Troops Provide Water Heaters to Afghan Hospital, Visit Police

American Forces Press Service

Feb. 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 police 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."

(From a Combined Joint Task Force 82 news release.)

Information about homicide investigations was supportive in preparing this entry.