BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - A recycling program, aimed to improve air quality and reduce trash, recently began here at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Mehtar Lam, in Laghman province, Afghanistan.
U.S. Army Capt. Ryan Burrus, commanding officer for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry of the Illinois Army National Guard, got the idea to start a recycling program the moment he stepped onto FOB Mehtar Lam.
He noticed the amount of trash, general waste and increased level of pollution.
"I then began to brainstorm to see how we could limit the trash on the FOB and burn only trash and not things that could be recycled," said Burrus.
He then began to formulate a plan on how to incorporate recycling into the daily routine.
"I got with the FOB carpenter, who is a National Guard Soldier and a union carpenter on the civilian side, the field sanitation team and the battalion surgeon to brainstorm ideas," Burrus said. "The carpenter rebuilt the trash bins outside of the dining facility and made receptacles for plastic, cans and trash."
Many things had to happen for the recycling program to get started. Separation of trash and constructing labeled bins was one of the first steps.
Afghans on the FOB also took part in the program, so the field sanitation team, along with the interpreters, made stencils for plastic, cans, paper and trash in English and Pashto to paint onto the trash bins.
In addition, Burrus and the battalion surgeon experimented with what it actually took to burn all the trash in the trash pit. The incinerator on the FOB was not being actively used so to reduce smoke from the burn pit they began using the incinerator to burn trash.
"The air quality is much better on the FOB now versus when we first arrived here," Burrus said. "There is almost no visible smoke in the air now and people can actually run around the track here."
Along with Burrus, Illinois Sgt. 1st Class Donald Holland, a contractor, and the FOB carpenter are building trash points that will eventually be in place all over the FOB to ensure trash and recyclable materials are separated.
Burrus explained the FOB has improved recycling to 30 percent versus the previous zero percent.
"We're headed in the right direction, and we can't go 100 percent in a day," Burrus said. "I hope that everyone gets the message on the importance of recycling."
The recycling efforts are paying off on the FOB with hopes for continued success.
"One of my duties here is the FOB mayor, so making the FOB better is an important part of that," said Burrus. "Things like building barriers, running concertina wire and constructing guard towers are important, but finding ways to limit the amount of trash on a FOB improves the FOB quality and keeps it operational for a longer period of time."