USACE commander says they invest $500 million USD annually in projects that benefit the people and military bases of Afghan National Security Forces.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has invested $500 million USD in construction and energy projects in Afghanistan.

The USACE commander Lieutenant General Todd T. Semonite said they conduct projects to provide electricity for different provinces and military bases.

He said they are working on different projects worth $300 million USD that will provide electricity to 80 military bases.

Providing power to Afghan National Army bases in particular within the next few years is part of the projects.

Extension of imported power from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to Parwan, Kapisa, Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Helmand, Uruzgan and Kandahar provinces are parts of the USACE activities.

“Right now we are actually building on $500 million, we are actually designing about $300 million more on different types of facilities. And we see that workload relatively consistent by different facts,” said Semonite.

“We are building facilities for the Afghan Special Forces and we go all the way down to the locals and to different areas that we are working across the country that are hired to oversee work for us and also hired by contractors to put staff in the ground and build great things for the country,” a member of the military corps said.

USACE officials said a number of countries and international organizations including the Asian Development Bank also support the imported power projects.

“We can provide a full service construction company. We have project managers, engineers, contracting and construction representatives right here in Afghanistan and the majority of those are civilians that said I am a volunteer to come to Afghanistan and I want to help build Afghanistan,” a member of the military corps said.

“If you want to talk the big picture, we know that the NATO will be in Afghanistan for several more years and United States will continue to have a condition-based presence here, but as we have seen in the last couple of years here, continued commitment on the part of the United States to be able to support both in security and in other sectors and our organization, the United States Corps Engineers is absolutely committed to do whatever we can for operation Resolute Support,” said Semonite.

This military corps started its support to Afghanistan in 1955.