NewsCastle Special Report: Postcards from Iraq
By Greg Boghossian

Greg Boghossian visits various locations in Iraq. (USACE photos courtesy Greg Boghossian. Illustration by Danny Kelly)

BAGHDAD (Dec. 10, 2008) — Since  2003, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has been an integral part of reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan and has successfully completed design and construction of countless projects.

Having experience and background in construction, project management and program management, I wanted to make a difference and contribute to the Iraqi reconstruction mission.

This is my second deployment to this region. I served in Afghanistan from Sept. 2006 to April 2007 as a program and project manager with USACE’s Afghanistan Engineering District office in Kabul. That was one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of my career.

I’m currently on a six-month assignment in Baghdad working as a program manager with Gulf Region Division in their Programs Support and Integration Division and Military Programs Division. My job here involves coordinating and managing design and execution of Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Foreign Assistance Act Section 607 projects, funded primarily by the Iraqi Government.

The projects include the construction of an Iraqi military battalion and division headquarter; military training facilities; upgrading barracks for Iraqi soldiers; aircraft runways; air traffic control towers; courthouses; and judicial facilities.

Projects that we have completed so far have had a positive impact on the Iraqi civilian and military population. Currently there are newer and better equipped schools for children to attend; modern medical facilities for sick and disabled; improved roads for travel and commerce; clean water; an increase in oil and electricity production and distribution; new and updated airfields; increased housing; judicial and rule of law facilities to prosecute criminals; new or upgraded wastewater treatment facilities to control sewage; improved training opportunities for Iraqi military and police forces.

I am very proud to be able to complete two tours in this region and contribute to the success of this mission. Both deployments have been highlights of my USACE career and have provided life changing experiences.

I couldn’t have asked for a better experience anywhere. I was able to participate in something extraordinary not many will have the opportunity to do. The lives of families in Afghanistan and Iraq have been improved due to the selfless and dedicated efforts of military and civilians who volunteered to come here and serve their country and become part of “history.”

I’m very proud to be a member of this wonderful team of USACE, the military, civilian contractors and our Iraqi Associates. We all know how important this work is.

I want to thank my family and friends stateside for their ongoing support and prayers.

Editor’s note: Greg Boghossian is a project manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District. Several district employees are deployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism, including Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Boghossian returned to the district in mid December. Welcome back, Greg! –Danny Kelly