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BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (February 21, 2008) - Afghan
National Army soldiers assisted by coalition forces delivered five
water heaters to the Tarin Kowt hospital and visited the Oruzgan
provincial headquarters of the Afghan National Police last
week.
The team followed up Feb. 16 on a previous visit that included a
meeting with the hospital director to discuss needs. The ANA 201st
Kandak commander presented the water heaters and expressed his
commitment to improving conditions at the hospital.
"Thank you for listening to the needs of the hospital from our
earlier meeting. Your help could not come at a better time," the
hospital director said.
Before the delivery, the hospital did not have water heaters;
hospital personnel boiled water on a diesel-burning stove.
The soldiers also delivered electric heaters to the hospital so
the facility could have better climate control for recovering
patients.
Later that day, the team visited the provincial Afghan National
Police headquarters and talked with officers about new construction
projects to expand the facilities. The ANP currently houses its
personnel in the same facility where they work. The building has
limited electricity, no heaters and no restrooms for the dozens of
police officers working there.
The new building will provide office space separate from the
living quarters. It will have offices for logistics, finance, and
unit commanders, and there will be sufficient restroom
facilities.
During the visit, the police chief related that his officers
found an improvised explosive device near a bridge in Tarin Kowt,
the main passage for civilians and commerce going to and from the
area. The chief said his officers secured the device and removed
it, preventing it from injuring or killing civilians who travel the
road.
"This find is crucial for the safety of the civilians in Tarin
Kowt who use the bridge to get to the hospital," a coalition
soldier said. "If the ANP hadn't removed the IED, it could have had
a devastating effect and caused a lot of people to suffer. Their
bravery saved Afghan lives."
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