Army corporal gives back

By U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter

KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – The Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team reached out to the Khost city Children of Hope orphanage by giving them wooden chests for the children to have at the foot of their beds Aug. 22.

The chests were not purchased on the local economy or contracted out, but hand-made by U.S. Army Cpl. Jerome Halaszynski, from McKeesport, Pa., Khost PRT security element, also known by his fellow military members as “Ski.”

The project was the brain child of U.S. Navy Cmdr. Cynthia Kuehner, from Bremerton, Wash., Khost PRT nurse practitioner, but once she handed the project over to Halaszynski, he ran with it.

“She had an idea, and I told her I would do it. She gave me a picture, and I took it from there. I estimated the size of their [beds] and kind of just worked backwards and tried to minimize the wood used,” said Halaszynski.

The chests took just under two weeks and about 50 hours of labor to make, Halaszynski said. He said the project inspired him to sacrifice his personal time after conducting daily missions to build them.

“I’ve been down and out a few times in my life, and there’s always been someone there to pick me up. In this case, with these orphans in the middle of Afghanistan, they don’t have that person there to pick them up and get them back on the road,” said Halaszynski.

This isn’t the first project Halaszynski has taken on. He’s made or fixed many items for the PRT to make other Soldiers lives a bit easier.

“Ski helps the guys have a sense of personal space in their room. It’s the one place on the [Forward Operating Base] they can go and have it set up the way they want it. Stuff like that improves morale,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. James Miller, from Littlestown, Pa., Khost PRT security element. “He does a lot around here for people; he really does go above and beyond his team leader duties. He’s got to worry about the people beneath him, and, on top of that, you can go and talk to him about something, and he takes the time to make it for you.”

Miller asked Halaszynski to build a desk for him after his broke and remembers the day he walked into his room to find a newly built desk waiting for him.

“Our squad went on a mission and got stuck because one of our vehicles rolled over, and when we got back, it was there all set up. I didn’t expect for it to be there,” said Miller. “He even built a flag holder on the top for the flag I had folded in my room. It’s the first flag flown at the start of our deployment and means a lot to me.”

Halaszynski attributes his passion for carpentry to one of his high school teachers, Michael Lock, from McKeesport High School, Pa., and the Youth Apprenticeship Program he participated in during his junior and senior years.

He also credits his generous nature to the positive influence of his parents James and Judith Halaszynski.

“I’ve seen my dad plenty of times go out of his way to help somebody, and that inspires me to do the same and help people,” said Halaszynski.


KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – U.S. Army Cpl. Jerome Halaszynski, from McKeesport, Pa., Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team security element, screws together the frame of a wooden chest Aug. 15. The 40 chests that will be given to the Khost city Children of Hope Orphanage took about two weeks and roughly 50 hours of labor to make. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter, Khost PRT Public Affairs Office)


KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – U.S. Army Cpl. Jerome Halaszynski, from McKeesport, Pa., Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team security element, hands a chest to one of the teachers at the Khost city Children of Hope Orphanage Aug. 22. Some of the older children and teachers helped unload the chests that will be given to children living at the facility to store personal items at the end of their beds. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter, Khost PRT Public Affairs Office)



KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – U.S. Navy Cmdr. Cynthia Kuehner, from Bremerton, Wash., Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team nurse practitioner, helps carry in chests to the Khost city Children of Hope Orphanage Aug. 22. The chests were built to provide storage for each child living at the facility. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter, Khost PRT Public Affairs Office)



KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – U.S. Army Cpl. Jerome Halaszynski, from McKeesport, Pa., Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team security element, shakes hands with the Khost city Children of Hope Orphanage headmaster Aug 22. The headmaster was very appreciative and excited to improve the quality of life for the orphans staying at the facility. The school is specialized to teach and house children that have lost one or both parents due to hostile circumstances. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter, Khost PRT Public Affairs Office)

Khost PRT repairs school bombed by insurgents

By U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Kevin Fulcher

KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – A section of the Matun Districts’ Sadiq Rohee School was reopened on July 1 after repairs were made to a damaged area of the facility caused by an improvised explosive device.

During school hours on May 11, the device detonated next to a water fountain, causing structural damage to the building and injuring eight children and five teachers, said a representative from the Provincial Department of Education.

The blast from the explosion damaged 70 percent of the windows, the stairs and many blackboards in the building.

Once notified of the situation, the Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team visited the school to inspect the damaged structure. The PRT collected bids for the work and hired a contractor.

The contractor removed the masonry and plaster covering the stairwell to check for structural damage from the blast then made repairs.

“The kids were still going to go to school so our goal was to make sure it was safe for them,” said U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Gerald Rawlins, from Indianapolis Indiana, Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team engineer. “We made sure to expedite the process because the kids’ safety was our primary concern.”

To ensure the safety of the students, the hallway leading to the damaged area was blocked until the contractor could finish repairs.

The school was closed for two days.
Once reopened, only half of the kids returned for a short period due to parents safety concerns, said the Provincial Department of Education official.

Within a week all students returned to school with classes held in the undamaged portion of the schoolhouse.


KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – U.S. Navy Lt. Edward Houser, from Houston Texas, Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team engineer, inspects the stairwell of the Sadiq Rohee School after an improvised explosive device damaged the facility on May 11. The PRT managed the repair effort of the facility by quality checking the work accomplished by the contractor. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt Kevin Fulcher, Khost PRT Public Affairs Office)


KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – The Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team responded to a request for assistance after an improvised explosive device detonated at the Sadiq Rohee School on May 11. The team managed the repair process to remove the exterior walls and inspected the building for structural damages. The hallways were blocked leading to the damaged area to ensure the safety of the students as school continued during the repairs. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt Kevin Fulcher, Khost PRT Public Affairs Office)


KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – The Sadiq Rohee School in the Matun District is once again safe to use thanks to the efforts to the Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team, July 7. Repairs were required after an improvised explosive device damaged the facility on May 11. The PRT expedited the contractor hiring process and provided quality control of the repairs to ensure the children could safely continue their education. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt Kevin Fulcher, Khost PRT Public Affairs Office)

Passing on Knowledge to the Future Engineers of Afghanistan

By Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter

KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Twelve weeks and sixty hours later seventeen students of the Sheikh Zayed University graduated the construction engineering training taught by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bruce Pastorini, from Jacksonville, Fla., Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team, June 10.

The course is a senior elective for the engineering students and is broken up into three areas: an overview of engineering studies, project delivery, and quality management quality verification.

“This is the kind of course I wish they had when I was a senior in college,” said Pastorini.

By teaching these young men critical engineering skills it will further the development of Khost province as well as the other provinces of Afghanistan.

“I challenge you to use what you’ve learned to better this country,” said Dr. Gul Nuwaz, Sheikh Zayed University vice chancellor.

Pastorini worked alongside four Afghan engineers and in the future the class will be taught solely by Afghan engineers at the University.

“I really enjoyed doing this and sharing what I know, and comparing the instructor’s experiences with my own. I highly respect these guys because of the risks they take every day to educate the next generation of engineers,” said Pastrini

Upon completion of this course the students will have a bachelor in civil engineering and move into the work force.

“At this point they can go into any job as a beginning engineer for the PRT or coalition forces and be as good as or better than engineers out there now,” said Pastorini.


Dr. Gul Nuwaz, Sheikh Zayed University vice chancellor, hands out a graduation certificate, June 10. Seventeen students from the University graduated the twelve week construction engineering course taught by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bruce Pastorini, from Jacksonville, Fla., Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team engineer. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter, Khost PRT Public Affairs Office)


Dr. Gul Nuwaz, Sheikh Zayed University vice chancellor, reads out names of students graduating from the twelve week construction engineering course, June 10. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter, Khost PRT Public Affairs Office)


Students from Sheikh Zayed University attend a twelve week construction engineering course taught by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bruce Pastorini, from Jacksonville, Fla., Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team engineer, May 11. The course is a senior elective for the students and is broken into three blocks. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter, Khost PRT Public Affairs Office)


Students from Sheikh Zayed University attend a twelve week construction engineering course taught by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bruce Pastorini, from Jacksonville, Fla., Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team engineer, May 11. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter, Khost PRT Public Affairs Office)

Farming Classes at Sabari District Center

By Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter

KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan - The 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Agribusiness Development Team worked with the Sabari district governor, Zaermaed Muhklas, to facilitate irrigation and compost training for 105 farmers over a three day period, beginning 1 June.

The two courses were taught by an Afghan ADT cultural advisor to minimize the military presence at the district center.

“Having two weeks of preparation time with the district governor and Sabari civil affairs officer contributed to the success of training,” said Sgt. 1st Class Eric Umbarger, from Dana, Ind., 2-19th ADT noncommissioned officer in charge.

Both courses incorporated techniques and tools that are easily duplicated on either large or small scale with tools purchased from the local bazaar. Sabari farmers that attended the training were given a chapin bucket drip irrigation system starter kit and composting tools.

“The farmers were very appreciative of the training and the tools they were given,” said an ADT interpreter, who does not want his name used.

The first course, composting, taught the benefits of recycling organic materials to create a fertilizer that increases the soil nutrient levels, in turn improving crops. Additionally, the compost acts as a soil conditioner and as a natural pesticide, said Umbarger.

Following the composting course the team taught the benefits of the chapin bucket drip irrigation system. It uses a water storage bucket or barrel and a series to tubes with small slats to slowly water rows of crops. This system is particularly good for vegetable and flower gardens.

“I have seen the chapin bucket drip irrigation system set up in other areas of Khost province, and we hope to bring that capability to Sabari farmers,” said Umbarger.

Overall, the training was well attended, thanks in part to the support of the district governor, said 1st Lt. David Tressler, from Chicago, Ill., Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team Sabari civil affairs officer.

“The governor recorded a radio announcement, which got the word out and brought additional farmers to the district center,” Tressler said.

With the overwhelming success of the training the ADT plans on having more courses at the district center.

“Some things locals have voiced to us while on patrol, such as grain storage and animal husbandry have already been put in the works and we hope to bring them to Sabari in the near future” said Umbarger.




Farmers from Sabari district attend a chapin bucket irrigation system class held at the district center, June 1. This system of irrigation is easily set up and uses materials that can be found in the local bazaar. The event was facilitated by the 2nd Battalion 19th Infantry Agribusiness Development Team. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter, Khost PRT Public Affairs Office)


U.S. Army Spc. Andrae Camp, from Fort Wayne, Ind., and Sergeant 1st Class Eric Umbarger, from Dana, Ind., 2nd Battalion 19th Infantry Agribusiness Development Team, assemble chapin bucket irrigation system starter kits for the farmers that attended the course, June 1. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter, Khost PRT Public Affairs Office)


Farmers from the Sabari district set up a chapin bucket irrigation system during the hands on portion of the class, June 1. The irrigation process uses rubber tubing with small opening every four inches to water crops. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter, Khost PRT Public Affairs Office)


A farmer from Sabari district listens to Ralph, 2nd Battalion 19th Infantry Agribusiness Development Team interpreter, conduct a class on chapin bucket drip irrigation systems, June 1. This type of irrigation is suitable for vegetable gardens and other types of crops and can keep them watered for a few days depending on the size of the bucket used. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter, Khost PRT Public Affairs Office)


Young farmers from Sabari district juggle tools on their shoulders after receiving compost training at the district center, June 2. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter, Khost PRT Public Affairs Office)

Sabari District Governor working to rebuild district

By Master Sgt. Kevin Fulcher

To expedite his district’s building process, Zermaed Muhklis, the Sabari District governor, and Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team civil affairs members travelled to Kholbessat Khalay May 10 to view two project sites slated for improvements.

Muhklis, and U.S. Army 1st Lt. David Tressler, Khost PRT civil affairs officer, met with a local elder of the village to validate the need for the projects and to gauge the potential impact on the community.

“The visit provided an opportunity for the district governor to take ownership of the project nomination process and to demonstrate to the population that he, as the leading Afghan government official in the district, will be the driving force in the district’s development,” said Tressler.

“The district governor personally inspected the proposed development site so he could approve the elders’ proposal and endorse the project in the provincial government’s selection process,” said Tressler.

This visit shows the measures the district governor is taking to ensure development and prove to the population that the Afghan government is actively working on their behalf.

The requested improvement projects include completing classrooms in the local mosque to be used by the village’s school, and building a retaining wall for a canal to better utilize water run-off for the crops.

The projects are identified by the village elders, submitted to the district governor for approval and further development. The projects are then sent to the Khost Director of Economy for final approval by the Provincial Development Committee, Tressler said.





KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – U.S. Army 1st Lt. David Tressler, Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team civil affairs officer, and Zermaed Muhklas, Sabari district governor, discuss a potential construction project with a Kholbessat Khalay village elder, May 10. The governor traveled to the site to evaluate the impact it will have on the local community. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt Kevin Fulcher, Khost PRT Public Affairs Office)

Khost PRT Helps Connect Provincial Governor to His People

By Master Sgt. Kevin Fulcher

KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Continuing its emphasis on connecting the Afghan people to their government, the Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team assisted the Khost provincial governor Abdul Jabar Naeemi with his first official district visit, May 15, after taking office six weeks ago.

The PRT members arranged air transportation and worked with the Afghan National Police to provide security for Naeemi as he travelled to Jaji Maydan for a meeting with district leaders, elders and villagers.

“Your District Center is the most peaceful District Center in Khost, so please share this peaceful voice with the other districts, so they can do the same thing you’re doing,” said Naeemi. “I need your support, your help.”

Any construction company with poor quality standards will be fined, stressing accountability for their actions, said Naeemi.

“The Afghan officials were in the lead for the visit; we just provided the support,” said Sarah Groen, Khost PRT Department of State representative. “Our job is to help fill in the gaps in connecting the provincial level leadership to the districts and to the people, like providing transportation to a region that would be difficult for the provincial governor to reach on his own.”

After the meeting, the governor walked through the village and visited the local mosque.

The Jaji Maydan district is in the north eastern corner of Khost Province and is isolated from Khost City by mountains. The one road connecting Jaji Maydan to Khost City runs through the less secure districts of Sabari and Bak.

The district is known for being relatively secure and pro-government while also contributing large numbers of its young men to the Afghan Border Police.

Abdul Jabar Naeemi, Khost Province governor, talks to students outside of the district center, May 15. The governor told the children to study hard, and he gave the top student a present for his outstanding work. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter, Khost PRT Public Affairs)

Abdul Jabar Naeemi, Khost Province governor, speaks to the people of Jaji Maydan during his visit to the district, May 15. The governor made a pledge to visit all the districts and hear their concerns. This was his first district visit since taking office in April. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Julianne M. Showalter, Khost PRT Public Affairs)