Construction has been completed on headquarters for the newly formed Multi-National Division— South in Basra, Iraq, officials said Monday.

The two, 30,000-square-foot buildings were completed at a cost of $26 million by the Air Force’s 819th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers (Red Horse) and KBR contractors.

Multi-National Division— South, a combination of Multi-National Division—Central and Multi-National Division—Southeast, was established April 1 when responsibility for Basra province was shifted from British to American command.

The British are reducing their forces from about 4,100 to a few hundred by July 31. About 2,000 U.S. troops will head to southern Iraq as British forces there leave, bringing the total number of U.S. troops in southern Iraq to about 3,500.

The 10th Mountain Division will head the new headquarters until May, when the 34th Infantry Division out of Minnesota will take over, U.S. military officials have said.

Migrated