FM in action - FM operations in Afghanistan - VOLG HIER HET LAATSTE NIEUWS

by Major Ian van der Pool, a military FM professional in the Royal Netherlands Air Force

VOLG HIER HET LAATSTE NIEUWS

 Dear IFMA Belgium friends,                     

My name is Major Ian van der Pool, and I am a military FM professional in the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Although I am an Air Force Officer, my regular work is in Support Command, where I am a senior policy officer in the Business Unit Facility Services.
Until recently I worked as a senior advisor in the project that will lead, later this year, to the foundation of the Defence Facility Agency. One unit that will become the integrated facility management agency for all the services in the Netherland’s military.

I am a member of the board of IFMA Holland and in charge of the international affairs portfolio which brings me into close contact with our sisters associations in Belgium and Luxemburg.

In a few weeks, I will start my military FM mission in Afghanistan. There I will work as J-4 Chief Logistics in the International Staff of the Commander Kandahar Air Field.
Kandahar Air Field, or in military lingo KAF, is the busiest single-runway airfield in the world and with more than 750 aircraft movements per day surpasses Gatwick and Washington Dulles airports.
Furthermore, KAF is the largest NATO base in the world, with approximately 21.000 troops within its boundaries. This number will increase to over 25.000 troops during my deployment in the coming months. Its annual budget is over 70 Million Euro.

The statistics are dazzling!

To name but a few:
  - more than 4.000 civil contractors are employed,
  - every day some 1.300 local Afghan workers come to the base to work or do business,
  - more than a million meals are served per month for people from 40 different countries,
  - more than 10 billion liters of non-potable water are used every week, and
  - during a personnel rotation temporary housing and facilities are needed for an additional 6.000 troops.

From my point of view KAF is a truly exciting place to be for a facility manager!

My background as military FM professional, combined with my posting as Chief Logistics officer for the NATO Commander, gives me the opportunity to give YOU an unique insight in the daily FM operations at this airbase in the middle of hostilities in Afghanistan.

If the operational situation permits, I will write a bi-weekly weblog for the IFMA Belgium website. I will try to pick a different FM-related subject each time and let you know what is done to improve living conditions at this base.
If possible I will also try and give you some feedback from the various customers at KAF.
For certain I will try to find out how the Belgian troops at KAF live and how they are being supported by FM.

I am a true believer in customer intimacy and therefore really appreciate your feedback. To make my blog more interactive you can respond to earlier blogs or submit special requests for future articles.

Just pass your message on through Yves Stevens and I’ll see what I can do.

I hope to hear from you very soon and am looking forward to meeting you all after my return in July 2010. 

18 januari 2010