BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan--One of LOGCAP-Afghanistan's contractors is continuing an initiative to hire trained Afghan workers through a partnership with the Korean Vocational Training Center at Bagram Airfield.
The KVTC, under the sponsorship of the Korea International Cooperation Agency, trains Afghan students in five fields. Logistics Civil Augmentation Program-Afghanistan contractor Fluor Corporation and KVTC established a partnership where Fluor would hire all the graduates. Fluor, one of two contractors providing services under LOGCAP IV, works in the northern and eastern areas of Afghanistan. LOGCAP, managed by Army Materiel Command and executed by Army Sustainment Command, AMC's logistics arm, is a way to leverage civilian contractors to support and augment United States and coalition forces in both wartime and humanitarian missions.
An entrance ceremony for the third and largest class of 135 students was held Mar. 7. Among those in attendance were Ahn Seong-doo, Korean Ambassador to Afghanistan; Kim Il-woong, acting Korean PRT representative; Canadian Brig. Gen. Karl D. McQuillan, deputy commanding general -- coalition for Combined Joint Task Force 1, Regional Command East; Baek Doo-yong, KOICA representative; James E. Allen, LOGCAP deputy program director -- Afghanistan; Col. Gary W. Rangel, LOGCAP-A assistant program director; and George Rabb, country manager, LOGCAP-A Fluor.
"LOGCAP-A performance contractors are committed to creating and sustaining a strong, well-trained local national workforce, both men and women," said Allen. "Local nationals make up 25 percent of the contract workforce and LOGCAP-A directly contributes to the Afghan economy through payroll and local purchases."
"KVTC brings accredited training by highly skilled instructors to the table," said Rabb. "KVTC gains motivation for their students to attend class and succeed while Fluor benefits by the addition of highly trained Afghans to the local national LOGCAP work force."
KVTC also provides two week advanced training for current Fluor Afghan employees with 345 employees completing the advanced training so far. Fluor volunteers provide tutoring in English and other requested topics during both the initial and advanced courses.
The five skill areas are construction, welding and plumbing, electrical, automotive and computer training. There are 700 hours of instruction spanning nine months. More than 500 students have completed the 700-hour and advanced courses since the program began in March 2010.
"With no cost to the client [LOGCAP] or to us, this training partnership is a hard bargain to pass up," said Pete Coogle, Fluor, deputy project manager, operations.
The COIN or counterinsurgency strategy was outlined by Gen. David H. Petraeus and Marine Corps Gen. James F. Amos in Army Field Manual 3-24 released in December 2006.
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