----------Personal Viewpoint 1 

Teamwork: The Key to Success 

The history of United States military operations is 

replete with examples and situations where Army and Marine 

Corps units have stood shoulder 

to shoulder on the same battlefield. From Mexico City in 

184 7 to the Argonne Forest in 

World War I; from Saipan and 

Okinawa in World War II 

through Korea and Vietnam; as 

recently as Grenada and 

Panama; and, of course, today in 

the desert of Saudi Arabia, soldiers and Marines have been 

part of the same force. All indications are that this trend toward 

joint operations will increase as 

we move into the 21st century. 

While tomorrow's battle plans 

are being developed to address all 

phases of low-, mid- and high-intensity conflicts, there is no doubt 

that the support provided by combat engineers will always be a 

critical requirement. The Army's 

AirLand Battle doctrine and the 

Marine Corps' philosophy of 

maneuver warfare both call for engineers to increase the combat effectiveness of the total force. 

Marine engineers are found in 

combat engineer battalions of 

Marine divisions, engineer support battalions of force service 

support groups, and Marine wing 

support squadrons of the aircraft 

wings. Combat engineer battalions provide direct combat engineer support to infantry regiments in the forward portion of 

the battle area. Engineer support 

battalions provide general engineering support to landing forces, and they reinforce combat engineer battalions when necessary. 

Engineers in Marine wing support 

squadrons provide ground engineer support to the Marine 

aircraft wings. All engineer forces 

are manned, equipped, and 

trained to deploy rapidly and provide support to the Marine airground task forces. 

With today's projected force 

reductions and the continuing 

competition for limited resources, 

I believe the development and continued evolution of Army and 

Marine engineer forces should be 

closely coordinated in three 

specific areas. 

Doctrine. Staffing of doctrine 

for mobility/countermobility, 

demolitions, survivability, bridging, vertical and horizontal construction, and all other aspects of 

combat engineering should be 

shared between our separate 

headquarters. I include in this 

joint review process the preparation and revision of Army field 

manuals (FM), Marine Fleet 

Marine Force Manuals (FMFM), 

and technical manuals (TM). 

Solicitation of comments and inclusion of pertinent information 

from both services wiU lead to the 

production of more complete and 

sound documents than those currently available. After such closely 

coordinated publications are distributed, their use will be more 

widespread and content revisions 

should be required on a less frequent basis. 

Equipment. Development and 

procurement of common engineer 

equipment should remain as one 

of our goals. The armored combat 

earthmover (ACE), small 

emplacement excavator (SEE), 

and mine clearing line charge 

(MICLIC) are but a few recent examples of items which can be 

employed successfully by all combat engineers. Who knows what 

the future may hold in this area. 

Obviously the missions, roles, 

and concepts of employment dictate that not all equipment is 

suitable for use by both services. 

The Marine Corps' amphibious 

and expeditionary role calls for 

equipment that can be brought 

across beaches, that is helicopter 

transportable, and that can travel 

with the maneuver force at high 

speed. In many instances, today's 

Army has the same requirements. 

Thus, cooperative efforts in research, development, and procurement will lead to more efficient 

use of time and resources. 

'Iraining. The joint training of 

Army and Marine engineers at formal schools should continue whenever possible. Also, the preparation 

and validation of engineer battle 

drills should be a compilation of 

input from both services. Finally, 

major joint training exercises p~ 

vide invaluable opportunities, and 

these should be scheduled as frequently as practicable. 

Currently, more than 50 enlisted Marines attend schooling at 

Fort Leonard Wood each year. 

These Marines receive training in 

drafting, surveying, and material 

quality specialist courses. Additionally, 10 Marine captains attend the Army's Engineer Officer 

Advanced Course each year. 

Cross training of soldiers and 

Marines takes advantage of already existing facilities, curricula, 

and faculties. Cross training can 

also lead to more innovative and 

open-minded thinking and 

(Continued on page 28) 

By Lieutenant Colonel John E. Drury, USMC 

CLEAR THE WAY 

By Major General Daniel R. Schroeder, 

Commandant, U.S. Army Engineer School 

Today, engineer soldiers face a multitude of challenges: deployments to Central and South 

America; humanitarian construction missions; readiness training at the National Training Center and the 

Joint Readiness Training Center; on-going civil works 

and environmental remediation; maintaining a forward 

presence in Europe, Central America, and Korea; 

and, of course, our current deployments in support of 

Desert Shield. You are doing all of these, and doing 

them well. Active Army, National Guard, Reserve and 

forces are meeting all of these challenges. Current 

successes, as with those of the past, are a testament 

to good training and leadership. 

The most recent success involves our support of 

Desert Shield, and this is obviously our first priority at 

this time. To date, more than 6,000 engineer soldiers 

have deployed to Saudi Arabia. We have deployed 

the right combination of skilled soldiers and equipment in a timely manner to perform a specific mission: deter further Iraqi aggression. Picking up that 

many soldiers with their tons of equipment, placing 

them on the other side of the planet, and sustaining 

them is a remarkable feat in itself. That our soldiers 

have done this and are now in the execution phase of 

their mission shows how successful their leadership 

and training have been. 

Fort Leonard Wood's 5th Engineer Battalion is 

among the many engineer units deployed for Desert 

Shield. While formally inspecting these proud soldiers 

at the farewell ceremony, I was struck by their professionalism and confidence. As with other deploying 

units across the nation, these soldiers were doing 

what they had trained to do, and without exception 

they were doing it well. 

In speaking with many soldiers and their families, I 

was again impressed with the value of sound leadership and tough training. An important part of that 

leadership is taking care of families. Leaders at all 

levels must make the strong commitment to soldiers 

that their families will get the support they need. 

Every installation with alerted units will similarly support the family members of deployed soldiers. 

While the current focus is on Southwest Asia, we 

cannot ignore the possibility of other regional conflicts. We must sustain our readiness to meet contingencies elsewhere in the world and prepare for additional deployments to Southwest Asia if they are 

2 Engineer 

needed. Europe, Central America, and Korea will continue to demand our attention. 

Today's Army must and does provide our great nation with unique strategic capabilities that are versatile in nature and global in scope. As in operations 

Urgent Fury, Just Cause, and now Desert Shield, engineers must stand ready to be projected into any 

troubled part of the world. We must continue to hone 

our skills through deployments for training in Central 

America, to the National Training Center and the Joint 

Readiness Training Center, or to any location that 

provides a training opportunity. 

Exercise-related construction and humanitarian 

civic assistance provide ideal training opportunities. 

In addition to developing engineer skills, they provide 

opportunities to work with other services and nations. 

At a time when joint and combined operations have 

become the norm, we must not underestimate the 

value of these experiences. 

Army engineers must also maintain their readiness 

for civil works, military construction, disaster preparedness, and environmental remediation. The Exxon Valdez oil spill, Hurricane Hugo, last year's earthquake 

in California, and fires in our national forests are examples of recent disasters where Army engineers 

were called upon to provide relief. The routine 

stewardship of our national resources and infrastructure that is being done every day by our Engineer Districts provides a strategic and environmental foundation for our nation's future. Dredging harbors and 

maintaining the navigability of rivers are tasks that 

are vital to today's and tomorrow's economic 

strength. Works such as these are not simply an adjunct to our warfighting mission, they are an integral 

part of our engineer contributions to the nation's 

strength and security. 

Army engineers must be ready to meet every contingency from high-intensity conflict to peaceful competition among nations. It is incumbent upon all of us 

to be ready mentally, physically, and spiritually. Training and leadership are common denominators in 

meeting this broad continuum of challenges. The two 

are inseparable; a good leader must also be a good 

trainer. Soldiers at all levels of responsibility incur the 

obligation to train and lead to the absolute best of 

their abilities. The nation and our follow soldiers expect that of us. 
-""---BRIDGE THE GAP_;;a,_ _____ _ 

By Command Sergeant Major W. E. Woodall 

U.S. Army Engineer School 

Challenging and diverse duties are a fact of life 

for every non-commissioned officer (NCO). Because these duties are so numerous, some NCOs 

may feel there are stages during their careers when it 

is impossible for them to keep up with day-to-day missions and still have time to pursue self-development. 

But this is not so. Self-development is key to any 

NCO's success. Being responsible for their seHdevelopment is one of the "three pillars" of becoming 

an effective leader, and it cannot be put on the back 

burner for long. NCOs must make time to improve 

themselves if they want to succeed in our modern, 

technical-and highly competitive-Army. 

By the same token, our Army leadership is responsible for recognizing NCOs' self-development efforts, 

and they must provide the encouragement and support NCOs need to better themselves. 

The new Self-Development Test (SOT) is one way 

in which NCOs will be able to better themselves in 

the future. Many questions and concerns have been 

raised about the SDT, which will soon replace the 

Skill Qualification Test (SOT). And, while much about 

the test is still in the proposal stage, I will give you as 

much information as we have now. 

First, the facts. The objective of the SDT is to allow 

sergeants, staff sergeants, and sergeants first class 

to measure and guide their growth in the skills and 

proficiencies they need to develop as leaders. While 

most of the SDT will focus on job-related skills, it is 

not intended to be a military occupational specialty 

(MOS) test. 

The SDT will be a formally administered, 2-hour 

test made up of 1 00 questions. Sixty of them will be 

MOS-related, and these will be taken from the 

Soldier's Manual. Twenty questions will deal with 

leadership. They will be developed by the Center for 

Leadership, based on FM 22-100, FM 22-101 , and 

FM 22-102. The remaining 20 questions will relate to 

training; they will be developed by the Sergeants 

Major Academy from FM 25-101 . 

Separate tests will be developed for each skill 

level, sergeant through sergeant first class. Each test 

will be reviewed by a panel of sergeants major and 

validated by a group of soldiers from that career field 

before testing begins. 

Soldier's Manuals will continue to be issued 6 

months prior to the test date. The leadership and 

training manuals will be issued to soldiers when they 

attend the Primary Leadership Development Course 

or at their units, and these will be considered the 

soldier's personal property. 

SDT notices will be provided to soldiers 60 days 

prior to their test date. However, preparation for the 

test will be the individual's (not the unit's) responsibility. There will be no unit-level "cram sessions," 

and no preparation will be allowed during duty hours. 

For FY 91, all soldiers will continue to take the 

SOT. The SDT testing for Active Component (AC) soldiers will begin in FY 92. Reserve Component (RC) 

soldiers will take the SOT in FY 92 and begin SDT 

testing in FY 93. The AC soldiers will take the SOT 

every year, RC soldiers will take it every two years. 

The final fact about the new test is that SOT results 

will be linked to the Enlisted Personnel Management 

System. Test scores will be used when a soldier is 

being considered for retention, school selection, 

promotion, reclassification, or separation. 

Still in the proposal stage is just how the SDT will be 

implemented and scored, and more importantly, how 

scores will be used to determine a soldier's career options. For example, one proposal under consideration 

is that a soldier must score 70 percent or higher on the 

SDT in order to be promoted or selected for school. 

The test window for the SDT is not yet decided. 

The Department of the Army has proposed there be 

one test window for the entire Army, and a final 

decision on this proposal is expected in January 1991. 

Another self-development arena-Common Task 

Testing (Cn)-will change in FY 92. 

A new strategy has been developed for en. Beginning in FY 92, CTT will include skill levels two 

through four for sergeants through sergeants first 

class. This change is intended to make the en a 

progressive and sequential tool. It is based on recommendations by the NCO Leader Development Task 

Force and input from the Major Army Commands, 

and has been endorsed by the Army Chief of Staff. 

The option of providing alternative written tests for 

those who cannot participate in hands-on en due to 

lack of equipment or other limitations will be 

eliminated. The hands-on en will be a requirement. 

These changes to our NCO training program will 

emphasize an increased responsibility on the individual NCO for his or her own development. However, it should not launch us into unfamiliar territory. 

As non-commissioned officers and leaders, we have 

always been responsible for developing our training 

and leadership skills. 

Let's not wait until the SDT is upon us. Start an individual program of self-development today. You will 

progress into a more competent and confident leader 

of soldiers-of tomorrow's Army. 

Engineer3 
Engineer Hopper D s ~ 

& The Valdez Oil Re~ 

By Captain Charles Heaton, Jr. 

On March 24, 1989, the 

tanker Exxon Valdez 

departed Valdez, Alaska, with a 

full load of crude oil for west 

coast refineries. Less than two 

hours after departure, the huge 

ship ran aground on Bligh Reef 

in eastern Prince William Sound. 

Approximately 11 million gallons 

of Alaskan crude gushed into the 

sound. The resulting oil slick 

spread west across Prince William Sound and out into the Gulf 

of Alaska. Patches of Valdez oil 

4Engineer 

op,ration '\ •. 

·· ~ ... · • , :.·JP.D • 

were eventually sighted in the 

Shelikof Strait, more than 300 

miles from Bligh Reef. 

On April 6, 1989, the Corps of 

Engineers, Alaska District, became 

an operational element of Joint 

Task Force Alaska, mobilized to 

help clean up the oil spill. Two 

Corps of Engineer hopper dredges, 

the Yaquina and the Essayons, 

were sent to assist in the effort. 

The Yaquina left her home port of 

Astoria, Oregon, on April 14, and 

arrived in Prince William Sound 

four days later. The Essayons left 

Astoria on April 17, and arrived in 

the spill area on April21. 

In this article, I will show how 

engineer ingenuity allowed standard hopper dredges to be used 

effectively in oil recovery operations-despite the vessels' apparent unsuitability for the job. 

I've included background information on the spill, general information on hopper dredges, and 

methods of enhancing the oil 

recovery capabilities of dredges. 
The Background 

A laskan crude oil is pumped 

rom the North Slope oil 

field, the United States' largest 

oil reserve. After tapping these 

vast reserves, a way had to be 

found to get the oil from the 

Arctic Circle to coastal refineries. 

After much study, debate, and 

exhaustive environmental surveys, a pipeline was recommended. This pipeline linked the 

northern oil fields with Valdez, 

Alaska, and the year-round deep 

water port of Prince William 

Sound. 

The $7.7 billion Trans-Alaska 

pipeline, owned jointly by eight 

major oil companies, is a 49-inchdiameter, 789-mile-long tube 

which carries about 1.5 million 

barrels a day. Within hours of 

reaching Valdez, Alaska, the oil is 

loaded into one of more than 60 

ships that ferry their cargo to 

refineries or to other oil transportation points. 

Since the pipeline opened in 

1977, an estimated 6.8 billion barrels of oil have been transported 

without incident in more than 

8,500 tanker voyages through 

Prince William Sound. But during 

the early hours of March 24, 1989, 

that commendable record came to 

an end. 

The Exxon Valdez, which has 

since been renamed the Exxon 

Mediterranean, has a capacity of 

more than 1.4 million barrels of 

oil. The vessel was loaded with 

about 1.2 million barrels of oil 

when it left the Valdez dock at 

about 9 p.m. on March 23, bound 

for Long Beach, California. 

The 987-foot ship was traveling 

at about 8 knots in the outbound 

channel when icebergs were 

detected on radar. The ship's captain requested and was granted 

permission to use the inbound 

lane in order to avoid the ice. 

However, the ship strayed nearly 3 

miles beyond the eastern edge of 

the inbound lane. 

/ 

Top: An estimated 700 miles of coastline were affected by the oil 

spill. By April 2, the oil had been blown southwest to Shellkof Strait 

and Kodiak Island-moving 300 miles In eight days. 

Bottom: The hopper dredge Yaqulna. 

EngineerS 
At 12:04 the next morning, the 

tanker ripped open its hull on 

Bligh Reef, pouring oil into Prince 

William Sound at a rate of nearly 

1,000 gallons a second. Oil escaped 

from the ship with such force that 

it rose above the surface in threefoot waves. Within four days, the 

oil slick covered more than 100 

square miles of Prince William 

Sound. 

The• Alaskan crude aboard oil 

tankers has a specific gravity of 

about 0.85, which means it's about 

15 percent lighter than water. But 

when crude oil is spilled into salt 

water, many changes take place. 

About 24 hours after a spill, 

depending on weather conditions 

and wave action, the oil emulsifies 

with the sea water to form a very 

viscous material containing up to 

70 percent water. The crew of the 

Army dredges found this material 

to have about the same viscosity 

as refrigerated chocolate syrup. 

This material, called "chocolate 

mousse" by many of those who had 

to deal with it, had a serious impact on beaches and shorelines 

from Prince William Sound to 

Kodiak Island. It's been estimated 

that as many as 700 miles of 

coastline were affected by the oil 

6 Engineer 

spill. In some areas, the oily goop 

deposited by the tides was as 

much as six inches thick. 

As the tides continued their 

cycle, the oil worked deeper into 

the coarse gravel and rock 

beaches. In some cases, the oil 

soaked through to a depth of four 

feet, effectively sterilizing the 

beaches. 

By April 2, 1989, oil from the 

ship had been blown southwest to 

the mouth of Cook Inlet, causing 

extensive damage to the shorelines of Katmai National Park on 

ShelikofStrait across from Kodiak 

Island. When the oil reached this 

point, it had moved 300 miles in 

only eight days. 

The Dredges 

"'-e Yaquina and the Es-

~ ~ayons are hopper dredges, 

designed to dredge material from 

waterway bottoms, transport it 

to open water, and dump it. A 

simplified drawing of a typical 

hopper dredge below, shows a 

drag arm (a) with a drag head 

(b) extending from each side of 

the ship's hull. 

During dredging operations, 

the drag heads are lowered to the 

channel bottom and slowly pulled 

over the area being cleared. The 

vessel's pumps (c) create suction in 

the drag arms, and the silt or sand 

is drawn up through the drag 

arms to be deposited in the hopper 

bins (d). The solids settle out, and 

excess water escapes through 

weirs in the hoppers. 

When the hoppers are full, the 

dredge sails to a disposal area and 

dump~; the dredged material by 

opening the hopper doors (e) in the 

bottom of the hull. The pumps on 

the dredge are capable of moving 

more than 15,000 gallons of water 

and dredge material a minute. A 

typical dredge can store more than 

6,000 cubic yards of dredge 

material. 

The initial concern of government and corporate officials 

directing the cleanup was that 

hopper dredges would not be a 

productive asset for oil recovery. 

Neither dredge was outfitted for 

oil recovery or had ever participated in such operations. The 

dredges' first attempts at oil 

recovery justified their concern. 

Initial recovery efforts involved 

lowering a dredge's drag arm onto 

the surface of the water, and then 

"vacuuming" up the oil. These 
• 

Top: The Navy's u.s.s. Juneau anchors In Prince William Sound, 

where It quartered and controlled hundreds of clean up workers. 

Bottom: The Inverted Army dredge drag head, which allowed efficient 

removal of oil and debris, while minimizing the amount of water taken 

Into the ships' hoppers. 

attempts failed, primarily because 

it was impossible to maintain the 

necessary vacuum pressure on the 

relatively thin layer of oil. 

To solve this problem, a crew 

member suggested that the drag 

head be rotated 180 degrees. This 

positioned the head's intake openings to face up instead of·down. 

The inverted drag head was then 

placed just under the water's surface, and oil and water were 

drawn downward into the drag 

head. The initial attempt at oil 

recovery using the modified drag 

head allowed the recovery of more 

than 1,500 barrels of oil in less 

than 15 minutes. 

Oil Recovery 

""'e most common method of 

~ ~·ecovering oil called for the 

use of an oil containment boom and 

two smaller vessels, usually fishing 

boats. The boats would maneuver 

an oil boom around a floating oil 

mass and enclose the oil in a 

Engineer 7 
Above: An Army crewman maneuvers a small "donut," of oil, using 

ropes and a container boom. Such booms allowed the Army ships to 

place oil over the dredges' drag heads for collection. 

Below: A "Supervac" truck offloads oil from the Yaqulna. Although 

slow and laborious, this was the most effective means available to 

transfer the thick oil from the dredge to collection barges. 

8 Engineer 

"donut." A typical donut was approximately 200 feet in diameter 

and approximately one foot thick. 

The oil in these booms was so thick 

that when a crewman pushed a 

shovel into the goo, it could not be 

pulled out again. 

Since the drag arm does not 

move laterally out from the hull of 

a dr edge, the booms were 

man euvered into a position 

against the ship's hull. Before activating the drag head, the portion 

of the boom against the ship was 

securely fastened to the hull. The 

rest of the bo om was then 

maneuvered to position the oil 

over the drag head. 

This method was not without 

hazards. If the boom was not 

securely fastened to the hull, the 

powerful suction from the drag 

head would grab the boom and 

damage it badly. Unfortunately, 

this h appened several times 

during the course of recovery 

operations. 

Both dredges had sufficient power 

to pump the oil on board. The 

Essayons' pumping rate is about 360 

barrels per minute, and the ship has 

a 29,000-barrel hopper storage 

capacity. The smaller Yaquina pumps 

about 100 barrels per 

minute, and can store about 

4,000 barrels. 

During loading of the 

oil, the most critical factor 

was maintaining a 

suitable drag head depth. 

If the head was located too 

far beneath the surface of 

the oil, it would not be 

able to collect enough oil 

to be effective. If the head 

was too high, the suction 

force of the drag head 

would be lost because of 

air being drawn into the 

system. Because drag 

head position was so critical, a drag arm pumpman 

was assigned to control its 

vertical position and the 

speed of the dredge pump. 
The high volume of water taken 

aboard the dredges during the 

recovery process made it necessary to decant the oil/water mixture in the hoppers. Since oil is 

lighter than water, it naturally 

rises to the surface. As the 

oil/water mixture rises in the hopper, the level has to be monitored 

to ensure that it does not rise high 

enough to allow oil to escape 

through the hopper weirs. 

Decanting was accomplished by 

opening one of the hopper doors 2 

or 3 inches. This released water 

slowly, and when the desired level 

was reached, the doors were 

closed. A problem encountered 

during the operation was the large 

amount of debris, including wood, 

that was mixed with the floating 

oil. The wood had a tendency to get 

lodged in the hopper door openings, and sometimes prevented 

the doors from closing. 

Off-Loading the Oil 

Surprisingly, off-loading the colected crude oil mixture was 

almost a bigger problem than collecting it. The Essayons, because of 

its large storage capacity, did not 

have to unload until after the 

recovery operation was complete. 

The Yaquina however, had to offload several times. Barges were 

provided to receive the collected oil 

and debris. 

Because of the extreme thickness of the oil, it was impossible to 

off-load the dredges using conventional pumps. During the operation, several different pumps were 

tried-all with only limited success. A 3-inch submersible and a 

3-inch diaphragm pump were 

placed on board the Yaquina at the 

start of the operation. Neither of 

these pumps was able to move the 

oil, which was so thick it wouldn't 

even flow toward a vacuum draw. 

The largest pump used in offloading attempts was a 12-inch 

centrifugal pump with 12-inch 

suction and discharge hoses. 

Even this large pump fell victim to 

the viscosity of the oil and the associated debris. 

The most successful pump used 

for off-loading was the truckmounted "Supervac." The Supervac is a vacuum truck typically 

used to empty sewage tanks or 

similar containments. The Supervac uses a large hose which can be 

readily moved around the surface 

of the material being removed. 

Unfortunately, the oil and 

debris in the hoppers was so thick 

that suction from the Supervac's 

hose would create a hole in the 

material. The material was so viscous that often it would not even 

fill in the hole left by the Supervac. 

To get any results at all, crewmen 

had to constantly move the 

vacuum hose around the surface of 

the material. This was very timeconsuming and physically 

demanding on the crew. 

One of the limiting factors in 

using the Supervac was its small 

capacity. It would quickly fill with 

material from the hoppers, and 

would have to be emptied. 

The vacuum truck was designed 

to discharge its load through a 

hose into a collection barge, although this proved to be a 

troublesome and lengthy procedure. The crew of the Yaquina 

speeded the process by constructing a large rectangular box around 

the barge's hatch opening. This allowed the truck to open up its rear 

like a dump truck and discharge 

its load directly into the barge. 

While other off-loading options 

were tried, the problem of transferring oil from the dredges to barges 

was never totally resolved. Hopefully, further study will ensure that 

an effective off-loading method is 

available for use in future dredge 

oil-recovery operations. 

The Final Analysis 

A rmy hopper dredges played 

n important role in the 

Valdez oil recovery effort. The 

Essayons and Yaquina remained 

in Alaska until mid-July, when 

they returned to their normal 

west coast dredging duties. 

During their duty as oil recovery 

vessels, they recovered nearly 

380,000 gallons of oil. 

In addition to oil collection, the 

dredges proved their versatility by 

supporting other operations crucial to the recovery effort. The 

dredges were able to act as command and control vessels with full 

communications capabilities, as 

mother ships to fleets of smaller 

vessels (by supplying fuel, water 

and other supplies), and as rapidly 

deployable work stations with full 

housekeeping services. 

While equipment and procedures need to be fine-tuned, the 

Valdez operation proved the value 

of the hopper dredges. And they 

remain an effective option for 

meeting the challenge of oil 

recovery operations. W 

Captain Heaton is a project 

manager for the Defense Environmental Restoration Branch of the 

Alaska District. He previously 

served as a company commander 

with the 43rd Engineer Battalion. 

Other assignments include liaison 

officer for the Directorate of Combat 

Developments, Infantry &hool, and 

platoon leader and executive ·officer 

in the 5th Engineer Battalion. He is 

a graduate of the Engineer Officers 

Advanced Course, and the Combined Arms and Services Staff 

School. He holds a degree in civil 

engineering from Carnegie Institute 

of Technology. 

Engineer 9 
• 

• 

Dusf <ronfrol 

tn $auai Grabia 

Dust has always been a headache for tactical 

units, particularly armor, mounted infantry and 

aviation. It obscures battlefield vision, coats sighting instruments, and gives the enemy an excellent location 

signature. And that's in addition to the usual maintenance problems associated with all the grit. 

Of course, there's not much you can do about dust 

on the battlefield. But initial reports from Operation 

Desert Shield have indicated deeper than usual effects on the full range of Army field operations. From 

aviation parking areas to refueling points, and field billeting areas to maintenance parks, dust is making itself an unwelcome guest. 

Imagine yourself an engineer on the ground in that 

region. You're in a brigade tactical operations center 

(TOG), and an aviator has just finished briefing the 

commander. The aviator has indicated that his Blackhawks were unable to take on JP4 at a refueling point 

because of heavy dust swirling around the immediate 

area. The colonel shifts in his chair, looks over his 

shoulder, finds you, and says matter-of-factly: "Fix it!" 

You wouldn't be alone. There have been many requests to the Engineer Center for technical assistance and advice on dust control in Saudi Arabia. 

While most organized studies on soil behavior and 

dust assume a temperate or tropical environment, research done by the Center's Department of Military 

Engineering has highlighted the demanding nature of 

that country's climate and geology. 

The Saudi Climate 

Saudi Arabia has the internal drainage pattern 

typical of arid regions. In more temperate 

climates, water systems are the prime mover of soil 

particles. The finer the particle, the further it moveswith the finest ones eventually finding their way to the 

sea. With interior desert drainage, as in Saudi Arabia, 

what little rain there is simply moves fine soil particles to the center of the desert bowl. Arid regions 

are thus collectors of these dust-sized particles. And 

with the massive size of the Saudi desert, that 

10 Engineer By Major Michael F. Hullihan 
country has one of the largest collections of dust in 

the world. 

Wind is a constant feature of the desert climate. 

High daily temperature ranges (from 77 to 130 

degrees Fahrenheit), and great regional temperature 

variations cause continuous pressure gradients. The 

resulting winds are the primary vehicle for moving soil. 

Normally, any particle under 4 millimeters (mm) is 

subject to movement by wind. As soil particles are 

blown across the desert surface, they are gradually 

worn to very small sizes-typically less than 0.06 mm. 

Because of these conditions of extreme heat, low 

humidity, high winds, and uniformly small sand 

grains, soldiers taking part in Desert Shield routinely 

face dust problems much worse than those encountered at the National Training Center (NTC), in 

the Mojave Desert. 

Available Methods 

Several references are available for technical 

guidance on dust control, including TM5-330, 

TM5-830-3, and FM5-541. However, after considering 

the harsh Saudi environment, the number of workable options is drastically reduced. Let's look at some 

of the available methods and their potential usefulness in the Desert Shield environment: 

Mats and Membranes. Airfield matting like M19 

and AM2, and membranes like T17, will effectively 

prevent dust. Their only drawback is cost. Since it 

isn't feasible to mat all areas adjacent to runways 

and helipads, additional control methods are needed 

for areas surrounding the matting. 

Bituminous Products. These include asphalt cutbacks, asphalt emulsions, and road tars. Bituminous 

products act as adhesives in the soil mass. They will 

prevent dust as long as the treated surface layer is 

not broken by vehicles or aircraft. 

Bituminous materials may be applied as a penetration treatment or an admixture. For a penetration treatment to be effective, the soil must be sufficiently free 

of fines to allow adequate penetration depth. In extremely fine-grained soils like those in Saudi Arabia, 

such treatments produce a thin crust of bituminal soil 

which is only effective in nontraffic areas. 

In an admixture application, the soil is scarified, 

and a bituminous product is sprayed onto the soil. 

After mixing by windrowing, harrowing, or rototilling, 

the treated soil is shaped with a motor grader. Compaction with a rubber-tired or sheepsfoot roller completes the treatment. The admixture method 

strengthens the soil and acts as a dust palliative. 

In choosing between a bituminous penetration treatment and an admixture, the realities of an operational 

environment must be considered. Vehicle operators 

have a natural tendency to drive on anything that 

looks black. Even if an area is designated as nontraffic after treatment with a penetration application, 

vehicles will traverse the area unless effective 

measures are taken to restrict traffic. 

Bituminous products are the cheapest form of dust 

control, costing about $1.80 per square meter for an 

admixture. Asphalt emulsions are performing very 

well in Saudi Arabia, although caution must be exercised with mix water. Good results can be obtained 

with commercial, premixed emulsions, but the use of 

local brackish emulsion water can cause premature 

breaking and ruin distributors. 

Helicopters with skids also present a special problem for bituminous surfaces. Skids tend to "knead" a 

bituminous surface, eventually causing it to fail. 

Helicopters with skids should be parked on matting or 

coarse aggregate. 

Coarse Aggregate. Coarse aggregate with a 

uniform gradation of about 5 inches serves as both a 

good bearing surface and a dust palliative. When 

placed in a 12-inch-thick lift, this coarse aggregate 

functions well as a helipad. Grain size should be no 

less than 3 inches to avoid foreign object damage 

(FOD) problems. 

Vegetation and Deflation Armor. Vegetation acts 

as a natural dust agent. Similarly, the rocky crust (or 

deflation armor) found in deserts is an effective dust 

palliative until it is disturbed. Again, control of vehicle 

traffic can help preserve this natural cover and 

reduce the scope of dust problems. 

Resins. Petroleum-based or naturally occurring 

resins (like lignin) work like bituminous products. 

Resins are applied as penetrants or admixtures, and 

their performance is comparable to bituminous 

products. Organic resins such as lignin are environmentally safe, and they do not discolor the soil as much as 

bitumen. These characteristics may justify the use of 

resins in special circumstances, despite their higher 

cost of about $4 per square meter. 

Brine Solutions. Salt solutions, including CaCI, 

MgCI and NaCI, suppress dust through two 

mechanisms. First, they pull moisture from the air, 

causing dust particles to stick together. But this will 

occur only if the relative humidity is higher than 30 

percent. A second effect of brine solutions is the 

formation of a salty crust on the soil. If it remains unbroken, this crust can be effective in reducing dust. 

But conditions in the Saudi desert do not support 

the use of brine solutions. Relative humidity is near 

zero everywhere except coastal regions, and heavy 

traffic makes the life expectancy of a brine dust-suppression application very short. 

Cement and Lime. Cement and lime hydrate in 

the presence of water and form a soil-cement mass 

which will reduce dust. However, this technique is 

sensitive to the quality and amount of water used. In 

Engineer 11 
• Bituminous treatments in an 

admixture application are effective. Ensure the depth of 

admixture layer is greater 

than potential ruts (4-inch 

minimum). 

• Resin products, such as lignin, are effective when 

used as admixtures. For 

special use areas, the 

neutral color and 

biodegradable nature may 

justify the greater cost. 

• Mats and membranes effectively control dust in aircraft 

landing and parking areas. 

Adjacent areas subject to 

rotor or prop wash must 

receive a dust palliative. 

Swirling dust around support operations like this hellcoptor refueling point 

can Impede combat operations. Properly employed, available dust control 

measures can minimize airborne soli particles. 

• Uniformly graded coarse 

aggregate performs well as 

both a wearing surface and 

a dust palliative. 

an arid climate like Saudi Arabia, getting enough 

potable water into the soil mass and mixing it sufficiently is difficult. In more tropical regions, existing 

water in the soil usually makes up for the lack of 

added water. In the desert though, the cement and 

lime will remain anhydrous, and could even add to 

the dust problem. 

Crude 011 and Waste 011. While reference 

manuals list applications of crude or waste oil as a 

temporary dust palliative, these products should be 

used only as a last resort. Unlike graded asphalt or 

tar cutbacks, oil does not cure and adds no structural 

strength to the soil. Since it remains liquid, oil tends 

to turn loose soil into a black, oozing mass which 

coats vehicles, equipment and personnel. Too, the 

presence of oil makes subsequent use of bituminous 

products less effective. 

We must also be sensitive to the environmental 

concerns of the host nation. While graded bituminous 

products cure to form a stable type of soil asphalt 

concrete, oil remains liquid and must be regarded as 

a potential pollutant. 

Planning Considerations 

Based on the preceding evaluation of techniques, here are some general recommendations for dust control in Saudi Arabia: 

12 Engineer 

• Restrict traffic from deflation armor areas or areas 

protected by a penetration spray. 

• Avoid brine solutions and cement/lime mixtures. 

• Include dust control analysis as an engineer 

planning factor. 

We know there's not much that can be done about 

battle-generated dust. But we can initiate significant 

dust control measures designed to improve support 

operations and troop health and welfare. The last thing 

a battle-bound helicopter needs is to be hampered in 

its refueling attempts by heavy dust at the refueling 

point. And anyone who's spent much time in a windy 

desert environment can appreciate what it means to 

have some respite from the sand and grit that constantly filters through your tent and sleeping bag. 

Successful dust control in Saudi Arabia sounds like 

an impossible pipe dream. But through sound engineer analysis, and learning from early field experiences, engineers are finding solutions to the problem. 

w 

Major Hullihan is assigned to the Combat Construction 

Division of the Engineer School's Department of Military 

Engineering. He previously seNed as executive officer of 

the 35th Engineer Battalion. He has also seNed as a battalion S-3, company commander, and deputy district engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District. He is a West Point graduate, and holds a masters 

degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois. 
CIVIL WORKS--

ANOTHER SIDE OF THE ARMY 

ENGINEERS' MISSION 

Civil works is a broad-range, ever-changing mission of the 

Corps of Engineers that provides 

exciting challenges for young engineer officers. Many senior officers in the Corps will tell you that 

the best assignment they ever had 

was that of a district engineer involved in civil works. 

The Corps' History 

I n 1824, our nation struggled to 

open up and develop new lands 

west of the Appalachian Mountains. 

To aid in this effort, the U.S. Congress authorized President James 

Monroe to direct Army engineers to 

survey roads and canals needed for 

commercial, military, or postal purposes. In that same year, Congress 

authorized the first projects designed to improve navigation on the 

Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, accelerating the newly emerging 

In the 19th century, Corps engineers surveyed roads and canals and explored and mapped the western frontier. 

westward movement. 

During this period, the Corps also constructed harbor improvements such as breakwaters, jetties and 

piers. The Corps still has responsibility for maintaining federal channels in more than 1 00 major ports 

and 400 small boat harbors around the country. 

Today, the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil 

Works) is responsible for all aspects of the Army Civil 

Works program, which is implemented by the Corps 

of Engineers and carried out by some 300 engineer 

officers and 28,000 civilians. This program includes 

policy formulation and program direction for the 

development of more than 1,500 projects. Among 

these are navigation, flood control, hydropower, water 

supply, hurricane and coastal storm protection, beach 

erosion control, recreation, and fish and wildlife conservation. The Corps also helps to regulate wetlands 

and navigation, and provides emergency response to 

natural disasters. 

By Major General Patrick J. Kelly, Director of Civil Works Engineer 13 
Since passage of the Flood Control Act of 1936, 

the Corps has built about 400 flood control dams and 

thousands of miles of levees, floodwalls, floodways 

and channels. While costing more than $25 billion, 

these flood control facilities have saved more than 

$175 billion in damages. This equates to the prevention of $7 in damages for every $1 spent. 

The Corps' civil works program has helped move 

America forward over the years. Today, in order to 

meet the needs of the nation and the world, an environmental ethic must be integrated into the way the 

Corps conducts its business. 

The Corps is committed to promoting environmentally sustainable development while continuing to 

build and support our national infrastructure. The environmental consequences of Corps operations are 

an important part of the organization's decisionmaking process. In other words, environmental issues are more than simply a consideration; they are 

part of the "go-no-go" test along with economics and 

engineering. 

The Districts 

District assignments are challenging and 

demanding. They provide an opportunity for an 

officer to exercise a full range of leadership, engineering, and construction skills. 

There are 39 districts in the Corps of Engineers, 

and 37 of them have civil works missions. Districts 

are organized like mini-installations and are primarily 

staffed with civilians. The staffs range in size from 

14 Engineer 

The largest shipment of 

military equipment on 

Inland waterways since 

World War II moved 

through Lock and Dam 

4, on the Arkansas 

River, In 1989. The 

equipment was enroute 

to the Joint Readiness 

Training Center at Fort 

Chaffee. (Photo by P.J. 

Spaul) 

200 to 1,800 personnel and include from two to 20 

military officers. 

Company grade officers are usually assigned to 

construction field offices, where they gain experience 

in construction contract supervision and administration. The names of each field office reflects the quantity of work supervised, and include area, resident, or 

project offices. 

Military officers supervise all aspects of contract 

management, including construction quality control, 

safety, change order negotiation, dispute resolution, 

and warranty enforcement. After they are fully schooled 

in field operations, officers may move to the district office to learn other aspects of district operations. Duties 

as a project manager in either a construction or engineering division would be a typical assignment. 

A district assignment is a career-broadening experience that provides an opportunity to work with a 

civilian work force. Such assignments prepare officers 

for future field grade assignment as a deputy or commander in a district. They also allow officers to apply 

their technical engineering education to the solution 

of complex problems. 

1986 Water Resources Act 

The Water Resources Development Act of 1986 

was the first major authorizing legislation for 

civil works in 16 years, and it fundamentally changed 

federal water policy. Besides authorizing many new 

projects, this act included new cost-sharing rules for 

nonfederal participation in project funding. Basic 
policies introduced by this law will profoundly affect 

Corps water resources development for many years 

to come. As a result, Corps' district engineers and 

their staffs now work closer than ever with various 

project sponsors on all phases of a project, including 

planning, design, and construction. 

Numerous harbor-deepening projects have been 

started, and many have been completed, since this 

act was passed. New projects include those at the 

ports of Baltimore, Mobile and Norfolk. Because 

these projects require significant involvement with 

local agencies, strong partnerships have been forged 

between the Corps and individual project sponsors. 

Flood Control 

Large-scale flood control projects are also underway. The $1.35 billion Santa Ana River floodcontrol project in California consists of two large 

dams and 50 miles of channel. It will provide flood 

protection for a three-county area near Los Angeles, 

one of the fastest growing regions in the nation. 

The Passaic River flood-control project, in northern 

New Jersey, is in the design stage. It will provide an 

innovative solution to flood control that involves two 

diversion tunnels, as well as some channel modifications, levees, and flood walls. 

With opportunities such as these, today's engineer 

officers can gain excellent experience in all phases of 

construction management. Training in the construction management of navigation, flood control and 

other projects prepares officers for a wide variety of 

assignments. 

National Emergencies 

The Corps has a proud history of responding to 

the nation's needs in time of emergency or disaster. Response can be under the Corps' own statutory authority for floods, hurricanes or coastal storms, 

or it can be in support of other agencies, such as the 

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 

Corps assistance often includes long-term recovery 

efforts to meet public needs. To accomplish these 

response missions, the Corps is heavily involved in the 

development of necessary plans, training of response 

personnel, testing, and coordination of all these efforts 

with affected federal, state, and local entities. 

Another important responsibility of the Corps' civil 

works mission is responding to major emergencies 

that have an impact on our nation's security. Toward 

this end, the Corps has developed its National 

Security Emergency Preparedness (NSEP) program, 

which is designed to meet defense and essential 

civilian needs during any national emergency. The 

Corps, in coordination with state, local and other 

federal agencies, has prepared support plans that 

can be implemented both here and overseas. 

Resource Protection 

Civil works projects also provide public recreation 

facilities featuring boating, swimming, fishing, 

hunting, camping and hiking. The Corps manages more 

than 2,000 separate recreation areas at 472 water 

resource development projects in 41 states. Next to the 

U.S. Forest Service, the Corps is the second largest 

The Corps of Engineers 

has a proud history of 

responding to national 

emergencies. Here, crewmen offload oil from an 

Army dredge during the 

Valdez, Alaska, clean-up 

operations. Corps' 

dredges pulled In about 

7,000 barrels of oil as part 

of the clean-up activities. 

Engineer 15 
16 Engineer 

federal provider for recreation opportunities. 

Corps mu~iple-purpose projects have 

provided many communities with their prime 

source of drinking water. In meeting water supp-

ly needs, the Corps has impounded more than 

9,000,000 acre-feet of water in 101 lakes 

throughout the United States. 

The Corps also has been active in shoreline 

protection and in deve

loping new technologies 

in this area. Both structural and nonstructural 

measures are used to protect the country's 

seacoast and shores of 

the Great Lakes from 

erosion and hurricane or storm flood damage. 

Structures include groins and breakwaters. Nonstructural measures, such as adding sand or 

planting beach grasses, 

are often more 

economical and practical. 

By conducting civil works programs during 

peacetime, the Corps ensures 

its readiness for 

potential mobilization. It also allows engineer of

-

ficers an opportuni

ty to represent the Army to 

portions of the American public who might not 

otherwise have contact with the Army. 

Research 

As its missions expand, the Corps of Engineers is seeking new ways to do its job 

better. Research to support the civil works effort, 

as well as military construction, is carried out by 

some 1,200 scientists and engineers at four major 

research centers. Officers with an interest in the 

practical application of scientific principles, and 

who possess training in a related discipline, will 

find these assignments challenging and rewarding. 

Top left: Idaho's Dworshak 

Dam Is one of the largest 

dams ever built by the 

Corps of Engineers. This 

multipurpose project 

provides flood control, 

hydropower, and navigation opportunities. 

Left: The Corps often 

works with other agencies 

when clean

ing 

up toxic 

materials. These Corps per

-

sonnel, In cooperati

on with 

the Environmental Protection Agency, are cleaning 

up ha

zardous waste. 
The Army Construction Engineering Research 

Laboratory (CERL) in Champaign, Illinois, works with 

the University of Illinois in conducting research and 

engineering studies in materials, energy, construction 

management and environmental quality. 

The Army Engineer Topographic Laboratories 

(ETL) at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, is committed to advancIng state-of-the-art technology In geodetic, 

topographic and geographic systems for the Army 

and Department of Defense. The Global Positioning 

System, a well-known battlefield aid, was used by 

ETL researchers to develop a precise structural tool 

to measure deformation on large dams. 

The Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CAREL) in Hanover, New Hampshire, 

supports civil and military construction through research, investigations and engineering studies of cold 

environments, including the mechanics of snow, ice 

and permafrost. CAREL supports civil works 

programs by studying methods to control the impact 

of ice on navigation structures and the effect of ice 

and snow on the environment. 

The Waterways Experiment Station (WES) in Vicksburg, Mississippi, pursues a spectrum of activities in 

six component technical laboratories. 

• The Hydraulics Laboratory studies flood control, 

navigation and sedimentation problems in waterways and harbors. 

• The Structures Laboratory studies the response 

of structures to various kinds of stress. 

• The Environmental Laboratory investigates the 

effects of water resources development projects 

on the environment, and the interaction between 

military activities and the environment. 

• The Coastal Engineering Research Center 

provides national expertise in coastal engineering to help solve navigation, coastal flooding, 

beach erosion, storm protection and marine construction problems. 

• The Geotechnical Laboratory studies soils, pavements, off-road mobility of military vehicles, 

earthquake effects and engineering geology. 

• The Information Technology Laboratory does research, development, and support in interdisciplinary computer-aided engineering fields and computer science fields. 

The Corps also has entered into a new research 

and development (R&D) partnership with the nation's 

construction industry to make it more competitive with 

foreign firms. This partnership, referred to as construction productivity advancement research (CPAR), 

is making Corps R&D labs available to industry for research, development and the application of advance 

technologies through cooperative research, field 

demonstrations, licensing agreements and other 

forms of technology transfer. · 

As part of tts over-all civil works mission, the Corps 

is working with the Federal Railroad Administration In 

the development of a high-speed, high-tech, surface 

transportation system. This system is designed to 

move large numbers of passengers over distances up 

to 600 miles at speeds of 300 miles per hour, or more. 

The technology, known as magnetic levitation 

(MAGLEV), would use magnetic force to lift and propel 

train-like vehicles on guideways in a manner that is 

safe, energy efficient and environmentally sound. 

Infrastructure Upgrades 

I n addition to the work on MAGLEV, the Corps, has 

set up an infrastructure task force. This group will 

help implement a strategic plan to assist the nation In 

upgrading its infrastructure, including navigation 

facilities, flood control structures, waste water 

management, solid waste management, hazardoustoxic-waste cleanup, and other environmentally sensitive work. During FY 1991, the Corps will open discussions with federal, state and local agencies and 

private sector officials to develop a national strategy 

for America's infrastructure needs. 

Closely tied to the question of infrastructure is the 

development of a public-private partnership to provide environmental services that have traditionally 

been the responsibility of state or local governments. 

This could include drinking water supply, wastewater 

management, and solid waste disposal. The Corps is 

working with the Environmental Protection Agency to 

increase private sector involvement in these areas. 

As the nation prepares to enter the 21st century, tt 

faces many of the same problems that confronted a 

young and restless America in the early 19th century. 

Today, in addition to navigation and flood control, 

there is a whole range of challenges associated with 

protecting and restoring the environment, rebuilding 

the national infrastructure, and making sure that adequate water resources are available to serve the 

needs of our nation and the world. 

Through civil works projects the Corps will continue to be part of the effort to strengthen this nation. 

Officers assigned to civil works projects can expect 

exceptionally rewarding challenges and the opportunity to make a significant contribution to our 

country's future. Ill 

Major General Kelly is currently assigned as Directc 

of Civil Works in the Office of the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Previous a: 

signments include Commander and Division Engineer of the Corps' South Pacific Division; and Co1 

mander, U.S. Army Engineer District, Mobile, AL. 

Engineer 
18EngiMer 

Engineer Problem 

This is the first of four engineer problems dealing with breaching operations; the 

remaining three will appear in future issues of ENGINEER Professional Bulletin. The 

problems reflect concepts outlined in FM 90-13-1, Combined Arms Breaching Operations, which is scheduled for distribution in the 2nd quarter of 1991. Each will focus 

on a particular type of breaching operation: in-stride, deliberate, assault, and covert. 

The scenario depicted in each problem illustrates specific teaching points on that 

type of breach. An excerpt from FM 90-13-1 is provided to describe the characteristics of the breach and when it will be used. The problem-solving process is 

presented using the engineer estimate process and includes some key discussion 

points. Our first problem focuses on an in-stride breach. 

As the task force (TF) engineer and engineer company commander, you are to 

recommend a task organization of mobility assets to the TF tank commander. The intent is to organize the task force for an in-stride breach from phase line (PL) Red to 

PL Blue. 

SffUATION:You are the commander of Company A, 52d Engineer Battalion (Co 

A/52d EN Bn), a divisional combat engineer company. Your unit is attached to TF 

Tank for their offensive operation. The brigade's mission is to destroy an attacking 

motorized rifle regiment (MRR), which is being committed into your area of operations. Your TF mission is to lead the brigade's attack through a defeated main defensive belt and destroy the MAR's vanguard of motorized rifle battalion (MRB(+)) 

strength. This will allow the main body of the brigade to pass through and destroy 

the MAR's main body. 

TF Tank is to attack along Axis Strike and destroy the lead MRB(+). as shown on 

the Brigade Operations Overlay. The TF commander expects a meeting engagement and believes the key terrain near attack by fire (ABF) ZULU will give his force 

a needed advantage. The commander focuses his TF planning on conducting a 

movement to contact that will end in a meeting engagement. 

Brigade Operations Overlay 
Engineer Problem 

As a result of the intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB) process, you and 

the intelligence officer (S-2) developed the enemy Situation Template, below. The 

TF commander selected the maneuver plan shown on the Task Force Operations 

Overlay. 

Defeated enemy's 

main defensive belt 

PL Red 

Axis Strike 

PL Red 

Situation Template 

Task Force Operations Overlay 

Option 1 

The plan is designed around rapid maneuver on Axis Strike to attack by fire positions that will fix the enemy's combat reconnaissance patrol (CRP) and forward 

security element (FSE). The company/team moves to the appropriate ABF position 

in order to fix the advance guard main body. The TF's main effort will shift to forces 

in the TF's main body as they attack into the flank of the advance guard's main 

body. The TF's main body will deploy either north or south, depending on the situation developed by the TF's advance guard. 

Engineer 19 
20Engineer 

("U"lJUl 

1 1 Engineer Problem 

r----tl I 

During the planning process, the commander and staff identified rapid movement through a previously defeated MRS main defensive belt (PL Red to PL 

Blue) as an essential implied task. Because rapid movement is critical and the 

obstacle and enemy situation in this area are relatively unknown, the TF commander gave you guidance to organize his mobility assets for an in-stride breach. 

Engineer Solution is on page 29. 

In-stride Breach Description 

Definition: A force breaches in-stride when the breach operation can 

be successfully executed under the complete command and control of 

a task-organized subordinate unit. 

A commander uses an in-stride breach when-

., The situation is unclear (enemy and friendly obstacle locations 

are unknown) and several lead subordinate units are capable of 

independent breaching operations to accomplish the mission . 

..,. The enemy's defense (obstacles and fires) is so weak that the 

forces required to support, breach, and assault can be 

task-organized into a subordinate unit. Breach success does not 

require the maneuver of other subordinate units to adequately 

suppress, secure, or reduce the obstacle. 

Characteristics: 

- Breach is conducted at the subordinate level. 

-The brigade or task force is capable of quickly overcoming 

unexpected or lightly defended obstacles. 

-The resources necessary for independent application of suppress, 

obscure, secure, and reduce (SOSR) are allocated to the task 

forces, companies, or teams. 

- Application of SOSR and breach synchronization are the 

subordinate commander's responsibility. 

-Mobility assets (engineer and maneuver) are generally 

decentralized to support independent breach operations. 

-Maneuver and engineer plans address the quick transition to a 

deliberate breach; the engineer maintains a mobility reserve that can 

shift to any location required. 
Engineer Safety 

Engineer Accident Review for FY90 

Personal injury 

411 

and ground guides were 

not used or were used improperly. Supervisors 

must ensure ground 

guides are used properly 

and that hand and arm 

signals are understood 

by all soldiers involved in 

The number of accidents involving engineer soldiers increased 

in fiscal year (FY) 90, 

reversing last year's 

downward trend. The 

narratives of accident 

reports tell what can 

happen when standards 

are not enforced and 

adequate supervision is 

not provided. They also 

show areas where we 

must improve our performance. 

Army motor vehicle 

101 

the operation. 

Most of the maintenance accidents occurred while soldiers 

were installing repair 

parts or repairing tires. 

Here, too, failure to follow proper procedures 

was the underlying 

cause. 

Statistics tell the story. 

Other• 

25 POV 

85 

Combat vehicle 

7 

Total Accidents, FY 90 = 629 

Cost = $10, 170,000 

As of October 29, 1990, 

there were 629 engineerrelated accidents reported, compared with 

608 in FY 89. The good *18 Other Army vehicles, 4 fire, 3 explosives 

news is that accident 

costs dropped 13 percent 

during the same period-from 

$11,120,000 in FY 89 to 

$10,170,000 in FY 90. This article 

focuses on the major types of engineer accidents and countermeasures we can take to reduce 

their number. 

There were 23 fatalities involving engineer soldiers in FY 90, 

compared with 24 i.n FY 89. Two of 

them occurred in an M9-ACE accident; these were the only training 

fatalities. Of the others, 19 occurred in privately owned vehicles, one in a fall from a cliff, and 

one soldier was struck by a train. 

Another, not included in the above 

total, involved a civilian who was 

run over when a road grader backed up on a construction site. 

Personal injuries, 65 percent of 

all accidents, included mainly 

human locomotion (walking and 

running) and sports accidents. 

Other top accident producers in 

this category are material handling, maintenance, and tactical 

parachuting. 

Human locomotion and sports 

made up 24 percent of all engineer 

accidents. Poor housekeeping or 

police of the work area caused 

most of the human locomotion accidents; they occurred when an 

employee fell, slipped or tripped 

while walking. Leg and ankle injuries incurred during touch football and basketball games 

produced most of the sports injuries. We can reduce these accidents by following proper procedures-<>n and offthejob. 

Material handling injuries center around soldiers who work with 

loads that are being moved with 

engineer equipment. Narratives 

from these accident reports 

describe poor communications/supervision between operators and 

handlers. Frequently hand signals 

Tactical parachuting 

remains as the top combat soldiering accident 

producer for engineers. 

Poor exits and improper 

PLFs are major problems. The 

Safety Center is involved in 

several tactical parachute awareness and equipment challenges 

aimed at improving the safety of 

this mission. 

Of the engineer Army motor 

vehicle (AMV) accidents, almost 

30 percent involved 5-ton trucks, 

and most were caused by 

operators who failed to follow established procedures.There was 

an average of two dump truck 

accidents every month. Failure 

to use ground guides, speeding, 

and disregard of traffic rules 

were major causes. These are 

areas supervisors can influence. 

And, an exportable training 

package for 5-ton vehicles, 

recently released by the Transportation School, is aimed at improving driver awareness. 

(Continued on page 43) 

Engineer 21 
Some of the Best 

Training Anywhere 

e Latin American theater gives the Army, .J. :nd engineers in particular, some of the 

best training available anywhere in the world. 

And like the proverbial two-edged sword, it gives 

soldiers the chance to hone their military skills 

and, at the same time, improve the quality of life 

for local civilian populations. 

Honduras is one of the most active areas for such 

dual-purpose military deployments. A close relationship with the United States and a long string of 

productive U.S. operations there have made the 

Central American country a favorite for military 

and nation assistance missions. 

Early last year, the 27th Engineer Battalion 

from Fort Bragg deployed to Honduras for a threemonth tour. Both military construction and nation 

assistance missions were completed by the unit as 

part of the Joint Chiefs of Staff exercise AllUas 

Tara '90. 

The battalion headed a task force of more than 

1,000 soldiers. Giving additional muscle to the airborne unit was Alpha Company of the 92d Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Heavy), which 

provided heavy engineer equipment and concrete 

mobiles, an asphalt spraying capability, and sorely 

needed compaction equipment. Additional haul assets were provided by the 264th Assault Bridge 

Company (MGB). Logistics support was provided 

by a composite force under the control of the 

189th Maintenance Battalion. A Company, 50th 

Signal Battalion, and the 28th Combat Support 

Hospital completed the task force package. 

The primary military construction project was a 

4,200-foot, C-130-capable airstrip, along with a 

taxiway, parking apron, cargo staging area, and a 

fuel storage area. The strip was built near the city 

of Choluteca, about 17 kilometers from Nicaragua. 

Additional exercise-related construction (ERC) 

An aerial view of the Choluteca strip. The strip's 

single surface treatment Is complete through stage 

30. The Pan American Highway Is Just to the left of 

the field. 

22 Engineer By Captain William E. Rapp 
projects included lime stabilization repair of the 

San Lorenzo taxiway, the construction of an 18-

pad CH-4 7 heliport, and fuel and cargo staging 

areas near the port of San Lorenzo. 

Nation-assistance projects included the construction of four concrete masonry unit (CMU) buildings in four different villages. Three of these 

would serve as school buildings, and one as a 

town hall. The task force also dug seven new wells 

at sites selected by the Honduran government. A 

small group of Air Force Reserve engineers, working with the task force, also built two additional 

buildings in Choluteca. 

The Choluteca FLS 

e Choluteca forward landing strip (FLS) 

~ ;as constructed as a 4,200-foot, compacted 

aggregate airstrip. The task force used a nonwoven geotextile fabric (8NP) over the subgrade, a 

9-inch compacted lift of 3 inches(-), a 6-inch compacted lift of 3/4 inch (-), and a single surface 

treatment. The geotextile saved an estimated 

14,000 cubic yards (CY) of aggregate. 

Two sets of triple 36-inch culverts aided 

drainage under the taxiway crossovers. The soldiers used Reno mattresses filled with 3-inch (-) 

aggregate in the drainage ditches to control 

erosion during the rainy season. Construction was 

done with small, airborne engineer equipment, 

D-5B dozers, CAT 621 graders, and CAT 613B 

scrapers and water distributors. 

Following construction of a gravel civilian 

bypass road around the strip, the battalion built 

Top left: The villagers of 

Santa Marla gather 

around their new school 

building built by the 27th 

Engineers. 

Left: The unit began 

their deployment with an 

airborne operation. Here, 

a small emplacement excavator (SEE) lands on 

the El Espino drop zone. 

Engineer23 
the cargo staging area and the fuel storage area. 

The asphalt section from Alph a Company placed 

MC-70 as a prime coat over the FLS, and then 

sprayed RC-250, followed by the spreading and 

rolling of 3/8-inch aggregate (washed) to complete 

the single surface treatment. The region's high 

temperatures (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit every 

day), retarded the curing process, but careful traffic control gave the treatment a chance to cure 

properly. 

San Lorenzo Stabilization 

The San Lorenzo taxiway, constructed the previous year adjacent to the San Lorenzo FLS, 

was showing signs of premature failure. Examination by the engineers of the Waterways Experiment Station (WES) at Vicksburg, Mississippi, indicated that the taxiway needed significant lime 

stabilization repair. 

Bravo Company began the mission by removing 

18 inches of stabilized topsoil from the affected 

areas, and bringing in new soil. Using one 

BOMAG recycler, BOMAG vibe roller, and two 

water distributors, the company re-stabilized the 

taxiway using dry lime instead of the lime-slurry 

method. The dry lime method required spreading 

the lime above the new topsoil in precise quantities. The recycler was then used to mix the lime, 

soil and water at an even rate. The vibe roller 

brought the resulting soil mixture to compa.ction 

standards in 10-12 passes. 

El Caimito Heliport 

Eighteen 25-foot by 50-foot concrete pads 

were used to construct the CH-4 7 heliport 

near the town of El Caimito. A supporting road 

network and fuel berms were also part of this 

project. 

CMU Buildings 

A lthough wooden buildings were originally 

lanned for the battalion's nation assistance 

work, the task force was notified enroute to Honduras that CMU construction must be used. The 

greater life expectancy of the CMU design was 

given as the reason. 

On arrival, the task force purchased the required 

materials locally, and the engineers adapted and improvised when faced with wide variations in 

material quality. The concrete mobiles again did 

yeoman service by placing the concrete pads for the 

buildings at very remote sites. 

24 Engineer 

The task force constructed four CMU buildings: 

one each in Orocuina, Tierra Blanca, Santa Maria, 

and El Pillado. 

Wells 

During the dry season in southern Honduras, 

the availability of potable water becomes a 

critical factor in the health of villagers. Poor quality 

water often leads to serious health problems for 

people with no alternate water sources. 

The 38th and 865th Well Drilling Detachments 

dug seven wells for the Hondurans. The units 

used the new 600-foot drilling rig, and installed 

hand pumps on the wells they left the villagers. 

Pea gravel, necessary for development of the 

wells, forced combat engineers to improvise. 

Several cubic yards of the critical material was obtained by screening river gravel by hand. 

Lessons Learned 

Once in country, obtaining missing critical 

equipment is very difficult and/or extremely expensive. Forethought prior to deployment 

brings to mind Roger's standing order to his 

rangers in 1759: "Don't forget nothin'." 

The following points are critical: 

... Plan for significantly more compaction equipment than expected. This equipment is always critical during the haul/spread/compact 

phase, and even rollers break down. 

... Dry environments require vast water distribution capability. Lack of sufficient water 

results in poor compaction. 

... Lack of adequate spare parts for low-density 

equipment can be a show-stopper. Engineer 

equipment doing hard work-even with conscientious maintenance-will eventually break 

down. And the lack of needed parts will keep 

it down. 

Construction deployments to Latin America continue to offer significant challenges and rewards 

for engineers. A tough environment, demanding 

mission assignments, and the difficulties inherent 

in being so far from home base all add up to 

tougher, better tr aining for soldiers. And Honduras offers some of the best. W 

Captain Rapp is the assistant S -3 for the 27th Engineer 

Battalion. He previously served with the 16th Engineer 

Battalion, and the 1-1 Cavalry Squadron. He is a 

graduate of the Engineer Officers Advanced Course. He 

received his degree from the U.S. Military Academy. 
IJistrictl'roject 

Engineer: 

The Road Less Travelled 

The "road less travelled" is often 

touted to be the most rewarding. 

For junior engineer officers, that 

road is often an assignment as a 

project engineer for a U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers district. 

Alaska & John Nelson 

There are many ch oices available to officers who 

have successfully completed company command. Most would like 

to continue in a troop assignment, but often this is simply not 

possible. Some officers don't realize the professional development 

that a district assignment can 

offer. Many others often don't 

know that the assignment even 

exists. But it is well worth investigation. For an engineer officer 

interested in furthering his 

career, particularly in construction management, I think there 

is no better opportunity than 

working in an engineer district. 

The Corps is the largest engineering and contracting agency 

in the free world. It regulates the 

nation's navigable waters and 

wetlands, and handles real estate 

functions for most Army and Air 

Force installations throughout the 

world. 

Each district office is normally 

commanded by a colonel and 

staffed primarily with civilian employees-along with several 

military engineers. The primary 

mission of a Corps district office is 

to plan, design and monitor construction projects. 

For officers interested in such 

an assignment, a degree in engineering is often preferred, but is 

not mandatory. What really 

counts is managerial skill. The 

ability to gather accurate information quickly, deal with all types of 

people, and make sound decisions 

are the keys to success in a district 

job. 

My four-year tour with the Alask a district ended last summer, 

bringing to a close one of the most 

challenging and rewarding experiences of my career. I first 

served as the assistant resident 

engineer, and then moved to the 

position of assistant to the chief of 

the regulatory branch. 

As assistant resident engineer 

of the Richardson office, I was 

responsible for about 20 projects 

with a contract value of $138 million. This is a position that a captain could typically expect to 

receive for at least one year of his 

tour with a district. And this is 

where the rubber meets the road. 

The project officer works directly 

with contractors to ensure a 

quality finished product that's on 

schedule and within budget. 

To be able to do that requires 

on-site visits to the contract sites, 

and extensive travel is an integral 

part of the project engineer's life. 

In the case of the Richardson office, these contract sites are 

spread over a vast area, reaching 

from the tip of the Aleutian Islands, to Haines in the southeast, 

and Galena in the north. 

In fact, the first contract 

negotiation I handled was located 

near Cold Bay, in the Aleutian Islands. It wasn't the most difficult 

or costly negotiation I was to have, 

but it served to drive home the 

sometimes emotional aspect of my 

duties. 

In March 1985, I had been in my 

job for two months when the claim 

was presented. A contractor working near Cold Bay had to stop 

By Major John Nelson and Captain Donald R. Curtis, Jr. Engineer25 
work for more than a month 

because of frozen ground conditions. He claimed that relic ice (a 

permanent frost condition) was 

present in the site he was contracted to excavate, and asked 

that he be compensated for a 

$90,000 loss for work stoppage. 

The case required some research on my part, and the 

district's geology department assisted me in this effort. A primary 

factor in my decision was that the 

ground in the Aleutians rarely 

develops a deep, penetrating frost. 

The temperature range is between 

5 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit, with 

a typical average winter temperature near the freezing mark. 

The winter of 1984-1985, however, was unusually cold. The 

months of January and February 

in particular were far below normal, with temperatures never 

rising above freezing. The contractor failed to anticipate the possibility of significant frost 

problems, and did not bring adequate equipment for the job. He 

was faced with the decision to fly 

in a larger dozer, or wait and hope 

for a quick thaw. Unfortunately, 

he chose to wait. 

My final decision was in favor of 

the government, since the frozen 

26 Engineer 

ground encountered by the contractor was not relic ice, and the 

government is not responsible for 

the normal forces of nature. The 

decision was upheld on the 

contractor's appeal to the district 

engineer. 

It was not an easy decision to 

make. The contractor endured a 

significant time delay because of 

an ice condition that he had no 

control over. It wasn't a very big 

company, and the loss of revenue 

hurt. While it could be argued that 

he should have planned the job 

better, all of us know that it is 

impossible-or sometimes too expensive-to try and be prepared 

for all contingencies. This case, 

like many others to follow, tested 

my knowledge, judgement, and 

emotions. But the job made me a 

better engineer and contributed 

significantly to my professional 

development as an officer. 

Officers will normally rotate 

through two or three different jobs 

while serving a district tour. A 

variety of jobs are open to junior 

military officers in planning, 

design, safety, environmental or 

regulatory branches of a district 

operation. 

After a year as a project engineer, I spent the remainder of 

John Nelson, right, 

confers with other engineers during a 

proJect site visit at 

Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. 

From left are Bob O)a, 

Ueutenant Colonel 

Roy Carlson, and 

Colonel William Kakel, 

district engineer for 

the Alaska region. 

my tour in the district's regulatory 

branch. This branch regulates the 

use and development of navigable 

waters and most wetlands within 

its jurisdiction. The office receives 

permit applications seeking use of 

certain land or waters from 

private citizens or companies. It 

then evaluates them in coordination with other local, state and 

federal agencies, and makes a 

determination on whether or not 

to issue a permit to the applicant. 

Unfortunately, the final decision is 

not always well received. 

A case in point was the application for construction of causeways 

in the Beaufort Sea to support 

Niakuk oil field development. A 

prime factor we had to consider 

from the Corps' point of view was 

the effect the causeways would 

have on wildlife. Two causeways 

that had been constructed earlier 

were already causing a disturbance of fish migration habits. 

Based on years of study of 

fish migration in the area, a 

decision was made to deny permission for the additional causeway. A 

variety of experts believed that 

the extra causeway would deter 

the fish from migrating to their 

spawning grounds, and threaten 

their existence as a species. The 
Top: Don Curtis, center, checks the progress of work on the new Engineer 

School facllltles at Fort Leonard Wood. 

Bottom: An aerial view of the same site. Junior officers often get to oversee 

such construction as part of their project officer duties In a Corps district. 

fact-gathering in the case was 

done by our regulatory branch, 

which contracted studies on the 

subject by private organizations. 

Studies conducted by environmental organizations were also considered in making the final 

decision. 

The oil companies did not agree, 

but the decision held. The risk to 

the fish migration was considered 

too great when compared with the 

expected benefit of the causeway. 

My last district mission came 

when the Exxon Valdez ran 

aground in March 1989. The Alaska district set up a 24-hour emergency operations center and became an integral part of the 

clean-up effort. The Corps dredges 

Essayons and Yaquina were 

brought in to aid the clean up, and 

were controlled by the Alaska district. During the first months of 

the operation, I was a briefer and 

guide for Corps personnel assigned to assist in the effort. With 

a lot of hard work on the part of 

both the Corps' military and 

civilian personnel, the Army's effort made a real contribution to 

recovering spilled oil. 

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a district tour of duty to a 

junior officer. The challenges are 

great, and the job will demand all 

of your technical expertise and 

managerial skills. But the 

rewards are just as great. You will 

grow both as an engineer and as 

an officer. And that means you'll 

be better equipped when the time 

comes later in your career for a 

battalion XO or command slot. 

Missouri & Don 

Curtis 

My assignment as an assistant resident engineer for 

the Fort Leonard Wood Resident 

Office of the Kansas City district 

offered me challenges and opportunities that I could not have 

found anywhere else. 

Engineer 27 
I was fortunate enough to be 

able to tackle the challenge of ensuring the timely delivery of the 

new Engineer School facilities to 

the Army. It was the opportunity of 

a lifetime to oversee a $42 million 

construction program, and a little 

nerve-wracking at times making 

sure that the Engineer School's 

critical need dates were met. 

There were daily chances for 

professional growth. Graduate 

school study was put to good use, 

particularly in the areas of network analysis and construction 

scheduling. For example, toward 

the end of the project, there were 

five contractors attempting to 

work in the same building, and 

many scheduling conflicts had to 

be resolved every day. 

The Kansas City district took 

the lead in compiling a master 

critical path method (CPM) 

schedule to keep everyone working to complete the job on time. 

The plan worked, and the new Engineer School headquarters, 

academic facility, and unaccompanied officers' quarters were 

ready in time for the start of the 

first scheduled classes. 

Daily problem solving during 

the project was routine. To help 

with my contract administration 

responsibilities, I was fortunate in 

being able to attend several 

proponent-sponsored engineer 

corps training (PROSPECT) courses. These covered subjects like 

contract negotiations, duties of the 

contracting officer's representative, and the district officer's 

introduction to contracting. All the 

courses are designed to provide officers with the basic skills needed 

for jobs like mine-but they'll also 

be of value later in my career. I've 

found that the Corps makes a considerable investment in training 

its people, and officers assigned to 

a district job can expect to regularly upgrade their professional 

knowledge. 

Another benefit of serving in a 

district is the chance to serve with 

28 Engineer 

a largely civilian workforce. These 

are a cohesive, technically proficient group of people, dedicated to 

serving both the military and civil 

populations. Working with resident engineers, who routinely 

manage hundreds of millions of 

dollars in high-visibility construction contracts, has provided me 

with important lessons in leadership and management. 

In addition to the Engineer 

School facilities, I've had the 

chance to administer contracts for 

the Defense Mapping Agency 

Aerospace Center and the Harry 

S. Truman Dam. These projects 

included new construction, maintenance and repair, and toxic and 

hazardous waste cleanup. 

An officer serving in a district 

can expect a fulfilling job that will 

expand his professional abilities, 

and prepare him well for later 

career assignments. For someone 

with an engineering background, 

a district assignment is one of the 

most rewarding opportunities to 

be found anywhere. W 

Major Nelson is executive officer of 

the 577th Engineer Battalion. He 

previously served as chief of the 

Roads and Airfields Branch of the 

Engineer School's Department of 

Military Engineering. In addition to 

his Alaska tour of duty, other assignments included engineer advisor 

for Readiness Group, St. Louis; company commander for the 937th Engineer Group, and senior instructor 

for the Engineer School. He holds a 

degree in business management 

from the University of Southern 

Colorado. 

Captain Curtis is currently attending Command and General Staff 

College. He previously served as 

assistant resident engineer for the 

Fort Leonard Wood Resident Office, Kansas City District. He previously served as a company commander with the 44th Engineer 

Battalion, and platoon leader with 

the 902d Engineer Company. He is 

a West Point Graduate, and holds 

a masters degree in civil engineering from Ohio State University. 

(Personal Viewpoint continued) 

employment of engineering principles. A well known sports adage 

states that "you play the way you 

practice." If we are going to fight in 

a joint arena, then certainly joint 

training exercises will help us 

prepare for that end. 

A recent visit to Fort Leonard 

Wood by Colonel J. A Marapoti, 

Commanding Officer of the 

Marine Corps Engineer School, 

helped to rekindle the spirit of 

sharing our concerns, issues, and 

experiences. Both sides agreed 

that the exchange of information, 

ideas, and lessons learned must 

continue, and the groundwork was 

laid for future visits. 

Let us continue the momentum. 

Whether you are a commander, a 

staff officer, or a trainer, you are in 

a position to influence future engineering excellence. Because the 

Marine Corps places special emphasis on small unit leadership, 

junior officers and especially noncommissioned officers (NCOs) become the focal point for training. In 

most cases, NCOs are the trainers. 

Staff NCOs (E-6 through E-9) 

also play a critical role as instructors at the Marine Corps Engineer 

School. Therefore, it is of utmost 

importance that these educators, as 

well as their Army counterparts, 

remain involved and up-to-date on 

all current doctrine, equipment, 

and training innovations. 

I submit that we must all take 

advantage of the opportunity that 

lies before us by ensuring interservice coordination of engineer 

matters at every level. I challenge 

all engineers to make a commitment to the concept that will bring 

success-TEAMWORK. 

LtCol Drury is assigned as the 

Marine Corps representative to the 

Army Engineer School and Commanding Officer, Marine Detachment, Fort Leonard Wood. He was 

previously assigned as the Commanding Offzcer, 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Force Service 

Support Group, Fleet Marine Force, 

Okinawa, Japan. 
('1J'lilJ1 

Engineer Solution 

Step 1. Analyze the relative combat power. Analysis of relative combat 

power is based on the situation template and an engineer battlefield assessment of enemy and friendly mobility/countermobility/survivability (M/CM/S) 

capabilities . 

..,. Enemy M/CM/S capability: The area between PL Red and PL Blue will 

have extensive tactical and protective obstacles, most of which will be 

minefields. Because this area was a main defensive belt, there may be a 

combination of buried and surface-laid mines, with some having anti-handling devices. Most minefields near PL Red will contain anti-tank mines, 

while those near PL Blue will be mixed or anti-personnel mines. 

The brigade and task force S-2 believe that the lead MRB(+) is the advance guard of a motorized rifle regiment (MRR). The MRB(+) will be organized for a meeting engagement with a CRP, FSE, and advance guard 

main body. The enemy MRR can rapidly emplace mines to protect its flanks. 

Based on its doctrine, the MRR will organize a mobile obstacle detachment 

(POZ), which will travel in or behind the vanguard. The POZ may be deployed 

to protect the flank of the advance guard's main body as it maneuvers to attack our flank after the FSE is deployed. You and the S2 configure the 

enemy's offensive use of minefields, as shown on the Situation Template 

(page 19) . 

..,. Friendly M/CM!S capability: For this problem, assessment of friendly 

capability focuses on the mobility assets available. TF Tank's mobility assets, based on its task organization and mobility assets organic to CO 

N52d EN BN, includeTF MOBILITY ASSETS (ORGANIC) 

3 Mirie rollers 

9 Mine plows 

3 Infantry platoons 

Al52d EN BN MOBILITY ASSETS 

9 Sapper squads 

6 M9 ACEs 

2CEVs 

4 MICLICs 

4 AVLBs 

Step 2. Identify missions and allocate forces: In this step, use the 

reverse planning process to identify M/CM/S tasks, working from the objective back to the line of departure (LD). Each time a M/CM/S task is identified, 

allocate the force needed to accomplish it. Do not constrain the forces allocated to each task by the assets in your task organization. 

Engineer29 
30Engineer 

Engineer Solution 

Support Lud Colllls In 

main body and advance 

g~rd with mobility 

(t plltoon/company) Be prepared to transition 

to deliberate bruch 

(1 platoon reserve) 

Engineer Working Overlay 

A good technique is to write each task and force allocation on your copy of 

the course of action sketch or Task Force Operations Overlay, page 19. They 

will show the M/CM/S tasks and force allocations required for each mission in 

the battlefield placement. This overlay will be used to develop the engineer 

task organization and scheme of engine~r operations, as shown in the Engineer Working Overlay, above. Note that some, if not all, of the M/CM/S tasks 

were identified during the mission analysis phase of the engineer estimate. 

Step 3. Develop a scheme of engineer operations: The goal of this step 

is to integrate force allocation, execution of engineer tasks, and engineer priorities into the scheme of maneuver and task organization. The scheme of engineer operations is developed by working the maneuver plan from LD 

through ABF ZULU to consolidation. As you ''wargame" the maneuver plan, 

note the engineer tasks that must be accomplished and the forces required. 

Task organize these forces to the appropriate maneuver subunit. In some 

cases the task may be accomplished better under task force or engineer company control. 

As assets become scarce, determine where mobility assets can reasonably 

be expected to accomplish several tasks. Do not omit mobility assets that are 
("1.nJ'1.11 

Engineer Solution -

organic to the maneuver unit; remember, you are the TF engineer not just the 

engineer company commander. 

And, as you allocate mobility forces, remember that the maneuver 

commander's intent is to organize his force for an in-stride breach. Refer to 

the In-Stride Breach Description, on page 20. 

Possible Scheme Of Engineer Operations Solutions 

The task force will cross the LD organized for an in-stride breach, with 

mobility assets attached to the advance guard (Team A) and in the main body 

(Company Band Team C). A mobility reserve will initially remain under task 

force control and move center of the task force(-) VEE, as shown below in the 

Task Force Formation. 

I 

I 

~~~plow• ~ 

••• I 

( 

' 

~ I I 

1 1 Engineer platoon 1 

1 I 1 

2ACEs 

CEV l

1 c ~ 

I I 

1 Mine roller 

2 Mine plows 

2 MICLICs 

1 ACE 

1 Engineer platoon 

: 2 AVLBs 1 

- - - - - - - - - · 1 Mine roller 

2 Mine plows 

1 ACE 

Task Force Formation 

1 Mine roller 

2 Mine plows 

2 MICLICs 

1 CEV 

2ACEs 

1\ 

1 Engineer platoon , 

The engineers' initial main effort is to provide Team A with mobility through 

enemy obstacles from PL Red to PL Blue. The mobility reserve will be 

prepared to support Team A or Company D. If transition to a deliberate breach 

is necessary, the mobility reserve will shift to Team Cas the TF breach force. 

In this scenario, Company B will become the support force and Company D 

the assault force. 

EngiMer31 
32 Engineer 

n.nnr1 

Engineer Solution -

After Team A makes contact with enemy CAP and FSE, priority of engineer 

effort shifts to passing the main body through Team A's breaches. Team A engineers assist in the passage. On order, the mobility reserve shifts to Company D, and the engineers' main effort shifts to supporting the flank attack on 

the enemy's advance guard and breaching POZ flank obstacles. The allocation of mobility assets is shown in the Task Force Formation, page 31. 

Some major considerations that should become apparent as you develop a 

scheme of engineer operations, working from LD to destruction of the enemy 

in ABF ZULU, include: 

Supporting the scouts. A critical task in any movement to contact is to 

develop the situation. This includes the identification of enemy obstacles. 

Early detection of enemy obstacles in the old enemy defense area helps to ensure force mobility. Also, enemy obstacle activities identified during the meeting engagement may indicate the enemy's intentions. 

Normally engineer forces augment the scouts with an engineer sapper 

squad to assist in the reconnaissance effort. In this problem, the scouts are 

screening in front of the advance guard as it attacks on Axis Strike. This allows too little time for an engineer squad to close with the obstacle and provide information quickly to follow-on forces. Therefore, an engineer squad will 

be of no help. The scouts need to: 

- Report any obstacles they encounter 

- Be equipped to extricate themselves from a minefield 

-Be equipped to mark all obstacles encountered and any lanes or 

bypasses they find or create. 

Supporting the advance guard. The success of a movement to contact initially depends on the advance guard's ability to develop a situation so that the 

main body can act decisively. Thus, the advance guard must maintain 

freedom to maneuver and control the support, breach, and assault forces. 

They must have the ability to conduct numerous breaches against diverse 

obstacle types. Maintaining the advance guard's mobility from PL Red to PL 

Blue is the engineer company's main effort and primary task. 

Supporting the main body PL RED to PL BLUE. Because the task force 

(-)is attacking in a VEE formation, Company Band Team C must maintain 

control of mobility assets so they can conduct company- or team-level 

breaches (TF in-stride). Only light contact is expected from PL Red to PL Blue, 
n.n..rt-0 

Engineer Solution 

and both Company Band Team C have adequate forces to effectively suppress and secure during a breach. By providing both of them with mobility assets under company/team control, the main body is organized for a TF instride breach. This allows the main body to breach obstacles with minimum TFIevel maneuver, command, and control. 

Company Band Team Care organized with mobility assets based on their 

organic mobility weaknesses. Company B is tank pure and needs dismounted 

breach capability; he is allocated an engineer platoon. Team C, which has no 

means of mechanical breach or detection, is allocated mine rollers, plows, and 

ACEs. Team Cis not given an engineer platoon and must rely on its own infantry for dismounted breach capability. An engineer platoon(+) maintained 

under TF control allows mobility assets to be shifted and massed in a breach 

force if a deliberate breach becomes necessary. The mobility reserve will shift 

to support Company D if necessary. 

Supporting actions on contact/actions on ABF ZULU. Based on the 

maneuver plan, Team A's mission is to destroy the enemy's CRP and FSE. 

Thus, M/CM/S support requirements become minimal and are no longer the 

engineers' main effort. Deployment of the main body depends on the direction 

of attack by the enemy's advance guard. Rapid maneuver of the TF main body 

becomes the main effort, and engineers with Team A assist in passing the 

main body through Team A's breaches. 

If the advance guard attacks from the north, Company B will establish an attack by fire (ABF) position echelon left of Team A to fix the enemy's advance. 

Team C and Company D will attack by fire and maneuver around to the north 

and into the flank of the enemy advance guard's main body. The engineers' 

main effort will shift to massing mobility assets with Team C and Company D 

to breach any flank obstacles emplaced by the POZ. 

If the enemy attacks from the south, priority shifts to Company B's and Company D's attack by fire and maneuver, while Team C anchors off Team A's 

right flank. In either case, the mobility reserve will shift to support Company D. 

Engineers with Company Band Team C must be prepared to shift to the flanking maneuver. 

This Engineer Problem was submitted by Captain Watson, currently serving in 

Saudi Arabia. He was an instructor/writer at the U.S. Army Engineer School, 

Department of Combined Arms, at Fort Leoanrd Wood. He is a graduate of the 

U.S. Military Academy and the Infantry Advance Course, and has served as 

an observer/controller at the National Training Center. 

Engineer33 
CADD 

Makes Its 

I n the military, the phrase "do more with less" has become as common as it is unwelcome. But often, the 

drive for economy and efficiency can lead to decisions 

whose value goes far beyond mere dollar signs. 

The Army's implementation of the Computer Aided 

Drafting and Design (CADD) system is an example of 

one of those decisions. A boon to productivity, the 

system allows faster design and modification of drawings for engineering, architecture, facility management. and allied disciplines. Users can produce 

quality drawings up to four times faster than manual 

drafting. 

While the system has received only limited distribution to the field so far, it has proven so effective that 

CADD units have been sent to Saudi Arabia for use 

during Operation Desert Shield. Draftsmen (81 B) and 

construction officers in combat heavy battalions have 

been targeted as the primary users. 

The CADD hardware package consists of a 386 personal computer with a math co-processor, a multicolor 

plotter, high-resolution monitor, and a digitizer tablet. 

A primary feature of CADD is the access it gives to 

computer-stored information. The system is designed 

to access digitized Army Facilities Component System (AFCS) catalogs. These catalogs contain more 

than 4,000 drawings of buildings and other facilities 

deemed critical to military operations. 

In addition to allowing greater speed in producing 

new facility plans, CADD gives users the ability to 

modify existing drawings, like those in AFCS, to meet 

the specific needs of their engineering projects. The 

system will also import other data from the theater 

construction management system (TCMS) database, 

site survey data generated by the automatic integrated survey instrument (AISI), and standard symbols libraries. Drawings and other data generated by 

users will be exported back to the TCMS database 

for use by other CADD operators. 

CADD has other features designed to speed the 

facilities engineering process. With its multicolor plotter, a user can show several systems, i.e., plumbing, 

electrical, and communications, on the same drawing. 

This often makes it easier to convey the designer's 

concept and intentions for the facility. 

The development of a bill of materials (BOM) and 

cost estimates will also be easier with CADD. For example, if an engineer has an existing 30 x 50 foot 

building and needs to add a 30 x 20 foot room, the 

additional cost and BOM can be computed automatically after material prices have been entered into the 

database. CADD can give a line-by-line description of 

materials needed for the extra space, the quantity of 

materials needed for the structure, and both the item 

and total costs of the project. 

Standardization has been carefully planned into 

the Army's CADD program. As engineering-related 

fields, both military and civilian, adapt to the CADD 

technology, the Army Corps of Engineers continues 

to be an important participant in several CADD standardization boards. 

One of these is the Task Force on CADD Layer 

Guidelines, organized in September 1988. Four 

professional associations and three government agencies participated: 

The American Institute of Architects 

The American Consulting Engineers Council 

The International Facility Management Association 

The American Society of Civil Engineers 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

The Naval Facility Engineering Command 

(NAVFAC) 

The Department of Veteran Affairs 

34 Engineer By Rick Seams and Ron Wenrich 
After almost two years of work, these organizations recently completed release 1.0 of the CADD 

Layer Guidelines. The completion of these initial 

guidelines represents a significant step in providing 

all engineer-related groups with shared graphic information through a computer-aided design program. 

And the CADD train is moving fast. Drawings and 

design information that used to be available in TM 

5-302, Construction in the Theater of Operations, and 

in the Navy/Marine Corps Facility Manual (NAVMC), 

have already been converted to the CADD format 

and will be available only on floppy disk. This 

will require engineers to have the CADD capability to 

use existing drawings for theater of operations 

construction. 

The old design tools for facilities engineering are 

fading fast. While there will always be a place for the 

"stubby pencil," CADD is the future for improved 

productivity and quality. W 

Mr. Seams is chief of the Technical Engineering 

Branch of the Department of Military Engineering at 

the Engineer School. 

Mr. Wenrich is a training specialist and acting course 

chief for the 81 B technical drafting specialist course, 

87th Engineer Battalion, Fort Leonard Wood. 

TU?RA/N 

BOARD 

RACKS 

V / 01:0 

PRDJCC TD'-'S 

1: / DS 

TCRMJN,,L S 

TACT ICAL 

TRA IN INC 

CENTEE 

An original facilities drawing made with the CADD 

system, like this tactical training center, can be 

easily modified for other building projects. Tapping 

Into the Army Facilities Component System 

(AFCS), CADD users also have access to more 

than 4,000 additional military-related drawings. 

Engineer 35 
By Captain Kevin S. Porter 

36 Engineer 

tropical 

they do, 

perience and manuals 

often don't cover the special construction problems they face. 

A vertical construction team 

from B Company, 84th Engineer 

Battalion, faced just such a challenge recently when they deployed 

to Mirpur, Bangladesh, to build 

three school buildings for the town. 

Their experiences with the area's 

extreme weather, the project's 

shortage of materials and equipment, and their ability to overcome 

those conditions should be added to 

the notebooks offellow engineers. 

Materials 

Each of the school buildings 

was to be 26 feet by 60 feet, 

and the choice of materials used for 

their construction was critical. 

Brick is the most plentiful and 

frequently used building material 

in the country, and was considered 

for the school buildings. However, 

the local bricks are not durable 

enough to withstand the violent 

storms of the monsoon season and 

the accompanying heavy floods. An 

existing school near the construction site was destroyed by a storm 

during the engineers' deployment. 

Wooden construction was ruled out 

because lumber is prohibitively expensive in Bangladesh, which has 

been largely deforested. Tho, untreated wood would have been susceptible to termites and other wooddamaging insects in the region. 

Concrete was eventually 

selected as the building material, 

though this created its own set of 

difficulties. For instance, the 

country is situated on a huge river 

delta, and the land is mostly silt. 

The aggregate necessary for 

making concrete is not available. 

Fortunately, the abundant 

supply of bricks gave the engineers a solution : break the 

bricks into small chips as a substitute aggregate. 

Equipment was another hurdle 

for the 84th engineers. A platoon of 

Bangladesh Army engineers had 

been assigned to work with the 

Americans, but they did not have 

access to a large selection of 

equipment. No concrete trucks 

were available, so all concrete had 
to be prepared in a small mixer. 

Precast Concrete 

~e lack of sufficient mixing .I. ~pacity made large concrete 

placements impossible, and led to a 

decision to construct the buildings 

from precast concrete slabs. The 

buildings' beams, colurrms, trusses 

and roof slabs were also made of 

precast concrete. The slabs were 

designed to allow placement by 

hand, and the roof slabs and trusses were lifted into place with a 

Chinese-made crane. 

The project marked the first time 

that such a construction technique 

was used in Bangladesh, and allowed 

the engineers to complete the buildings with a minimum amount of 

equipment. 'file crane, cement mixer, 

a Vietnam-era road grader, and a 

military surplus loader on a 2-day 

loan from a civilian contractor were 

the only pieces of equipment used for 

construction. 

Defects 

Use of the precast concrete 

technique posed some difficulties for the local contractor 

hired to make the prefabricated 

members. Although he was 

provided design specifications by 

the engineers, he had no experience 

in making the required parts. 

Because the quality of the 

precast concrete was questionable, the engineers decided to load 

test all of the parts before using 

them in construction. As it turned 

out, the concrete purlins that supported the roof slabs failed below 

their designed strength, with 

quality control appearing to be the 

culprit. 

To save time and money, the engineers opted to reinforce the purlins instead of having them recast. 

Two days later, after being reinforced with steel plates, the purlins passed the load test. 

Concrete = Money 

~e cost of locally procured .I. ~aterials was a significant 

factor in construction of the buildings. While durable in the long'run, 

concrete was also extremely expensive in Bangladesh. Because funds 

available for the project were 

limited, every effort was made to 

reduce the amount of concrete used, 

while maintaining safety and 

quality. For example, the amount of 

concrete needed for the floor slab 

was reduced by using the everpresent Bangladesh bricks. They 

were used as a subbase for the slab, 

and then a four-inch-thick layer of 

concrete was placed over the bricks. 

This provided a stable base, while 

saving much cement and money. 

The crushed-brick aggregate 

had a tendency to "float" in the 

floor slab cement, and it was impossible to get a good surface 

finish. The solution . was to leave 

the floor rough, and then finish it 

American and Bangladesh engineers push their small cement mixer to the 

school construction site. Lack of equipment made manual labor one of the 

primary means of construction for the project. 

Engineer37 
with a thin, cement-rich mortar. 

While not possible in climates 

with a freez e-thaw cycle that 

would crack the floor, this method 

works well in the tropics. 

And ... 

e climate of the coWl try was .I. ; constant hinderance, with 

temperatures routinely exceeding 

100 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat 

was so bad that water evaporated 

from concrete before hydration was 

complete. This required a considerable number of manhours just to 

move water bucket-by-bucket to wet 

new concrete. 

The final challenge to the 

Bangladesh deployment was culture. Language was not a significant barrier because the 

Bangladesh platoon leader spoke 

fluent English. However, during 

the project, his Moslem . soldiers 

observed a religious fast called 

Ramadan. This limited most of the 

Bangladesh engineer platoon to 

one meal a day, at 8 p.m. In addition, the soldiers could not drink 

water during the day, which greatly affected their productivity and 

38 Engineer 

slowed construction progress. This 

problem had not been foreseen, 

and all engineers engaging in such 

projects should research local customs and religions to determine 

their potential impact on construction schedules. 

Despite a few out-of-the-ordinary complications, the mission 

was completed in 45 days and was 

considered a success by everyone 

involved. The project gave the engineers training and experience 

they couldn't have gotten 

anywhere else, Bangladesh and 

American engineers built a new 

working relationship, and the 

local community received three 

new buildings. 

The real winners though, were 

the school children ofMirpur. Safe 

in their storm-resistant school 

buildings, they are sure to remember the American engineers for 

years to come. W 

Captain Porter is the civil engineer for 

the 84th Engineer Battalion. He previously served as a company commander with the 84th, and a platoon 

leader and executive officer with the 

43rd Engineer Company. He is a 

graduate of West Point, and the Engineer Officers Advanced Course. 

Roof slabs for one of the build· 

lngs are lifted Into place with the 

crane. A pile of the ever-present 

Bangladesh bricks Is on the 

right. 
and· Army Mobilization Planning 

By Terry Atkinson 

J ust before Iraq swallowed 

Kuwait, the world was 

fairly awash with optimism. Democratic and freemarket principles had breached 

the Iron Curtain. Bloody clashes 

in Afghanistan and Nicaragua 

had faded away. Iran and Iraq 

were both licking their wounds at 

the end of a years-long war. It 

seemed as though a contagious 

peace virus had been loosed on 

the planet. 

Amidst that kind of euphoria, 

and strong talk ofhow to spend the 

"peace dividend," the call for comprehensive war planning-much 

less mobilization-tends to fall on 

deaf ears. 

But then we were called upon to 

mobilize forces for deployment to 

Saudi Arabia, and prepare ourselves for battle with the Iraqi 

military. Less than a year ago, 

most people would have dismissed 

the possibility of such a 

confrontation. 

New questions are being asked 

about the best way to handle 

large-scale mobilization of 

American forces, and the Army's 

mobilization network (MOBNET) 

system may be one of the answers. 

Originally designed by the U.S. 

Army Engineer Studies Center for 

mobilization and industrial base 

planners, MOBNET is a potential 

cornerstone for virtually all Army 

planning. It links a variety of 

decision-support systems, allowing the collection and sharing of 

critical data. The system is 

designed to measure ammunition 

and major equipment requirements for extended combat, .and 

can be expanded to include other 

supply needs and personnel requirements. 

A Continuing Need 

Since World War II, it can be 

argued that mobilization 

preparedness has not received its 

fair share of attention. Most 

planning emphasized requirements for wars lasting six 

months or less. When the Soviet 

Union was our prime adversary, 

we believed that a conventional 

war with that country and its 

Warsaw Pact allies, should it 

ever occur, would be short in 

duration. A quick progression to 

" ... despite the 

apparently defused 

superpower 

confrontation, the 

United States must 

still contend with ... 

other powerful 

military forces in 

today's world ... " 

Engineer 39 
COUNTRY ARMED FORCES 

Soviet Union 4.4 million 

China 3.5 

Unhed States 2.3 

India 1.5 

VIetnam 1.3 

Iraq 0.9 

Turkey 0.9 

North Korea 0.8 

South Korea 0.6 

Pakistan 0.6 

France 0.6 

Brazil 0.5 

Italy 0.5 

[West] Germany 0.5 

Egypt 0.5 

Poland 0.4 

Syria 0.4 

Taiwan 0.4 

Iran 0.4 

Unhed Kingdom 0.3 

Data taken from World Military_ Ex~nditures 

and Arms Transfers, 1988 (U.S. ms Control 

and Disarmament Agency, June 1989) page 3. 

Figure 1 

nuclear weapons was almost always a part of any planning 

scenario. In these circumstances, 

there was little need to answer 

questions like: 

• How many units-and what 

types-will be needed in a 

prolonged conflict, once available Active and Reserve forces 

are committed? 

• What new manufacturing and 

production capabilities will be 

needed to support such a 

conflict? 

These are questions that are 

best asked-and answered-in 

advance. Transition from a 

peacetime to a wartime economy 

is a lengthy, complicated process. 

Such a transition demands a 

40Engineer 

strong foundation of planning if it 

is to succeed with optimum 

economies in time and moneyand maximum efficiency in 

materiel production and other 

support of a mobilization effort. 

The simplistic cold war conflict 

between America and the Soviet 

Union tended to overshadow other 

threats to our security. But 

military power has seen steady 

growth in other parts of the world. 

According to the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, 

only eight of the 20 largest 

military forces are controlled by 

countries traditionally aligned 

with America or the Soviet Union 

(Figure 1). Only three of the top 10 

countries are so aligned. 

The arms export business is 

booming among nations outside 

the circle of the world's major suppliers like the United States, 

Soviet Union, France, and Great 

Britain. In 1977, developing nations held about 4 percent of the 

world's arms export business. By 

1987, the figure had risen to 8 

percent. 

Today's arms traders among 

developing nations include China, 

Brazil, North Korea, Yugoslavia, 

Bulgaria, Israel, Chile and Argentina. The days when larger nations could dominate emerging 

ones by cutting off arms supplies 

are rapidly fading. Customers 

denied access to arms from major 

suppliers can turn to a variety of 

smaller, but eager, vendors. 

High technology, too, is no 

longer limited to the exclusive superpower club. Two of the six nations which admit to possessing 

nuclear weapons, China and 

India, are considered developing 

nations. Speculation over other 

nations that may have an unannounced nuclear capability has 

raised the names of Israel, Argentina, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, 

South Africa, and Syria. Iraq, as 

news reports have suggested, may 

be well on the way to a nuclear 

weapons capability. 

So, despite the apparently 

defused superpower confrontation, the United States must still 

contend with the possibility of conflicts with other powerful military 

forces in today's world. And such 

conflicts can strain the resources 

of even the world's most powerful 

nations. 

MOBNET 

M OBNET is a simple concept (Figure 2, page 41). 

There are four decision points, 

1.0 through 4.0. Each is tagged 

with a descriptive phrase which 

characterizes the point's desired 

output. Each decision point accepts data, manipulates it, and 

exports new data to other 

decision points. The direction of 

the data flow is portrayed by arrows, which are labelled to show 

the specific information required 

by each receiving decision point. 

Decision Point 1.0 

The most critical step within the MOBNET framework 

is decision point 1.0, which identifies theater Army forces. Using 

operations plans and combat 

simulations, the Army defines 

the forces required to execute its 

portion of the nation's strategy. 

This decision point manipulates 

data to produce a list of combat, 

combat support and combat service support units needed in a 

combat theater. The units' tables 

of organization and equipment 

(TOE) will define their 

structure. 

The force list produced by 

decision point 1.0 accounts not 

only for the current Active and 

Reserve forces, but also any new 

forces which must be added in 

order to ensure the Army's success. This force information is key 

to developing wartime requirements for the Army. The forces 

deployed to a theater are not only 
DOD &JCS 

Determine 

joint/combined 

planning force 

Scenwioa 

OPLANS 4.0 

Identify the 

theater Army 

force 

structure 

Identify the 

.----+11 organizational Identify the 

organizational 

structure of 

selected allies 

CL V & wr,.,,.,,,;,, 

& personnel which 

need to be 

processed as 

structure of 

the CONUS 

base 

Current forces & 

expended forces 

TOE data 

TDA data for current 

& expanded CONUS 

organization 

TOE-!TDA-equivalent 

data for allied and 

friendly organizations 

Determine 

'-----.u requirements !to--------' 

to equipment, 

training and n+-----------------' 

sustaining 

forces 

Aggregated CL V & 

Other 

services 

CL V & VII materiel & 

personnel who need to 

be processed through 

VII requirements Measure 

'-----+ capability & assess risk Atmy schools 

the greatest consumers of 

materiel-they directly affe ct the 

size and structure of the Army's 

support base in the continental 

United States (CONUS). 

Decision Point 2.0 

Decision Point 2. 0 accepts 

TOE data for the theater 

forces. It converts the organizational data into specific equipment and ammunition requirements needed to equip, train and 

sustain all forces. It also accepts 

equivalent organizational data 

for Army units which remain in 

CONUS; allied formations supporting U.S. efforts, and the 

other military services. All of 

these groups represent potential 

claimants for Army-managed 

goods. 

Figure 2 

Decision Point 3.0 

During a prolonged war, the 

support base in CONUS 

must provide resources for treating 

casualties, training replacements, 

transporting troops and materiel 

within CONUS, and performing administrative activities critical to the 

war effort. Should the plans require 

additional forces to bolster the 

Army's Active and Reserve units, 

then the CONUS support base 

must build and train new units 

from scratch. 

Building and training new units 

may occur while the CONUS support base processes individual replacements for combat losses. 

This added activity may compel 

the enlargement of the CONUS 

base. Adding personnel and units 

places a greater burden on the 

support base: the new units and 

their staffs must be trained, 

equipped and sustained. 

For example, as more trainees 

enter the system, the Army needs 

more trainers and training equipment. In turn, the need for more 

trainers stimulates the need to 

train more trainers. This iterative 

process is inferred from the two 

data arrows: one exiting decision 

point 3.0 and entering 2.0, and the 

other exiting 2.0 and entering 3.0. 

Decision Point 4.0 

Decision point 4.0 accounts 

for the materiel that 

selected allied or friendly forces 

might claim. Military support to 

certain allied nations and friendly foreign countries will be critical to the strategic goals of the 

Engineer 41 
I ~OBTDA-X I I 

Number of 

faciO lies 

3.3.1 

Determine 

the construeMOBTDA-X 

.___.. tion needed Determine the 

organizational 

structure to 

support 

construction & 

security 

CL V & VII ""'""*" by lne llflm, psrt10t1nel .,., by occupatJona/ 

.,.c/lhy, & ,_... 

to support the 

CONUS base 

components 

Critical military 

construction 

projects 

Federal emergency, 

disaster, & civil 

defense needs 

Dredging, navigation, & water II - resource needs ......__ 

Security needs r;:::=: 

for dams, locks, _j I 

& other sites 

Critical civil 

works needs 

United States. A decision to support such groups with U.S.-

produced materiel will compete 

with the needs of American 

military forces, and might also 

strain the nation's production 

capabilities. 

Today's coalition planning calls 

for a policy of national responsibility, that is, the material needs 

of each coalition partner are the 

responsibility of that partner. 

Complete planning for mobilization requirements, however, 

demands that planners give 

credence to the possibility that 

non-U.S. for ce s will solicit 

American mat eriel assistance. 

Other services will also lay claim 

to Army-managed support (Figure 

2, lower left). For example, the 

42 Engineer 

Figure 3 

Number of 

projects & 

contracts 

Army supplies the other services 

with artillery and small-arms ammunition produced at Army munitions plants. 

Subordinate Decision Points 

The Engineer Studies Center 

separated each of the four 

decision points shown into their 

underlying processes of data 

flows and decision points. In 

some cases, these subordinate 

de cision points were broken 

down further into their component parts. 

The Center produced no less 

than 13 schematics which define 

the MOBNET process in greater 

detail. Certain modules examine 

the process for identifying the 

Aggregate 

CONUS base 

component 

MOBTDA data 

(3.7) 

Engineer 

commanders' 

support books 

theater force, and determining 

the requirements to equip and 

train all forces. Others examine 

the process for determining the 

structure of the CONUS support 

base engineer, medical, transportation, mobilization, training 

and materiel procurement elements. A final module examines the details of allied requirements. 

The Engineer Module 

"""e engineer component of .I. MOBNET is designed to 

develop the personnel and equipment needs of the staffs that 

form the Corps of Engineers portion of the CONUS support base. 

Figure 3 shows the decision 
elements and data that must be 

considered. 

Decision Point 3.3.1 

Under mobilization conditions, the Corps is responsible for managing the construction needed to support 

CONUS-based organizations. Requirements for facilities such as 

barracks, classrooms, ranges, 

hardstands, and so on are documented in each organization's 

Mobilization Table of Distribution and Allowances CMOBTDA), 

along with the unit's personnel 

and equipment needs. Decision 

point 3.3.1. determines how 

many of the facilities represent 

new construction requirements. 

Decision Point 3.3.2. 

The Corps of Engineers has 

other support requirements 

during mobilization. Critical 

military projects not included on 

any installation's MOBTDA will 

require resources. Engineer support for disaster relief and civil 

defense, the nation's waterways, 

critical civil works projects, and 

special security needs must be 

resourced from somewhere. 

Decision point 3.3.2. considers all 

these variables and determines 

the number of projects and contracts needed. 

Decision Point 3.3.3. 

Decision point 3.3.1. and 

3.3.2. develop organizational staffing requirements data 

that need to be further refined 

by processes outlined in Forces 

Command's guidance: the U.S. 

Army Forces Command Mobilization and Deployment Planning 

System. The resulting information is fed into the engineer 

organization's MOBTDA 

Commander's Support 

Books 

When the engineer commander is also the installation commander, the unit 

MOBTDA will include activities 

shared by tenant units (for example: central mess, health and 

motor pool facilities). When the 

engineer organization is a tenant 

on an installation, the engineer 

commander must negotiate such 

support from the installation 

commander. 

MOBNET promises to be a 

giant step forward in the Army's 

planning process, and can 

provide the means to link national strategy to mobilization 

requirements. 

The Information Systems 

Command is currently working 

with the Army staff to incorporate MOBNET concepts into 

the Army World Wide Military 

Command and Control Information System. Copies of the final 

study report, Army System for 

Mobilization Requirements 

Planning: Supply Classes V and 

VII (Ammunition and Equipment), are available through the 

Defense Technical Information 

Center (Report No. DA313826), 

Cameron Station, Alexandria, 

VA22304. ·W 

Mr. Atkinson is a project 

manager for the U.S. Army Engineer Studies Center at Fort 

Belvoir. He is a West Point 

graduate, and served in armor 

and aviation units in Europe 

and Vietnam. His postgraduate education includes 

law and information systems 

management. 

(Engineer Safety continued) 

The 18 incidents involving 

M915-series vehicles accounted 

for only 3 percent of the total engineer accidents, but they caused 

more than $1 million in damages. 

The most costly accidents were 

caused by vehicles striking overpasses and improper clearance of 

loads. Loss of vehicle control due 

to air pressure loss on downgrades 

and improper hazard avoidance 

are other significant errors. 

Training operators of M915 

series vehicles is a challenge for 

engineer commanders. To aid in 

this effort, the Transportation 

School has developed an exportable training package which is 

scheduled for release in the second 

quarter of FY 91. 

The Engineer School has taken 

the initiative in reducing work-related accidents by adding riskmanagement training to the program of instruction (POI) for 

officer and NCO courses. Risk 

management is the systematic 

process ofmakingoperations safer 

without compromising the mission. (See article in July 1989 

issue of ENGINEER). 

Accidents cost precious resources-people, equipment, and the 

costs of damages. To reduce these 

losses, engineer leaders must 

stress the importance of performing to standards and following established procedures. Engineer 

soldiers must follow the established standards-and we must 

all take the initiative to prevent 

accidents both on and off duty. 

Let's work together to reduce this 

needless waste. 

Captain Torres is the engineer 

branch liaison officer at the 

U.S. Army Safety Center, Fort 

Rucker. Mr. Paul Rusinko is a 

safety specialist in the Engineer Branch Safety Office, 

Fort Leonard Wood. 

Engineer43 
_f1 ENGINEER UPDATE 

Directorate of Training and 

Doctrine (DOTD) 

44 Engineer 

Distribution to Persian Gulf Area. The ENGINEER Professional 

Bulletin will be distributed to engineer units in the Persian GuH area. 

Therefore, it will not be necessary for units to forward copies mailed to 

addresses on our regular distribution list. 

Live Mine Training. Engineer units are now authorized live mine 

training, subject to the following policy guidance: 

Training will be allowed with live M15, M16, M19, and M21 mines. 

~ No training will be allowed with live M14 mines. 

~ All approved mines will be armed/disarmed not more than 25 iterations per mine and/or fuse. 

~ No trip wires or booby traps will be used. 

~ Use of tilt rods with live mines is prohibited. 

~ Training with the M 16 antipersonnel mine will be done with the positive safety pin remaining in the M605 fuze. 

~ No pre-1957 M605 fuzes will be allowed in training with the M16 

antipersonnel mine. 

~ Live mine training and simulator training will not take place concurrently at the same location in order to preclude a live mine being 

mistaken for an inert mine. 

The Engineer School will forward a live mine training model risk assessment plan to engineer units by March 1991. POC is CPT Jim 

Glass, AV 676-7784 or (314) 563-7784. 

Engineer Publication Support. Field units must order engineer 

publications from the Distribution Center In Baltimore, MD, using their 

unit publication account number. The Engineer School is unable to fill 

these requests. If you are in a hurry, use the Distribution Center's 

hotline-it can handle requests for a limited number of some publications. Call AV 584-2533 or (301) 682-8529. 

Standards In Weapons Training, DA PAM 350-36. The training 

standards, strategies, and resource requirements to conduct training 

with engineer systems, mines, and demolitions are updated in DA 

PAM 350-38, dated 24 September 1990. Training programs are now 

tied directly to the soldier's training publications (STP) and mission 

training plans (MTP). Revised standards, strategies, and ammunition 

requirements for light engineer units are also provided. For more information, call CPT Jim Glass, AV 676-7784 or (314) 563-7784. 

ARTEP 5-415-MTP Series Update. Coordinating drafts for the following six manuals in this series are scheduled for distribution to appropriate units for review in February 1991. 

ARTEP No. Unit 

5-415-MTP Headquarters and Support Company 

5-415-13-MTP Construction Equipment Platoon 

5-415-14-MTP Maintenance Platoon 

5-415-15-MTP Equipment Support Platoon 

5-415-17 -MTP General Construction Platoon 

5-415-31-MTP Engineer Company 

POC is CPT Robert Kurtz or SFC William King, AV 676-7599 or 

(314) 563-7599. 
Directorate of Combat 

Developments (DCD) 

Engineer Branch Safety 

Office (EBSO) 

Department of Combined 

Arms (DCA) 

Reserve Configured Courses. The following Reserve Configured 

Courses, developed in FY 90, can now be ordered through normal 

channels: 

MOS Reclassification 

12B10 

12C10 

62F10 

62H10 

BNCOC 

12B30 

12C30 

12F30 

62N30 

ANCOC 

CMF81 

POC is Don Rowland, AV 676-7520, or Jim Fitzgerald, AV 676-7521 

or (314) 563-7520/7521. 

Safety Flash/ Mine Malfunction Accidents. Units must report 

near-miss accidents or problems with munitions promptly. Frequently 

near-accidents are not reported because "No one got hurt" or "It's too 

much paperwork." Not true-reporting one defect in time may save 

lives or prevent accidents. We need this information at the Engineer 

School to know where potential problems exist. 

Soldiers can use the Engineer hotline to report munitions problems 

and near-miss accidents. Call AV 676-7324 or (314) 563-7324. Messages should include a POC (name, unit, and telephone number), ammunition type, and lot number. We will do the paperwork and get-back 

to you for details. 

If possible, do not destroy the evidence. Alert your local logistics 

assistance re~r entative or quality assurance specialist for ammunition surve il lanc~SAS) before you blow the munitions in place. 

POC is SFC Adams, Av-616-7330. 

caterpillar (Cat) M130G Road Grader Battery Removal. When 

removing or installing batteries in the Cat M130G, soldiers must disconnect the positive cable from the right side battery first and reconnect it 

last. Failure to do so will damage the grader's electrical system. This 

information is in Change 1 to TM 5-3805-261-1 4&P-2, page 1-82. · 

Road Grader Operation. As a result of a fatal accident, the following instructions have been added to training for road grader operators: 

Before shifting into reverse, road grader operators must stand up and 

look to both sides and the rear. The operator will remain standing 

while moving in reverse. All mirrors will be adjusted for maximum rearward vision of the individual grader operator when seated. We recommend that the camouflage net be carried in a support vehicle or on top 

of the cab, where it cannot obstruct vision. POC is Paul Rusinko, AV 

676-5002 or (314) 563-5002. 

Field Manual (FM) 90-13-1. The combined arms breaching operations manual, FM 90-13-1, is scheduled for distribution in the 2nd 

quarter of FY 91. The Engineer School recommends all combat engineer units make it required reading for officers and senior NCO. 

The manual describes the combined arms doctrine and some tactics, 

techniques, and procedures needed to successfully overcome 

obstacles. An example of an instride breaching operation is described 

in the Engineer Problem/Solution, beginning on page 18. POC is CPT 

Bob Wray, AV 676-5456 or (314) 563-5456. 

Engineer 45 
Department of Military 

Engineering (DME) 

M605Fuze 

Beck view Front viDepartment of 

Topographic Engineering 

(DTE) 

Engineer Personnel 

Proponency Office (EPPO) 

1st Brigade 

46 Engineer 

Arming/Disarming Procedures for M16 Series Antipersonnel 

Mine (M605 Fuze). The following instructions and warning regarding 

arming/disarming procedures are in addition to those contained in FM 

20-32, dated December 1985. This information updates only arming/disarming procedures. It does not modify in any way Department 

of Army policy on training with live mines . 

..,. Individual must be in a prone position prior to arming/disarming the 

mine . 

..,. Warning: After the positive safety pin is removed, the slider may 

detonate the mine if it is pushed in accidentally. 

- The slider is the mechanism that holds the striker up (keeps it from 

firing) after the positive safety pin is pulled. 

- Before it is pulled, the locking safety pin is located in the hole in 

the rear of the slider. 

- Individuals should keep their fingers away from the rear of the 

slider when arming/disarming the M16 series antipersonnel mine with 

the M605 fuze. 

POC is CPT Green, AV 676-5596, (314) 563-5596. 

Professional Engineer Application Deadline. The deadline for submitting applications for the 25 October 1991 Professional Engineer (PE) 

Exam is 27 June 1991. This deadline applies to most states. The Commonwealth of Virginia allows the PE exam to be taken in other locations. 

If you wish to receive a Virginia application, call (804) 367-8512. 

Engineer Officer Advance Course (EOAC) Update. Instruction on 

the intelligence preparation of battlefield process (IPB) has been incorporated into EOAC to ensure officers receive the most current terrain 

analysis and intelligence training available. Officers attending EOAC 

after Class 1-91 will receive this improved training. 

The IPB instruction will be taught in one day to help students better 

understand the process. Students will prepare a terrain analysis 

product and decision support template , which will be used to support 

tactics training. POC is CPT Wood, AV 676-5416 or (314) 563-5416. 

Task/Site Selection Boards. A task/site selection board for MOS 

81C (cartographer) was held in January 1991. The resulting task list 

for the Soldier's Manual and resident training is expected to be available for distribution in 3rd quarter, FY 91 . POC is SFC Robert Knoll, 

AV 676-5417. 

A task/site selection board for MOS 83E (photo/layout specialist) is tentatively scheduled for April 1991 . POC is SFC Bobby Odom, AV 676-5404. 

Engineer Officer and Warrant Officer Directory. The new active 

duty Engineer Officer and Warrant Officer Directory is available for 

purchase from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing 

Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Copies are $12 each. You may call 

(202) 783-3238 and use VISA or MasterCard. The stock number for 

the directory is 008-022-00268-5. 

Sapper Leader Course Openings. Several Sapper Leader Course 

classes for FY 91 are only partially filled due to Operation Desert 

Shield. The following classes and slots are available: 
Class Dates No. Slots 

1991 Available 

4-91 25 Feb - 25 Mar 25 

5-91 18 Mar- 15 Apr 25 

6-91 8 Apr- 6 May 25 

7-91 29 Apr - 27 May 25 

10-91 1 July - 29 July 25 

13-91 2 Sept - 30 Sept 25 

The Sapper Leader Course is open to any U.S. Arrrrt engineer unit, with 

priority given to light, airborne, divisional, and corps combat engineer units. 

Combat heavy and Reserve Component units are invited to apply for class 

slots. Units should contact Fort Leonard Wood's Directorate of Plans, Training, and Mobilization (DPTM), at AV 581-3195/3148, or (314) 596-

3195/3148. For more course information, call AV 581-6725/6225 or (314) 

596-6725/6225. POC is 1 L T Jeffrey Harrison. 

Reserve Component (RC) Engineer Officer Basic Course (EOBC-RC). Soldiers must complete the correspondence phase of EOBC-RC prior to attending the 

8-week resident phase (OCS graduates). This is a change! POC is 

LTC Charles Doll, AV 676-7742 or (314) 563-7742. 

Engineer Commanders Conference. The conference, now known as 

the Senior Engineer Leaders Conference, is scheduled for 17-20 April 

1991, at Fort Leonard Wood. It is for battalion and above commanders 

and their command sergeant majors. POC is CPT Bonhurst, AV 676-

7015 or (314) 563-7015. 

News and Notes Battle Staff NCO Course. Starting in January 1991, a new Battle 

Staff NCO Course, at Fort Bliss, Texas, will train battalion and brigade 

staff NCO (S1 through S4 and G1 through G4) to serve as integral 

members of the battle staff and to manage day-to-day operations of 

battalion command posts. The 6-week course will train battle staff 

NCO to function and fight as an effective team. Beginning class dates 

for 1991 are: 14 January, 1 April, 20 May, 8 July, and 26 August. For 

more information, call the chief instructor, AV 978-9165 or 8145, or 

(915) 568-9165 or 5145. 

Senior Officer Logistics Management Course (SOLMC). A 1-

week course designed to update commanders and their primary staff 

at the battalion and brigade levels in the logistics arena is available at 

Fort Knox, KY. The course is open to officers in grade major or above 

in active and reserve Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and allied nations, and 

DOD civilians in grade GS-11 or above. Ten classes are planned for 

FY 91. For more information, call CPT Hammerle, AV 464-7133 or 

(502) 624-7133. 

The Corps of Engineers' 124th Annual Engineer Dinner. All Active, 

National Guard, Reserve, and retired officers, non-commissioned officers, and Corps civilians are invited to the 124th Corps' Annual Engineer Dinner. It will be held on Thursday, February 21 , 1991, 1830 

hours, at the Fort Myer Officers' Club, Fort Myer, VA. Cost is $32 per 

person. Payments may be mailed to 124th Annual Engineer Dinner, 

ATIN: DAEN-ZCA (T.Kay), Room 1 E676, the Pentagon, Washington, 

D.C. 20310-2600. POC is MAJ Joe Miller, (703) 693-4583. 

Engineer47 
---------Past in Review ---------

Engineers as Infantry in 

the Korean War 

Not all wars start with prior 

warning. The Korean Conflict was one such war. And, it 

was one that illustrates the 

United States' ability to respond 

quickly to armed aggression. 

When the North Koreans 

launched an attack across the 38th 

parallel into the Republic of Korea 

(ROK) on June 25, 1950, they 

hoped for a speedy victory. Two 

days later, the United Nations 

Security Council passed a resolution asking members to assist the 

ROK in repelling the attack and 

restoring peace. On June 29, President Truman authorized General of 

the Army Douglas MacArthur to 

use ground units in Korea. 

No American combat units were 

in Korea when the communists 

invaded, and there were few 

trained U.S. Army divisions available for immediate commitment. 

The Eighth U.S. Army, stationed 

in Japan, immediately alerted its 

four divisions for combat in 

Korea, even though the units 

were under strength and mainly 

unprepared occupation troops. As 

a result, many noninfantry units 

were used as infantry in the early 

days of the war. 

The first two divisions to reach 

Korea, the 24th and 25th Infantry 

Divisions, arrived in early July. 

Third to arrive was the 1st Cavalry Division, to which the 14th Engineer Combat Battalion (ECB) 

was attached. Initially shon two 

companies, the battalion was as48 Engineer 

signed two more, one from the 

43rd ECB and one from the 13th 

ECB. The battalion's strength was 

then 32 officers, 3 warrant officers, and 648 enlisted men. 

The 14th ECB arrived at 

P'ohang-dong, Korea, on July 18. 

Relieved of attachment to the 1st 

Cavalry Division, the battalion 

went to Pusan to support the 25th 

Division. At the end of July the 

battalion moved to Taegu, where it 

was attached to the 24th Infantry 

Division, with further attachment 

to the 21st Infantry Regiment. 

The regiment was located along 

the Naktong River, and the battalion established a forward command post near Tukson-dong. 

For the next three weeks, the 

14th ECB helped hold the Pusan 

Perimeter. The unit performed a 

mix of engineer and infantry missions in several actions scattered 

throughout the 24th Infantry 

Division area. Their actions typifY 

those of other engineer units called 

on to provide engineer support and 

accomplish infantry missions. 

Company A:s first mission was 

to prepare a 650-foot steel girder 

bridge across the Naktong for 

destruction, while Company C 

prepared the road out of Koryong 

for demolition. The demolitions 

were blown on August 3, when 

new defensive positions were established in the rear, further 

shrinking the Pusan Perimeter. 

The battalion then re-established 

its command post near 

By Dr. Barry W. Fowle 

Ch'angnyong. 

In an effort to hold the positions 

against North Korean attacks, the 

21st Infantry Regiment tasked 

Company C to send 12 men and 

four .50-caliber machine guns to 

its defensive line along the Naktong River. Engineers ended up 

manning seven .50-caliber 

machine guns, including three 

guns belonging to the infantry. On 

August 5th, the company was ordered to man the defensive line 

along the Naktong. Company A 

was tasked to lay an anti-personnel minefield with booby traps in 

front of the division. 

The following day, Company B 

dug defensive positions for the 

regiment. Company C moved to a 

new position on line. After digging 

in, Company C made contact with 

a 50-man enemy patrol trying to 

cross the N aktong and killed or 

wounded 46 of the enemy. For the 

next several days Company C sent 

out patrols and set listening posts 

along the river. 

On August 10, the 21st Infantry 

Regiment assigned Company B 

the mission of perimeter defense 

for units of the division's artillery. 

Company A installed 200 yards of 

double-apron barbed wire fence 

and an anti-personnel minefield 

as part of the perimeter defense. 

A period of intense enemy ac-

.tivity began on August 11. That 

morning, Company A and elements of Headquarters and Service Company were tasked to 
perform infantry missions. North 

Koreans had infiltrated into the 

24th Infantry Division's sector of 

the Pusan Perimeter. Enemy artillery fire rained down on Yongsan, 

while sniper fire harassed traffic 

on the road from Yongsan to 

Miryang. South ofYongsan, North 

Koreans killed all members of a 

squad of K Company, 34th Infantry. The squad had been guarding a bridge over the Naktong at 

Namji-ri, which connected the 

24th and 25th Divisions. 

In response to the enemy threat 

in the rear against the main supply route (MSR) between Yongsan 

and Miryang, the 24th Infantry 

Division sent engineers to an area 

just east of Yongsan. This detail 

was ordered to keep open a 3-mile 

section of the MSR between 

Yongsan and Miryang. 

Beginning at a point 2 miles outside of Yongsan, the engineers set 

up four road blocks extending from 

west to east. A five-man jeep patrol 

was to check each post every hour. 

The patrol's first trip went smoothly, but on its second trip enemy fire 

wounded the driver. Road block 3 

received small arms fire. 

When road block 4 began to 

receive considerable fire, the 

platoon leader sent his men to an 

infantry platoon's position onehalf mile to the east. He and two 

noncommissioned officers (NCO) 

then headed for road block 3, 

which was under attack by enemy 

machine guns, rifles, and 

grenades. They never made it. 

North Koreans killed one NCO 

and captured the other two. 

Enemy fire was now heavy at 

road block 3. A hand grenade 

killed the platoon leader and 

wounded three enlisted men. 

When an NCO tried to lead eight 

men to road block 2, enemy fire 

killed all except the NCO, who 

finally reached safety. At road 

block 2, the communications officer was wounded by three rounds 

as he tried to adjust a machine 

gun. 

-<:> 

Rl 

E ( 0 j 

Engineers at road blocks 1 and 2 

successfully defended their positions until the 34th Infantry Regiment ordered them to stop infiltrators at a hill northeast of 

Yongsan. Enemy troops posing as 

civilians had moved behind the 

line using a draw to the south of 

the hill. Late on the 13th, having 

stopped the North Korean infiltration, the engineers reported back 

to their command post.• That evening it became apparent that the 

prompt action of the 24th Infantry 

Division in committing engineer 

troops to the MSR had checked the 

dangerous enemy penetration in 

the Yongsan area. 

In three days of fighting, the 

battalion lost 24 men killed, three 

missing in action, and four 

wounded in action. Four soldiers 

earned the Silver Star. 

Until relieved from attachment 

to the 24th Infantry Division on 

August 24, the 14th ECB continued in its dual role as engineers 

THE PUSAN PERIMETER 

4 -- 15 August 1950 

EIGHTH AAMf FRONT LINE 

---- 1 Cov 

xx---

24 

Cllongdo 

and infantry. Compdlly A maintained the MSR from Chongdo to 

Ch'angnyong, Company B established a perimeter defense for the 

field artillery, laid a 300-yard 

minefield along the Naktong,.. and 

did limited work on the MSRfrom 

Ch'angnyong to the front. Company C continued in its defensive 

position. along the Naktong. 

Because no engineer unit knows 

when it will be called upon to perform an infantry mission, soldiers 

mutit be prepared .to respond to 

such missions at a moment's 

notice. The 14th Engineer Combat 

Battalion was one unit called on to 

fulfill both functions in an emergency situation, and it responded 

brilliantly. 

Dr. Barry Fowle is a historian, 

Office of History, Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, Fort Belvoir, VA. He 

earned a Ph.D. in history from 

the University of Maryland. 

Engineer49