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Soldiers helping build bridges, schools in Indonesia

December 12, 2005

NIAS, Indonesia (Army News Service, Dec. 12, 2005) -- The United States and Indonesia launched joint humanitarian assistance projects on Nias Island Dec. 7, the first military-to-military operations between the two countries since restrictions on defense cooperation with Indonesia were lifted last month.

Nias Island lies about 125 kilometers off west Sumatera Island on the Indian Ocean and is part of Indonesia’s North Sumatera Province. The island was struck by a major earthquake in March and the Engineering Civic Action Project, or ENCAP, aims to rebuild portions of the island destroyed during the earthquake.

The new projects include the construction of two schools and two bridges on the Nias Island.

This is the first time the U.S. military has ever participated in an ENCAP on Nias, officials said. They said U.S. Pacific Command has allocated $1.3 million in humanitarian assistance funding for the projects, which are expected to take about four months to complete.

In remarks delivered Dec. 7 during the opening ceremony for the ENCAP, Paul Berg, the principal officer at the U.S. Consulate in Medan, said that the United States values its friendship with Indonesia and appreciates the vital role that Indonesia has played in the security, stability, and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region.

"These projects take important steps toward expanded cooperation between the two nations and are a tangible example of the sustained commitment to helping the people of Indonesia," Berg said.

A small group of U.S. Army Civil Affairs Soldiers and Naval Construction Force Sailors, known as Seabees, will partner with an Indonesian Engineer Battalion stationed out of Makassar.

The two militaries will cooperate on the construction projects, which are located in the southern part of Nias island and along the road network running north and south on the western side.

The construction projects provide an opportunity for the U.S. military and Indonesia to build on the humanitarian partnership achieved during the emergency relief operations that occurred after the December 2004 tsunami, PACOM officials said.

(Editor's note: Information provided by U.S. Pacific Command.)