US Special Forces mentor Afghan Commandos at Camp Morehead, Rish Khvor, Afghanistan. The camp was a former training facility for the Soviet Army and later the Taliban.
The other day I received an email from the Special Investigator in Afghanistan recently which indicated that Camp Commando in Afghanistan is plagued with fuel and electrical problems. In once case a soldier with the Afghan National Army (ANA) made an improper connection and blew up or damaged a transformer causing a decrease in 75% electrical usage on the camp.
The inspection also revealed that the dining hall made for 280 was hosting 1600 personnel. The estimated cost to fix these various problems $57.1 million dollars (an counting).
“Dear Mr. Tilford,
Today, SIGAR released an inspection of the Afghan National Army’s (ANA) Camp Commando, which cost the U.S. a total of $57.1 million. The inspection found:
–Generators could only provide about 25% of the intended power.
–Limited power stemmed from damage to the electrical system caused by the ANA making an improper & unauthorized connection to a transformer.
–U.S. is funding $2.1 million to repair the power plant’s electrical system.
–Fuel point costing $332,000 was never used as planned and a second fuel point costing $1 million was built nearby, but the pumps there are also not being used.
–Dining facility built for 280 Afghan soldiers is handling 1,600 soldiers.
–Inspection was hampered by lost records that have been a problem at other sites SIGAR has inspected.
Inspection: http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/inspections/SIGAR-15-25-IP.pdf
Best,
Alex
Alex Bronstein-Moffly
Director of Public Affairs
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction
Note: There are, of course some things you can’t put a price on at Camp Commando and that is the transformation of men into an elite fighting force capable of defending an entire nation.
See related video about the brave oldiers at Camp Commando https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfBhNk1zKhc