Corps of Engineers hands over sole official border crossing station between Georgia, Russia
Related Topics (4)
More related topics
TBILISI, Georgia — Celebrated in Russian poetry since the days of the USSR, the "Georgian Military Road" was once a major route between Russia and the Republic of Georgia through the Caucasus Mountains traveled by both invaders and traders throughout the years.
But the days of traversing freely through the mountainous route are coming to a close.
Today, nestled among the highest mountain peaks near the Georgian hamlet of Kazbegi, sits a new, $2.4 million border crossing station recently constructed through the help of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District.
"Once the Soviet Union fell and the members split apart you suddenly had all of these borders created with no control," said Wayne Uhl, a program manager with the Europe District.
After five years of construction and a few unexpected challenges, a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 4, saw the handover of the border crossing station to the Georgian government.
The facility is the latest of 18 facilities including three other points of entry funded under the Georgia Border Security and Law Enforcement assistance program, which seeks to provide Georgian law enforcement agencies with communications equipment, surveillance and detection equipment, vehicles, helicopters and other tools needed to impede illegal trafficking of radioactive materials.
"One of the reasons this area was selected was because of the potential of weapons of mass destruction and the materials used for those weapons to move south through the Caucasus to more volatile areas," said Uhl, who works in the District's International Engineering Center. "The U.S. wanted to help stop the potential flow of these dangerous materials."
In addition the new checkpoint will provide more traffic lanes, modern search equipment and offices and barracks for the co-located Georgian Patrol Police and Revenue Service.
But the project was not without challenges.
"There were environmental issues with the weather which caused roads to wash out and rock slides," said Stan Young, a project engineer in the Europe District's Caucasus Project Office. "Then in late August 2008, the Russia/Georgia conflict caused more delays. But in the end, I think the client is happy with the facility."
One of the main contributors to the successful completion of the border station was Young and his untiring pursuit of quality assurance, said Charles Samuel, chief of the Caucasus Project office. He coordinated with the contractor to make sure the project was on budget and within standards or code.
"Stan Young is very forthright and firm with the contractors; at the same time he's flexible when he needs to be," Samuel said. "He brings a wealth of knowledge to the Corps and to my office as well."
For the past nine months, Young has overseen the final quality control for the border station while managing other projects including an eight-lane outdoor pistol range that is expected to be completed in the spring.
"This range is completely for the use of the Georgian police," said Uhl. "What they had here before was completely inappropriate. It was a long distance range for rifles. This pistol range will give them training scenarios that they couldn't train for before."
Neighboring Georgia's new national police academy, which opened in June, the $1 million project is also funded by the Department of Homeland Security's GBSLE program.
"All of our projects are humanitarian projects through the Georgian government and the embassy," said Young. "We're helping them build up their infrastructure and work toward democracy; and it's very rewarding to be a part of that."
And according to James Kelly, chief of party with the GBSLE program, the government has been very satisfied with the progress.
"I always enjoy working with the Corps," Kelly said. "They are very professional and even though there were some delays [with the border crossing station], I'm very happy with the end product. It's beautiful and will be extremely functional."
Find more articles tagged with:
- Cold War
- partnership
- border crossing
- USAREUR
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Russia
- USACE
- Georgia
- U.S. Army in Europe
-
US, Israel prep for largest ballistic missile defense bi-lateral exercise
Senior leaders for the exercise Austere Challenge 2012 announced the arrival of U.S. troops and equipment in Israel for the event and provided background to reporters via telephone Wednesday from Ramstein Air Base, Germany.Find more articles tagged with:
-
Saber Junction tests U.S., partners’ interoperability
Approximately 1,800 forces from 18 European nations train for the post-Afghanistan fight using the U.S. Army’s most-current doctrine for unified land operations. At the Grafenwoehr Training Area, also called GTA, and Hohenfels Training Area, or HTA, and more than 1,300 square miles in-between installation facilities 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, also known as 2CR, engages a complex enemy.Find more articles tagged with:
-
Bayonet brigade deactivates at Baumholder
The 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conducted a casing of the colors ceremony Oct. 9 in the Hall of Champions on Smith Barracks. The ceremony marked the end of an era which saw the presence of combat Soldiers in Baumholder for more than 50 years.Find more articles tagged with:
-
JMTC’s new Driver’s Training Complex officially opens
Under cloudy autumn skies the Joint Multinational Training Command’s Training Support Activity Europe, officially opened a new state-of-the-art Advanced Driver’s Training Complex on the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Oct. 4.Find more articles tagged with:
-
Despite the cold: U.S. military partnerships key to Arctic crisis response
The scenario used during SAREX 2012— a multinational exercise held recently in Greenland’s eastern sea – tested military and civilian capabilities for search and rescue missions above the Arctic Circle. Meanwhile, during exercise Northern Eagle, a U.S. Navy destroyer joined Russian and Norwegian vessels in the Barents Seas to prepare for similar rescues, plus anti-piracy operations and joint air defense.Find more articles tagged with:
-
Civic leaders receive preview of Baumholder's future
Leaders of the U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder, the 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and local civic leaders came together for a garrison hosted civic leaders working luncheon recently in the Rheinlander Community Club to discuss issues affecting the military and civilian communities.Find more articles tagged with:
-
This Week in EUCOM History: Sept. 30-Oct. 6, 1990
Less than one year after the destruction of the Berlin Wall, East and West Germany come together on what is known as "Unity Day."Find more articles tagged with:
-
USACE forward engineers train with Italians
A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Forward Engineering Support Team-Advance (FEST-A) conducted training and remote engineering missions in partnership with Italian Army Reconnaissance Engineers here September 9-21, 2012.Find more articles tagged with:
-
EIAMDC officially opens
The Warrior Preparation Center opened the European Integrated Air and Missile Defense Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony here Sept. 26.Find more articles tagged with:
-
Exercise Jackal Stone 2012 leaders, participants honor fallen SF comrade
Military members and civilians from the U.S. and Croatia honored the late Master Sgt. Ivica Jerak, a member of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, with a small memorial service held in his native town of Debeljak, Croatia, Sept. 22, 2012.Find more articles tagged with:
Comments: 0