The U.S. and Indonesia Build Bridges of Friendship

Indonesia and the United States today observed the one-year anniversary of a devastating earthquake with the completion of two schools and two bridges on the Island of Nias. In a ceremony dedicating the projects, which were jointly constructed by U.S. and Indonesian military personnel, officials from both nations paid tribute to those who suffered in the disaster and noted the positive results of cooperation between the TNI and U.S. military.

U.S. Ambassador B. Lynn Pascoe commended the military personnel for their accomplishments and the people of Nias for their perseverance in the face of tragedy. “The people of Nias have suffered greatly in the wake of the tsunami and the earthquake of one year ago. But these schools and bridges offer the hope of a new beginning. They symbolize the spirit of the people of Nias and their determination to move forward in the face of adversity.” Ambassador Pascoe stated: “I want to congratulate the TNI and U.S. military personnel who worked side-by-side throughout the construction for their hard work and dedication. They did an excellent job and they learned much from each other. These projects are a tangible example of what good things can happen when the TNI and U.S. military work together.”

Ambassador Pascoe added, “The strong and growing friendship between the U.S. and Indonesia is helping to improve the lives of the people of this great country and is promoting peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific Region.”

Construction on the projects began late last year in the wake of the tsunami and a devastating 8.7 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Sumatra on 28 March 2005. Both disasters caused extensive damage on the Island of Nias. During the projects, a small group of U.S. Army Civil Affairs soldiers and Naval Construction Force sailors, known as Seabees, partnered with a TNI Engineer Battalion stationed out of Makassar. U.S. Pacific Command Headquarters in Honolulu, Hawaii allocated $1.3 million in humanitarian assistance funding to finance construction of the schools, located in southern Nias, and the bridges, located along the road network running north and south on the western side of the island.

The highly successful operations provided an opportunity for the U.S. military and TNI to build on the excellent humanitarian partnership achieved during the emergency relief operations that occurred after the December 2004 tsunami and the March 2005 earthquake, and symbolized the long-standing friendship and growing military cooperation between the two nations.