Army official says “young, fit” occupants can hastily retreat from subpar buildings if fire breaks out
WASHINGTON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Army barracks, medical clinics and fire stations are among thousands of buildings constructed by the United States for the Afghan army, most of which are fire hazards, a watchdog says.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spent $1.57 billion on 2,000 arch-shaped structures for the Afghan army, but substandard foam was used to insulate more than three-quarters of the buildings. When a fire broke out in one army classroom in October 2012, it burned down in 30 minutes, according to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan (SIGAR) John Sopko.
The watchdog last year requested a fix. Yet Major General Michael Eyre in a January memo authorised transfer of the buildings to the Afghan army, saying that the fire risk was acceptable because their youthful occupants could easily run away.
“The typical occupant populations for these facilities are young, fit Afghan Soldiers and recruits who have the physical ability to make a hasty retreat during a developing situation,” Eyre wrote according to Sopko.
The inspector general said in a July 9 letter to the Army Corps’ commanding officer that he was deeply troubled by this logic, especially since a number of the buildings are used for medical purposes and others are sleeping quarters.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was not immediately available for comment.
The United States has spent over $100 billion on reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan and SIGAR is responsible for monitoring how effectively the money is spent.
In another report issued earlier this week, Sopko urged the Department of Defense to halt a $100 million deal for C-130 transport aircrafts for the Afghan Air Force, citing support, training and maintainence concerns, and the fact that the two C-130s it currently has are underused.
(Editing by Alisa Tang: alisa.tang@thomsonreuters.com)
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