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Kuwait, U.S. reinforce bond
Published: 05:40 PM, Tue Nov 29, 2011
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - Sometime next month, the last U.S. convoy of troops will leave Iraq, crossing the border into Kuwait as troops have done repeatedly throughout the eight-year war.
Kuwait has hosted U.S. troops for two decades. Even at the current war's end, it will be home to thousands of soldiers, airmen and sailors who will help support the war in Afghanistan and other U.S. operations in the Middle East.
On Tuesday, U.S. military leaders met with their Kuwaiti counterparts and discussed the history of cooperation between the countries while encouraging even stronger ties in the future.
Maj. Gen. Kenneth M. Dowd, commander of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, was the highest-ranking military officer to attend. The Kuwaiti contingent was led by Maj. Gen. Sheikh Mohammad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah, the assistant undersecretary of the interior for border security.
The meeting, which included a lunch of lobster tail followed by a display of American armored trucks, was at Camp Arifjan, a U.S. Army base that was built by the Kuwaiti government.
The meeting was just weeks away from the end of the drawdown of the U.S. war in Iraq. U.S. troops have had a presence in Kuwait since the first Gulf War in 1991.
Already, more than 25,000 troops are stationed in Kuwait in support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Kuwait could potentially host thousands more American forces after the war.
Kuwaiti officials have not committed to allowing the additional U.S. presence.
Leaders who attended Tuesday's meeting included officials from Kuwait's Council of Ministry, Ministry of the Interior, and border security, immigration and customs agencies as well as nearby Kuwait Naval Base.
Dowd, who joked that he could play goalie in a friendly soccer match between the two nations, applauded the cooperation that Kuwait has shown during the war in Iraq and, in particular, during the drawdown of troops and equipment from there.
He said cooperation is no more evident than at Khabari Crossing, the gateway in and out of Iraq for U.S. forces in Kuwait.
"The teamwork out there and what your folks are doing out there is phenomenal," Dowd told the Kuwaitis. "At the lower levels and all the way up, the teamwork is just incredible."
Dowd said that even as the drawdown in Iraq comes to an end, there are many opportunities to work together with Kuwait.
He said there are already several joint training operations, including one involving explosive ordinance detection.
"We're really looking at developing this partnership," Dowd said.
Al-Sabah also praised the cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the friendly ties.
"We are willing and will always be willing to support U.S. forces," he said.
Dowd said he has met with Al-Sabah and other key Kuwaiti leaders several times this year to discuss border security, customs and homeland security.
The meetings have helped cut down on delays and customs issues that could have dragged out the Iraq drawdown, which is on schedule to be completed by mid-December.
"We couldn't have done it without this relationship," Dowd said. "The cooperation, it's not new to us. It was great in 1991, and it continues to be great in 2011."
Dowd said with the war in Iraq over, there will be an even greater emphasis on training alongside Kuwaiti forces.
"There's all kinds of opportunities here where we can share our skills and also learn from them," he said.
As a token of appreciation, Dowd presented Al-Sabah with a pen set - the better to make corrections on customs forms for American troops, he joked.
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Published: 05:40 PM, Tue Nov 29, 2011
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - Sometime next month, the last U.S. convoy of troops will leave Iraq, crossing the border into Kuwait as troops have done repeatedly throughout the eight-year war.
Kuwait has hosted U.S. troops for two decades. Even at the current war's end, it will be home to thousands of soldiers, airmen and sailors who will help support the war in Afghanistan and other U.S. operations in the Middle East.
On Tuesday, U.S. military leaders met with their Kuwaiti counterparts and discussed the history of cooperation between the countries while encouraging even stronger ties in the future.
Maj. Gen. Kenneth M. Dowd, commander of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, was the highest-ranking military officer to attend. The Kuwaiti contingent was led by Maj. Gen. Sheikh Mohammad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah, the assistant undersecretary of the interior for border security.
The meeting, which included a lunch of lobster tail followed by a display of American armored trucks, was at Camp Arifjan, a U.S. Army base that was built by the Kuwaiti government.
The meeting was just weeks away from the end of the drawdown of the U.S. war in Iraq. U.S. troops have had a presence in Kuwait since the first Gulf War in 1991.
Already, more than 25,000 troops are stationed in Kuwait in support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Kuwait could potentially host thousands more American forces after the war.
Kuwaiti officials have not committed to allowing the additional U.S. presence.
Leaders who attended Tuesday's meeting included officials from Kuwait's Council of Ministry, Ministry of the Interior, and border security, immigration and customs agencies as well as nearby Kuwait Naval Base.
Dowd, who joked that he could play goalie in a friendly soccer match between the two nations, applauded the cooperation that Kuwait has shown during the war in Iraq and, in particular, during the drawdown of troops and equipment from there.
He said cooperation is no more evident than at Khabari Crossing, the gateway in and out of Iraq for U.S. forces in Kuwait.
"The teamwork out there and what your folks are doing out there is phenomenal," Dowd told the Kuwaitis. "At the lower levels and all the way up, the teamwork is just incredible."
Dowd said that even as the drawdown in Iraq comes to an end, there are many opportunities to work together with Kuwait.
He said there are already several joint training operations, including one involving explosive ordinance detection.
"We're really looking at developing this partnership," Dowd said.
Al-Sabah also praised the cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the friendly ties.
"We are willing and will always be willing to support U.S. forces," he said.
Dowd said he has met with Al-Sabah and other key Kuwaiti leaders several times this year to discuss border security, customs and homeland security.
The meetings have helped cut down on delays and customs issues that could have dragged out the Iraq drawdown, which is on schedule to be completed by mid-December.
"We couldn't have done it without this relationship," Dowd said. "The cooperation, it's not new to us. It was great in 1991, and it continues to be great in 2011."
Dowd said with the war in Iraq over, there will be an even greater emphasis on training alongside Kuwaiti forces.
"There's all kinds of opportunities here where we can share our skills and also learn from them," he said.
As a token of appreciation, Dowd presented Al-Sabah with a pen set - the better to make corrections on customs forms for American troops, he joked.
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