Stories

KBR’s Government Solutions Readiness & Sustainment team recently re-launched its annual Small Business Supplier of the Year award which recognizes a KBR supplier that goes the extra mile to support our customer’s missions.

The 2021 award was given to National Structures of the RK Group in San Antonio, Texas for their billeting services in support of the Operation Allied Welcome mission at Camp Dona Ana.

In July 2021, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security launched Operation Allies Welcome — a massive, coordinated effort to relocate roughly 70,000 Afghan nationals to the U.S. Through its support of U.S. Northern and European Commands under the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP) contract, KBR helped facilitate the rapid development of vital infrastructure at military bases in the U.S. and abroad which were used to accommodate thousands of displaced Afghanis. This amounted to helping build several small cities, some large enough to house and feed 10,000 people with all the necessary amenities — from food, to beds and linens, to internet access and air conditioning.

KBR was supported by an enormous team of partners and subcontractors, including National Structures. Within 12 days, National Structures erected 67 billeting tents, each comprised of one hundred beds, totaling 335,000 square feet of living space.

According to Jason Pantoja, KBR’s senior project manager onsite, National Structures worked 16-20 hour days in harsh conditions that included abrupt sandstorms, wind gusts of 25-40 mph, major bug infestations, and temperatures ranging from 95-100 F. “Their outstanding performance was the key to KBR’s success and that of the local Task Force Command.”

In addition, the RK Group’s senior leadership presented an excellent teamwork concept and provided recommendations to KBR for an improvised on-site Laydown Yard operation that helped with four separate villages, two Class 1 warehouses, and deployed 211 generators, 316 wet latrines, and 283 shower stalls, ensuring KBR and the government achieved mission success.

The RK Group was recognized for their outstanding efforts during an awards luncheon at their corporate campus in May. Afterwards, the attendees made a short drive to the National Structures facility and warehouse where they saw the latest in mobile laundry facilities and commercial kitchens. KBR attendees were impressed by the extensive process that National Structures has in place to clean, dry, and repack millions of square feet of U.S. Department of Defense compliant canvas. One piece of equipment of particular interest was the automated canvas cleaning system – one of only four systems in the U.S.

Congratulations to the RK Group and all of KBR’s outstanding subcontractors and partners for their efforts!