the tasks or project name, what type of unit did it, how did it turn out, what were the hang ups (wrong type of unit/capability to task, not enough money, poorly written contract, etc.), they type of foreign security force it supported, and other considerations like terrain. It may even have supported a requirements like creating a base of operations for a partner unit, an advisory team (MiTT/BTT/PTT/NPTT or the OEF equivalent).

You can reply on this thread, or if you think the post / information would raise OPSEC or other concerns, please email them to me @

robert.thornton@us.army.mil

I hope to have a lessons learned or OIL tab on JCISFA's public page soon.

SOWs (Statement of Work), or other example documents you can attach would be greatly appreciated. The goal is to inform a guide being written on infrastructure development to help units learn from our past.

Thanks, Rob