PHILADELPHIA -- In August 2021, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began supporting “Operation Allies Refuge/Welcome.” The Department of State and Department of Homeland Security-led mission managed the relocations of Afghan nationals and their immediate families who supported the U.S. during the government’s 20-year presence in Afghanistan.
USACE support primarily involved developing lease agreements for processing and screening facilities near airports in northern Virginia and New Jersey as well as engineering services, contracting management, and oversight of facility-related services. Ultimately, more than 60,000 evacuees traveled through the processing facilities in route to their next destination.
“This has been a unique mission for us, and I think it further demonstrates that the nation looks to USACE to solve difficult challenges quickly,” said USACE Philadelphia District Commander Lt. Col. Ramon Brigantti. “Many of our team members deployed to Afghanistan so it was deeply personal for them. I’m proud that we were able to support this mission.”
USACE team members worked with contractors and volunteer organizations to set up the facilities with features such as carpeting, cots, dining areas, medical stations, cell-phone charging stations, and prayer spaces.
“We worked closely with our federal partners, as well as volunteers and private-sector entities, to ensure facilities met mission requirements while ensuring proper health and safety conditions. Our engineering assessments, followed by necessary construction and outfitting enabled efficient operations, which ultimately preserved the safety and dignity of the Afghan evacuees and their families,” said Col. Estee Pinchasin, USACE Baltimore District commander.
Individuals typically spent less than 24 hours at the facilities before departing for their next destination.
“It’s rewarding to know that we hopefully made the transition as comfortable as possible for the Afghan evacuees,” said Ryan Parks, lead Project Manager for the USACE Philadelphia District.
After departing Afghanistan, many of the evacuees remained at military installations in Europe and the Middle East for varying lengths of time. Then, they were flown to Dulles International Airport or Philadelphia International Airport before traveling to the processing facilities. Then, evacuees would travel to US-based military installations to complete additional medical screenings and apply for immigration status.
USACE Baltimore District developed lease agreements for five facilities and contracted space in three hotels to house medically fragile evacuees and their families near the Dulles International Airport. Baltimore District also developed lease agreements for the Southport facility in Camden, N.J; and additional space within the Philadelphia International Airport.
“Our team of real estate, contracting and resource management specialists were truly heroes behind the scenes that enabled expedient mission execution, demonstrating the versatility of the Corps’ capabilities as the real estate agent for the Army,” said Pinchasin.
In the Philadelphia area, one of the initial challenges was finding large available facilities that met the mission requirements in a matter of days.
“Our people hit the ground running immediately to scout locations and collaborate with partners to find the right location,” said Lt. Col. Brigantti who added that it was a total team effort across the organization.
After selecting the Southport facility, USACE team members worked collaboratively with Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, and the facility owner on site setup.
“We had a really good team of people who put the needs of the mission first,” said Capt. Dan Powell who led USACE on-site support for the Southport facility. “The best part of the mission was seeing the hard work have an immediate and direct positive impact on families.”