The U.S. Army plans to improve its facilities in Kuwait
in an indication of an extended stay in the sheikdom.
U.S. officials said the Defense Department plans to refurbish facilities
in northern Kuwait to allow for an extended stay by army troops. They
said the army plans to maintain thousands of soldiers in the sheikdom in
wake of the U.S. victory over neighboring Iraq.
The Pentagon effort includes the improvement of a leading army base in
Kuwait that is meant to house soldiers and equipment. The base is Camp Fox,
a former British facility reestablished in the Kuwaiti desert near the Iraqi
border weeks before the war began and which housed more than 20,000 troops.
Brown & Root Services, a division of Kellogg Brown & Root, Arlington,
Va., has been awarded a $10.7 million contract to refurbish the facilities
at Camp Fox. This includes construction and maintenance of temporary
warehouse facilities.
During the U.S.-led war in Iraq, Camp Fox served as the the main rear
logistics and supply base for British forces in the sheikdom. The base
housed the 6th Supply Regiment of the Royal Logistics Corps. Another part of
the base housed U.S. troops.
Brown & Root will also repair roads and ensure water delivery. The camp
will be equipped with gravel and concrete hardstands, area lighting and
facilities to wash equipment and vehicles.
A Pentagon statement said the refurbishing of Camp Fox is expected to be
completed by July 2003. The statement said the total contract amount will
not exceed $300 million.
The U.S. Army has retained services for Camp Fox for until at least
2008, officials said.