HALO has been the leading agency in the destruction of surplus and unwanted weapons and ammunition in Afghanistan since 2003. Most of the weapons that have been disposed of have been voluntarily surrendered by compliant commanders as a condition for joining the new government.
But weapons that have not been surrendered still exist. Because of this, the emphasis has switched to uncovering remote and hidden caches of weapons. The discovery and disposal of the hidden weapons means that they will not become tools for anti-government elements within the country. To efficiently find these hidden caches, mechanical assistance – a hydrema (a light tractor with front bucket and backhoe) – is needed for excavation.
The Foundation, with a matching grant from the U.S. Department of State, has committed to fund armor upgrades to two existing hydremas for use in uncovering and destroying additional buried caches of weapons in Afghanistan.
For more information, visit www.HaloUsa.org