US Army Forces Central Command (ARCENT) The existing military installation known as Camp As Sayliyah is located on the outskirts of the capital city, Doha, Qatar. The main base site in Qatar, Camp As Sayliyah [also known as Sayluhah], is the Army's newest prepositioning facility. Completed in summer 2000, the three-phase, Congressionally funded construction program totaled more than $110 million. This facility places a large force of armor and support units that can be quickly stood up in response to any crisis in the region. It is the largest single prepositioning site for the Army in the world. Literally, the US can fly troops in and issue the equipment to have them ready to go to war. The site contains a variety of storage facilities and warehouses, such as controlled humidity, general-purpose, air conditioned, and general maintenance and supply. Its maintenance structures include a large maintenance and preservation building, and workshops. With the completion of this large US-financed military facility in the eastern desert, Qatar became the principal staging area for American ground forces in the Gulf. This is the US Army Central Command's largest pre-positioning facility outside the continental US. The facility is located about an hour out of Doha. A towering wall, protected by .50-calibre machine guns, encloses rows of warehouses housing the equipment for the 11,000 soldiers who make up an armored brigade and a division base. The facility houses more than 150 M-1 Abrams tanks, 116 Bradley fighting vehicles, and 112 other armored personnel carriers. The pre-positioning is expected to cut the response time for a US deployment from four weeks - as it was at the time of the Gulf War - to four days. In total, there are 27 warehouses with about 1.6 million square feet or 36.3 acres of enclosed storage space. The US Army also installed 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) of roads and almost four kilometers (2.48 miles) of fencing. Support structures provide for a group headquarters, administration building, community center, dining facility, and enlisted and officers quarters. The site also has open storage areas, sunshades, and all associated utilities. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5437.htm http://www.qatarkatrinafund.org/cnnmovie.php http://www.qatarkatrinafund.org/map.php http://www.qp.com.qa/en/Homepage.aspx http://www.usqbc.org/ Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani became the new Emir of the State of Qatar on June 26, 1995, continuing the rule of the Al-Thani family that began nearly two centuries ago. Sheikh Hamad was acclaimed Crown Prince in 1977 and at the same time was appointed Minister of Defense. In the early 1980's he led the Supreme Planning Council, which sets the Qatar's basic economic and social policies. Since 1992, Sheik Hamad has selected Qatar's cabinet and been responsible for administering the country's day-to-day affairs. He has also led the development of Qatar's oil and natural gas resources. Sheikh Hamad, who was born in 1952, began his education in Qatar and attended Sandhurst Military Academy in England. Upon his graduation in 1971, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Qatari armed forces and commanded the 1st Mobile Battalion, which has since been designated the "Hamad Mobile Battalion" in his honor. Sheikh Hamad was later promoted to the rank of Major General and appointed Commander in Chief of the Qatari Armed Forces. He oversaw an extensive program to modernize Qatar's military, increasing manpower, creating new units, updating weaponry, and improving training. The effects of this program were evident during the Gulf War when Qatari forces helped liberate Kuwait and led the battle for the recapture of the Kuwaiti town of Khafji. A keen sportsman and an accomplished diver, Sheikh Hamad has played an active role in promoting and developing athletics in Qatar. His activism has enhanced the country's involvement and performance in a number of international competitions, including: winning an Olympic medal in track and field; hosting a wide variety of international sporting events such as the GCC, Asian and World Youth soccer championships; and initiating the Qatar Open Tennis Championship which has grown to become one of two premier tennis competitions in the Middle East. During the last several years, Sheikh Hamad has represented Qatar on official state visits and at numerous Gulf and international forums. His role as a leader and diplomat has earned him worldwide honors: the Order of Oman from the Sultanate of Oman, the Order of the Nile from Egypt, the Order of King Abdul Aziz from Saudi Arabia, the Indonesian Order of Ibn 'Azeem, the Order of Francisco de Miranda from Venezuela, the Order of St. Michael and St. George from Britain, the Order of Grand Officer of the Legion d'Honneur from France, the Mohammedi Medal from Morocco and the Lebanese Order of Merit. http://www.qatarembassy.net/emir.asp

• published: 11 Sep 2011
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