Defense Secretary visits Afghan community at Joint Base MDL

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McGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST JOINT BASE – The country’s defense secretary on Monday visited a community being created here for Afghan refugees.

Lloyd J. Austin III, a retired four-star general, visited several facilities serving a growing evacuee population and passed through a residential area known as Liberty Village, according to a statement released by the military.

His walk included a stop at a newly opened beauty salon in Liberty Village, where Austin spoke to several Afghan refugees.

The tour took place as the base expanded housing for a refugee population of up to 13,000. The base released photos of construction equipment for the expansion of an area known as Liberty Village, which already includes a large tent city, on September 21.

A beauty salon has opened for Afghan refugees living at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

“Future facilities planned for construction include Liberty Market, where Afghans can purchase food and household items,” the base said on Saturday.

An Afghan guest is reunited with his son at Liberty Village, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, September 18, 2021.

He also noted the recent opening of a medical center for the Afghan population, as well as a beauty salon and a barber shop.

Other recently released photos showed a tearful reunion between Afghan parents and children at the South Jersey base.

Austin’s tour followed a visit on Saturday by senior officials of the US Air Force, including General Charles Q. Brown Jr., chief of staff of the military branch.

“It’s impressive to see what has been going on here for a month,” Brown said in the statement.

The 42,000-acre base is expected to accommodate Afghans who fled their country last month following a Taliban takeover.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III walks with Afghan women Monday during a visit to a refugee community at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

The refugees, who could stay at the base for up to a year, include people who have assisted US military forces over a 20-year period, as well as family members.

The South Jersey site is one of eight military bases housing Afghan refugees in the United States.

Jim Walsh covers public safety, economic development, and other topics for the Courier-Post, the Burlington County Times, and the Daily Journal.

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