MEET MR. RICH

I was a deer-in-the-headlights leaving my family and a 25 plus years Architectural Designing business behind heading to war zone Afghanistan to work as a Country Construction Manager, changing my job and life!  I traveled to remote areas to help build military bases and schools that made education available to boys and girls working with local Afghan workers to get the jobs done, most of which are uneducated, cannot read or write.  Danger was all around as the Taliban did not want what we were building. 

I worked in Afghanistan for over 4 years, traveling all over the country as a construction manager and architectural designer, helping build facilities for both the U.S.A. and Afghan armies as a part of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) where I designed and helped construct medical facilities, the controversial Herat University women’s dorm and a variety of other projects.  I came to firmly believe the only way Afghanistan will survive is through education.

For the military, I have been referred to as a “Force Multiplier” in the development of small remote and austere bases and other projects as I was able to produce construction drawings on the spur of the moment and travel to construction sites in war zones to plan and supervise the building of a diverse variety of structures.

I graduated from the University of Oregon, then catapulted into my own business designing award winning homes. After many years, I needed a change .. was frustrated sitting at a desk re-creating.  An opportunity came up .. and with my wife’s encouragement .. I ran with it.  It was a shock change, I had never been in the Military.  When I asked exactly what my job was, I was told I would have to figure it out when I got there!  I did and I soon gained a passion for “Winning the Hearts and Minds of the Afghan People” through “Teach-Coach-Mentor” principles on humanitarian projects.  In the end .. They won my heart.

My hope is that my book opens eyes to the reality in Afghanistan.  "ONE BRICK at a TIME" by Rich Walton, available at https://www.onebrickatatimepress.com