Gulf Region Division celebrates three years of rebuilding Iraq

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Gulf Region Division celebrates three years of rebuilding Iraq

Gulf Region Division (GRD) marked its third year in Iraq on Jan. 25 with ceremonies at USACE offices throughout Iraq.

In 2004, GRD began its mission of rebuilding the country with just 200 projects. Today, GRD has 3,786 planned projects at a program cost of $12.05 billion. It has completed 3,078 of those projects at a program cost of $8.34 billion from the $13.4 billion portion of the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund (IRRF) and Developmental Fund of Iraq (DFI).

Including GRD support for additional projects under the Commander’s Emergency Response Program (CERP), Iraq Security Forces Fund (ISFF) and Economic Support Funds (ESF), GRD has planned more than 4,300 projects and completed nearly 3,200. In all, through efforts across theater from units in the field and other construction agencies, more than 10,000 reconstruction projects, large and small, have been completed in Iraq.

When GRD was activated, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force 7, said the new division "underscores the coalition’s absolute commitment to working hand-in-hand with the Iraqi people, their ministries, and national government to improve the quality of life for all Iraqis, and to establish an enduring, safe, and secure environment in which a democratic government may thrive."

Hampered by an infrastructure that had greatly deteriorated under the former regime, GRD works closely with other federal agencies, non-governmental agencies, and the people of Iraq to restore and improve essential services throughout the country.

To that end, GRD has made a lasting impact in Iraq’s infrastructure and essential services.

Since 2004:

In the electrical sector -- 302 projects - 263 distribution, 23 generation, 12 transmission, and four monitoring, control and port projects.

In the oil sector -- 93 projects in capacity building, infrastructure, water injection systems, and exportation.

In the water sector -- 260 projects, including 117 water treatment, 114 water distribution, 13 sewage collection projects.

In the facilities sector – 1,279 projects, including schools, hospitals, clinics, border forts, and fire stations projects.

The effects of these projects are already being recognized throughout Iraq:

Of 1,879 megawatts planned, 1,420 megawatts have been added and restored increasing the capacity of electrical power to serve 1.3 million households (6.5 million Iraqis or 20 percent of the population). Due to increased generation and equitable distribution of services, 75 percent of the country now receives nearly twice as much power as before the war.

Current oil exportation is near 2.5 million barrels per day, with an end goal of 3 million barrels per day. In addition, refinement of fuels has improved with an improvement of natural gas production of 230 million standard cubic feet per day and liquefied petroleum gas production capacity increased postwar by 700 tons per day, compared to pre-war levels.

Of the 1.1 million cubic meters per day of potable water planned, 434,000 cubic meters per day of water treatment capacity have been achieved. The projects provide potable water capacity to approximately 2.2 million Iraqi people (8 percent of population). With the 702,000 cubic meters per day of water treatment capacity under construction, an additional 3 million Iraqi people will be affected for a total 5.2 million (20 percent of the Iraq population).

In addition, GRD projects have employed more than 30,000 Iraqis on average during the last year.

Multiple facility projects across the country have added to the recently reported "economic boom" in Iraq:

* Completed 320 kilometers of village roads. An additional 107 kilometers of village road projects is on-going.

* Completed five port projects increasing port support for 50 ships per day. This accounts for 60 percent of the port capacity in Iraq.

* More than 150 Primary Healthcare Centers are completed or under construction. Of the 20 hospital renovations planned - seven are ongoing with 13 completed. These projects increase the capacity to treat about 3.25 million patients annually in hospitals and 630,000 outpatients annually at the PHCs, which is 14 percent of the patient population.

* Renovation or construction of 839 schools is complete improving quality learning environments for more than 500,000 kindergarten through 8th-grade students (9 percent of the total amount of students/schools in Iraq).

* Completed construction of more than 150 border forts and 10 Point of Entry facilities.

* Completed renovation on 90 fire stations, representing 30 percent of total number of fire stations or fire-fighting services for Iraq.

* Completed work on 30 courthouses with nine on-going.

* Constructing/rehabilitating four correctional facilities that will provide 4,090 beds and improving conditions for 1,700 more. This will increase new beds by 43 percent and improve 18 percent of existing bed space.

"The only thing more impressive than the magnitude of what we have accomplished is the environment in which we are doing it," said Brig. Gen. Michael J. Walsh, who took command of GRD last October. "As the security environment changes, we must adapt and continue. However, we cannot forget the human cost of our efforts. We must push forward so that our comrades’ sacrifices are not in vain."

The GRD mission continues in 2007 as it executes the remaining construction projects under the IRRF, DFI, CERP, ISFF, and ESF appropriations. GRD also works with the Government of Iraq on programs to develop the capacity of the Iraqi people to assist in completing reconstruction efforts in their country, and to improve operation and maintenance of these new systems.

"We’ve accomplished a lot in these short three years," Walsh said. "But we have a lot left to do as we continue to lay the foundation for this country to prosper."

Elements of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were in Iraq as early as March 2003. Multiple task forces working on oil and electricity infrastructure, and field engineering teams were unified under the single command of the Gulf Region Division on Jan. 25, 2004, originally commanded by Maj. Gen. Ronald Johnson.