Security Assistance and Other Programs

 

     

Among its primary missions, the Middle East District supports U.S. and foreign government agencies through the Defense Department’s security assistance program, aimed at promoting regional stability. The foreign military sales program is a component of security assistance, and it transfers defense equipment, services and training to allied nations, including engineering services provided by USACE.

Foreign military sales projects require signed agreements outlining services to be provided. In general, USACE provides facilities that support defense system purchases from the United States to allied nations. Among its major programs, the Middle East District is upgrading facilities in Egypt to support that nation’s purchase of military aircraft and naval purchases with renovation and construction at air, land, and navy bases. And the District has awarded contracts for the Iraq Ministry of Defense for administrative offices, barracks, utilities, and Iraq air force facilities.

Other programs that support stability in the region include:

• Assisting with humanitarian assistance projects in the region, such as clinics and schools in Lebanon and Jordan. Funded by the Defense Department, this program provides aid and assistance to support populations in need.

• Supporting U.S. Central Command’s counternarcotics program in Central Asia. Projects include border control facilities that build the capacity of Central Asian States to secure their borders and prevent illicit drug trafficking. The Defense Department invests in counternarcotics strategies because proceeds from illicit drug trafficking finance insurgent attacks or may help destabilize nations.