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Fifteen hours is a tremendous barrier. It is the obstacle preventing one village from attaining the assistance of another and surviving a drought. It is the reason a trip to the hospital Cheap UA Curry Shoes Outlet , or receiving an education, aren't realistic options. Fifteen hours is what stands in the way of commerce between two provinces. It prevents communication between neighbors only 80 kilometers apart. Fifteen hours is the reason for isolation. Before Task Force Pacemaker began work, the drive between Kandahar and Tarin-Kowt took fifteen hours. Upon completion of the road it will take only three. The end of geographical isolation will be a new beginning for hundreds of thousands of people in Afghanistan.


An international effort, the road connecting Tarin-kowt and Kandahar, or theTK road, is a project involving the support of the United Nations Cheap UA Curry Shoes Clearance , Indian contractors, and United States Army troop labor. Construction of the road has spanned fourteen months, 117 kilometers, two adjustments to election dates, and two different Army Engineer rotations. Road construction began during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) 5 with the 528th Engineer Battalion, out of Louisiana. They competed 46.5 kilometers of road between July of 2004 and February of 2005. When TF Pacemaker took over construction during OEF 6 Cheap UA Curry 6 Shoes , they were told that the estimated completion date for the TK road was early spring of 2006. Since assuming the mission in April of 2005, Task Force Pacemaker has demonstrated a need for speed and focus on the objective.


Road construction in theater involves route planning, surveying, jobsite security, sustaining the flow of material and water, and continual maintenance of heavy engineer equipment. It is best described as an endurance sport; not for the faint of heart or the easily distracted. Traditionally progress is made a few hundred meters at a time Cheap UA Curry 5 Shoes , using the same methods and techniques every day. Efficient use of equipment crew rotations, establishing and working from Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), using material along the route, and relying on soldiers to adopt roles outside of their military occupational specialties are some of the techniques which TF Pacemaker has used to streamline the process. The soldiers don't view this road as just another project, and perhaps that's why they've been able to sustain such a furious pace. TF Commander, LTC Paul Paolozzi explains that the attitude of his troops stems from partially from their understanding of the mission's importance. ?It's inspiring to be a part of the long-term success of this nation? I can't think of a more permanent and significant impact than making a road to connect people.? No matter the source of their motivation Cheap UA Curry 4 Shoes , by mid-September, TF Pacemaker will have completed a remarkable 70 kilometers of road work directly through some of the toughest terrain Afghanistan has to offer.


To finalize the exact path, surveyors and a security team are sent ahead of construction to determine which parts of the terrain best accommodate the road. The climate and terrain of Afghanistan (thick dust, deep waddis, and harsh weather) have presented many challenges. Often, designs which looked good on paper Cheap UA Stephen Curry Shoes , involve moving mountains on the ground. It is critical to establish the projected route prior to entering any towns. Soldiers must be able to articulate their intentions to the surrounding locals, in particular the village elder, before barging through. There are often different factions within a town and the path of the road has been adjusted by mere feet to accommodate the wishes of local farmers. 1LT Brian Meister, the earth moving platoon leader of C864th lists civilians on the jobsite as the single biggest security challenge in the south. ?They are everywhere and impossible to keep entirely off. The enemy is not easily identified, so anyone driving a pickup through the jobsite could pose a potential risk.? 1LT Patrick Sullivan, the earth moving platoon leader in A864th has experienced the same type of concerns on the northern effort.


While we were standing on the hill Cheap UA Curry Shoes For Sale , looking down at the proposed route, an audience began to form. The children came out first, and then the men of the village... as the crowd grew larger? I began to get just a little nervous. I told the captain who has been in the country for about a year; he quickly turned around and began shaking hands with the crowd, so I followed? It was an event that I will never forget. There are some bad people in the area, but for the most part, the population is tired of the last twenty years of war and corruption. They were just happy to see the guys who were building them a road.


Road work is divided into three basic teams of heavy equipment operators. The first team clears and grubs the area with dozers Cheap UA Curry Shoes , taking off the top layers of soil and pushing through hills or small plants. The dozers are followed by a grader, which levels off the area. The next team raises the sub-base with material harvested from the borrow pit, an area determined to have the best material for use on the road. Dump trucks and scrapers are used to put between 8 and 12 inches of material on top of the cleared path. Graders then go over the path again to even out the road and start putting on the crown, a slope off the center of the road for drainage. Finally comes the finishing team. A water truck is used to wet the soil so that the rollers can compact the material in a series of lifts. Once complete, the soil dries and hardens into a road. In order to reach their deadlines each day, all of these teams must work together at a steady rate. As A864th commander Cheap Under Armour Curry High Shoes , CPT Chad Suitonu puts it, ?It's not a question of if we will meet our goals; it's a matter of how.?


It is a continuous challenge to keep up the flow of water and material for compaction. TF Pacemaker has relied on what they could harvest along the way, setting up borrow pits as they move down the route and asking local towns toThe silen. http://www.wholesalecheapmlbjerseyschina.com/ Wholesale Throwback Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Online Wholesale NBA Jerseys Wholesale MLB Jerseys From China Wholesale MLB Jerseys From China Wholesale Authentic College Jerseys Wholesale College Football Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China