US military highlights procurement opportunities
KUWAIT: The US Embassy, in cooperation with the US military bases in Kuwait, presented a seminar yesterday at the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), highlighting procurement opportunities at the US base. The event is part of the ‘Discover America’ event that opened this week in Kuwait. It is part of a three-day seminar being held at the KCCI to provide better understanding of US products and services. Yesterday, the focus was on procurement, as the US military bases can enter into business with various suppliers - from cement products to transportation, janitorial services and Internet, food and more.
“There are procedures to follow when you are dealing with the US military base. It is not easy, so we see to it that every procedure is understood and followed by parties,” said Jeff Hamilton, US Embassy Commercial Counselor. “We are doing this so local companies understand all the procedures involved. It is not only complicated, but a tedious process, because of the safety and security issues involved,” he said. The US military bases in Kuwait (Camp Arifjan and Camp Buehring) serve as vital military camps for several of its missions in the Middle East.
The camps primarily serve as army posts, but today air force, navy, coastguard, marine personnel and international troops also call them home. The US military base is situated in
the middle of the Kuwaiti desert. The US military has over 1.3 million men and women on active duty, with more than 450,000 of them stationed overseas. Many of these stationed service members perform training exercises and other duties at safe bases. Then there are others who are deployed to conflict zones like Syria or Iraq or potential ‘hotspots’ like Somalia. The number of military personnel is approximately 15,000 in Kuwait, although the figure is unconfirmed, since the US embassy did not want to divulge the exact number of US military personnel here.
The final day of presentation at the KCCI is scheduled today, where the US embassy will explain how the embassy supports local businesses and provide an overview of US embassy services. The event will start at 10 am with three speakers.
‘America Wild 3D’
In other news, and also as part of the 10day activities of ‘Discover America,’ a movie premiere was held Monday night at the Scientific Center in Salmiya. The Middle East premiere of ‘America Wild 3D: National Parks Adventure,’ was inaugurated by US Ambassador to Kuwait Lawrence Silverman.
“I would like to thank the Chairman of the Scientific Center Sami Al-Rushaid for allowing us to utilize your beautiful space this evening for a reception and to screen the film in this fantastic IMAX theatre. I would also like to thank Brand USA, a public-private partnership created to increase the number of international visitors to the United States, for sponsoring this reception,” he said.
‘Discover America’ highlights several topics including culture, food, restaurants, fashion, film, education, tourism, business, automobiles, and healthcare in the US. “The week is full of events and special promotions, and I encourage you all to participate where you can,” he said
“Tonight’s film is a tribute to the US National Park System, and it highlights some of the stunning views and natural beauty that graces much of the United States,” the ambassador went on. The National Park System was created in 1916 and Yellowstone National Park was the first recognized national park in the US. There are 401 national parks, monuments, and other areas managed by the national park system, covering 340,000 square kilometers. There are national parks or monuments located in every state, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, and last year over 330 million people visited the park system.
Speaking separately with the Kuwait Times the envoy reiterated his call for Kuwaitis to enroll in American universities and colleges. “We have several educational expos in the coming days and months; (universities) are coming to Kuwait to recruit students,” the Ambassador said, adding that US educational institution also participated in a foreign education expo held earlier this week at the Sheraton Hotel. “Also, every time our president and His Highness the Amir meet, they always talk about education. They already met several times and education is the number one issue on the table,” he said.