NAVFAC Pacific Completes Construction of a JIATF West Funded Border Patrol Police Training Facility in Thailand

Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Pacific Resident Officer in Charge of Construction (ROICC) Thailand completed the construction of a new Border Patrol Police (BPP) Training Facility with an unveiling ceremony held Jan. 28 in Mae Taeng, Thailand.

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s (INDOPACOM) Joint Interagency Task Force West (JIATF West) funded this $600,000 facility, which includes ranges, a mock village, a three-story tactical training building, and equipment. The BPP will utilize the updated facility, new equipment, and closed-circuit digital recording system to conduct training scenarios in a variety of environmental reviews, and analyze footage of the training for future improvements.

“U.S. support for this facility, which will enhance the BPP’s ability to counter illicit transborder activity, demonstrates our commitment to our partner and ally Thailand,” said INDOPACOM Joint Interagency Task Force West (JIATF West) Director Rear Adm. Charles Fosse.

JIATF West is the U.S. INDOPACOM’s executive agent for Department of Defense support to law enforcement for counterdrug and drug-related activities. ROICC Thailand supports JIATF West’s mission with construction contracting in remote locations throughout the INDOPACOM area of operations.

“JIATF West always provides us with unique and challenging projects that allows us to exercise our contractor base in preparation for future contingencies,” said NAVFAC Pacific ROICC Thailand Lt. Cmdr. Rama Mutyala. “It is also exciting to see our foreign partners immediately start operating out of the facilities we construct.”

The event was presided by U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Michael Heath and Royal Thai Border Patrol Police Deputy Commissioner Major General Varayuth Sukhawat, which highlighted the breadth and depth of the U.S.-Thai partnership and underscored our security collaboration.

“Our longstanding law enforcement cooperation combats transnational crime, including illicit trafficking of people, narcotics and wildlife, helping to keep people in both our countries and the region safe,” said Heath.

ROICC Thailand is among several locations supported by the NAVFAC Pacific Contingency Engineering Business Line (CEBL). NAVFAC Pacific CEBL operates forward providing acquisition, engineering and construction support throughout Southeast Asia and the Pacific with headquarters at Pearl Harbor and offices in Bangkok, Thailand, Manila, Philippines, Darwin, Australia, and forward operating presence in Jakarta, Indonesia and Hanoi, Vietnam.

“We provide engineering services, construction and base operating services contracting, program management, and can support disaster relief efforts in remote locations,” said Cary Watanabe, NAVFAC Pacific Deputy Contingency Engineer. “While this presents logistical challenges, it’s also very rewarding to see a project reach completion.”