Geography, Construction, & Corruption in Afghanistan MAJ Kevin R. Golinghorst Wed, 14 Nov 12 FLW SAME Luncheon

Agenda Geography – Physical, Human, & Geospatial… Construction – Strategic: Host Nation/Development (USAID & others ) Operational: Defense/Military (USACE) Tactical: Troop Units Corruption – US vs. Foreign Perceptions/Reality with the Insurgency, Narcotics, and the Criminal Patronage Networks (CPNs)

Geography Physical – The “Terrain” Human – Social-Cultural, Economic, Ethnicities Geospatial Engineering, Geospatial-Intelligence (GEOINT) & Geospatial Information & Services (GI&S) Operational Support – Army Geospatial Center (AGC) – Fort Belvoir (FTB), VA – National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) – FTB & St. Louis, MO Institutional Capabilities – TRADOC Capabilities Manager (TCM) – Geospatial – FLW, MO Training Responsibility – U.S. Army Engineer School (USAES) – Geospatial Skills Division (GSD) – United States Military Academy (USMA) – West Point, NY

41% Pashtun 38% Tajik 10% Hazara (Shia) 6% Uzbek 2% Turkmen 1% Nuristani 1% Baloch 1% other Afghanistan: Ethnicities Source: ABC News, 9 Feb 09 Mapping the Human Terrain in Afghanistan (2010) U.S. Army Civil Affairs U.S. Army G2 – Human Terrain System (HTS) CENTCOM Human Terrain Analysis Team (HTAT) Naval Postgraduate School (NPS)

GEOINT / Geospatial Engineering National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) – Create account & download data as required – Country Atlases and soft copies of GeoPDFs Army Geospatial Center (AGC) – Formerly known as the Topographic Engineer Center (TEC) – PKI (CAC Card) access to Afghanistan Country Page – GeoPDFs, Urban Terrain Products (UTPs), TerraExplorer, Buckeye Imagery/LIDAR, BZTP-DB & StreetView Project(s) Tools – Commercial/Industry & Defense/Military – Google Maps/Earth, Microsoft Bing Maps, Mapquest… – DCGS-A Geospatial (DG): ArcGIS (ESRI), ENVI (ITT/Exelis)

Facts - Afghanistan Road Infrastructure Paved roads - Only 24%; Neighboring countries 80% or more Lowest density of roads per square kilometer in Central Asia Many roads are impassable in winter (snow and flooding) Most bridges and culverts are in poor condition 65 % is mountainous – 25 % is more than 2,500 meters (8125 feet) above sea level Population23,263,31826,783,38331,056,997 Sq Kilometers695,622437,072647,500 Km of Roads493,46945,55034,789 Paved38,399 (84%)8,231 (24%) Afghanistan Iraq Texas

Assumptions – Afghan Road Master Plan ANDS

Construction Counterinsurgency (COIN) Effects – Roads & Bridges – connecting villages & people, commerce, mining industry, construction capability – Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), Combat Outposts (COPs), and Observation Points (OPs) – improved force protection, power projection, quality of life while stimulating local economy and connecting to people – Civil-Military Operations – clinics, schools, government buildings, sanitation, agriculture, power & water projects to include skilled-labor workshops

36% of Afghanistan Construction Market USACE Construction Funding $1 Billion $2 Billion $3 Billion ~ $4 Billion in 6 years~ $9B in 3 yrs …the “Tsunami” Chart!

Capacity Building – Afghan First Afghan Employees Average Daily Employment on AED Projects Other Employees Afghan Employees Contractor’s Costs by Category December 2007 Data Shows: 254 Afghans employed by AED 11,486 Afghans employed daily 95% of workers on AED Projects are Afghans 70% of AED contract actions to Afghan firms 75% of money obligated to Afghan firms Material 36% Subcontractors 36% Life Support 7% Equipment 10% Labor 2% Security 9%

Afghan National Army (AGA) Program Herat Brigade Khowst Brigade Gardez Brigade Mazar-e-Sharif Brigade Darualaman Brigade Qalat Brigade Pol-e-Charki Brigade Kandahar Brigade Lashkar Gah Brigade Khair Kot Garrison Farah Garrison Completed - 9 Brigades Under Construction - 2 Brigades Planned Construction - 2 Brigades Projects Completed - Over 100 Including Hospitals (BDE and National), Log Depots, Central Mvmt, PeC Detainee Ops, ASP, ACP Konduz Garrison Jalalabad FOB Gamberi Garrison Gomal FOB

Challenges of Working in Afghanistan Reconstruction made difficult by: Afghanistan 5 th poorest country in the world (2005) Limited availability of qualified A&E firms, management and skilled laborers Badly degraded infrastructure No extensive natural resources Agricultural based economy – no industries Limited reach of the central government Non-existent or immature District/ Provincial governments –No engineering capacity (lost generation of engineers) –Difficult to identify most pressing needs (PRT/USAID challenge) –Can result in unsynchronized projects across an area (band aids) going to the loudest local leaders

Synopsis from CPT Alaniz The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are the first time since Vietnam where engineers have been tasked with nation building in an unsecure environment. In Afghanistan in particular, USACE, USAID, and other execution agencies must navigate the complexities of human terrain, manage the risks associated with building outside of security zones, and understand local challenges, in order to deliver projects on-time and on budget. This brief will explain, through a series of vignettes, how in the remote northeastern province of Badakhshan, Afghanistan, USACE moved from zero construction placement and no projects completed to surpassing monthly placement projections by 28%. The brief will discuss how engaging local stakeholders and building local capacity are essential to not only the construction mission but the larger counterinsurgency mission. We will also touch on some of the local challenges of building in a developing country and how market mechanisms that we take for granted are paralleled in Afghan society.

Corruption 75% Afghans interviewed in 2010 study believe foreigners are disrespecting their religion and traditions, and violate local customs. They cite this as one of the main causes of their resentment and mistrust. Lack of cultural sensitivity during design and construction results in facilities that are not only unacceptable to local populations but unsustainable by them.

Conclusion What: Engineers are contributing immensely to the “fight” in Afghanistan but the effects of geography (physical & human), construction challenges, and corruption can be daunting. So What: Long duration projects with often limited resources require thorough design, planning, and sustained execution. Which Means: Ensure interagency, engineering efforts are integrated into “the” plan and know that it can be sometimes difficult to quickly shift from the plan to emerging priorities. Therefore: Become familiar with what has been done, is currently being executed, and then influence future direction rather than disrupt effective projects already underway.

Questions?