FOB Smart at 1400 - Saturday
We completed a mission outside the wire this morning into Old Qalat City to observe progress on two of my projects. Sometimes any progress is good, but with concrete, which I have talked about herein ad nauseam, we have to ensure safety and proper standards are adhered to always, not just being pacified by progress for the sake of progress. With that being said, we spent some time at our second stop, the first was a minimal reschedule for an hour-plus later, and most of it was relating to concrete formwork discussions and proper placement technique. The contractor, at this hospital expansion project, does seem to grasp the importance of adhering to design specifications, although it can be challenging at times with the whole "lost in translation" potential. Fortunately, we have Super-Craft, one of the best Pashto-English interpreters on the entire planet. We worked through the questions and answers with the contractor and felt confident when we left that they would be ready for our next visit in a few days time.
Our first stop, which ended up being our third stop due to the typical Afghan lack of concern for sticking to schedules and meeting times, went just fine. Today was what we would call a pre-closeout meeting back home in the private sector. The PRT organized a "Red Zone" meeting with the contractor and the end-user to facilitate an understanding and air of cooperation and thereby commitment to finishing strong. We think we achieved such during the meeting. Later we walked the site, including four new buildings constructed and/or renovated in the last year and related sitework. It seems that this contractor has a little more to finish in terms of rework and some minor items left in contract-required construction. But all-in-all, it was an excellent gathering. We were offered, and I gladly accepted, milk chai tea and some kind of sweet cake - delicious!
The rest of this day will likely include more paperwork, reporting, planning, and maybe even some necessary departure preparations on my part. You know, with less than 12 days remaining at FOB Smart and less than 16 in Afghanistan, it may be prudent to be ready to go before the last minute arrives. I am so stoked!
143, Kaesen.
Good night and good day.
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