r naineer & L1 

-,p,,,,., a.: .- I. mber 1 
By Major General Robert 8. Flowers 

Commandant, U.S. Army Engineer School 

0 ne of the giants of Ihe Corps of 'Engineers departed 

from Fort Leonard Wood in July: MG Clair F. Gill. 

His vision. drive, and ~nitiative forged the course for 

the Corps of the future while ensuring that we remained a 

vital part of the combined arms team. I have just reread his 

last "Clear the Way,'khich emphasized the "One Corps, 

One Regiment. One Fight" theme. I echo that messagethe entire Corps must continue to speak with one voice. 

We have many challenges in today's changing world and 

we will succeed only if we all work together. 

My personal "high ground" has three imperatives. The 

foundation for success requires that each of us maintain 

situational awareness, personal fitness, and technical 

competence. We are inundated with inforrnat~on, and the 

news media seem to report on new natural or man-made 

hot spots every day. The time to read about a crisis in 

Algeria, the role of the Tallban in Afghanistan, or the new 

Iranian missile threat is not when we receive an alert 

not~fication. C~tizens of the world turn to the United States 

for leadership, and if we are not Informed and ready, they 

will look elsewhere. Each of us must stay abreast of world 

events for our nation to remain relevant. 

The second part of !he success formula is personal 

fitness. A RT program combining strength and cardiovascular exercises improves overall stamfna, but personal 

fitness is much more than that. Eat~ng healthily, 

maintaining proper weight, and completing medical 

physicals on time are also important. Stress and high 

blood pressure are silent killers; heed their warning signs. 

If you have skipped PT, delayed your over-40 physical, or 

ignored high cholesterol levels, change today and get fit. 

Our education system does a fine job of familiarizing 

each of us with our jobs, but technical competence is 

more than familiarization. Whether you are new or have 

been in the same job for years, learning never stops. To 

establtsh credibility in a new assignment, review and read 

ahead of time to be certain that you use the correct 

terminology and thoroughly grasp the subject. Once 

there, your goal should be to become the subject matter 

expert (SME) by continu~ng to read and research. If you 

are already an SME with years of experience, read to stay 

current with emerging technologies. One of our country's 

historical strengths is the ability to develop and apply new 

technologies to save time, money, and lives. The master 

craftsman making flintlock rifles became a curiosity with 

the advent of center-fire ammunition. If you have been in 

the same job for some tlme, don't be satisfied with makrng 

the best flintlock. Read and learn and you will continue to 

grow professionally. 

Next, I need the help of every Army engineer. Top 

priorities for new engineer equipment are the Grizzly and 

the Wolverine, and both of these programs will require our 

total support to survive future budget cuts. I charge every 

engineer to be an advocate and an ambassador for the 

Grizzly and the Wolverine. We must modernize! Our 

current breaching and bridging equipment is based on 

1950's technology. This new equipment, based on the M1 

tank chassis. IS necessary to bring us into the 1990s. If we 

are to continue to contribute to the modern combined arms 

team. we must have the Grizzly and the Wolverine. The 

Grizzly provides (for the first time) armored protection for 

engineers to breach complex obstacles. Replacing many 

systems, this one vehicle can conduct a mounted breach 

in stride. Instead of a series of vehicles and dismounted 

squads separately breaching each part of the complex 

obstacle. the Grizzly wilt clear a lane through the 

minefield, breach the wire, fill the antitank ditch, and pull 

apart the log crib. The need for the Wolverine is clearly 

shown in the book The Damned Engineers, by Jan~ce Holt 

Gites. In it, the Kampfgruppe Peiper's attack during the 

Battle of the Bulge falled because it could not cross a 

small stream. The 291 sl Engineers had blown the bigger 

bridges, and the smaller ones could not support the 

German tanks. Without organic, tactical bridging, the 

entire attack stalled. We must never let this situat~on occur 

in our Army. Bottom line: We need both the Grizzly and 

the Wolverine now. 

Finally, in September I attended the Anti-Personnel 

Landmine Conference in Oslo, Norway. As the U.S. 

technical expert, I participated in many discussions our 

delegalion had with other nat~ons and nongovernmental 

organizations (NGOs). The end result was always the 

same: Everyone, to include the NGOs, agreed that the 

United States is not part of the problem. but most were 

reluctant to accommodate our concerns for fear of 

providing loopholes that others might exploit. This is just 

one battle in a long campaign to ban land mrnes. Expect 

more information later. 

1 applaud our President's decision not to sign the Oslo 

Treaty. He has put the lives of American soldiers first and 

shown he will not be ovennrhelmed by an international tide 

of well-meaning but misplaced efforts. 

Fact: The United States spends as many dollars as the 

rest of the world combined to support dernining operations 

even though none of the mines were made in the United 

States or emplaced by U.S. soldiers. 

I am very honored to be the new commander at the 

home of the engineers. As MG Gill noted, we still face 

many challenges: the D~visional Engineer Brigade, joint 

doctrine, mine detection, resources, and many others. I 

look forward to successfully solving all of them. Fort 

Leonard Wood is a vibrant, growing post with a well-kept 

secret: It's a great place to train, raise a family, and serve 

our nation. 
I"+ 

November 1997 Headquarters, Department of the Army Volume 27 PB 5-97-4 

UNITED STATES ARMY FEATURES 

ENGINEER CENTER AND A New Era Begins in the Personnel Realm 

FORT LEONARD WOOD By Captain Matt Zajac 

OPMS XXI and the Engineer Corps-Where Are We 

COMMANDERICOMMANDANT Heading? 

Major General Robert B. Flowers By Captain Matt Zajac 

Changes in NCO Structure (CINCOS) 

MANAGING EDITOR By Sergeant Major John Murphy 

Catherine Eubanks Training Combat Engineers the OSUT Way 

FEATURES EDITOR By Captain Lawrence Farrell 

Shirley Bridges Operation Desert Strike: An Engineer Commander's 

Perspective 

GRAPHIC DESIGNER By Lieutenant Colonel Gregory S. Kuhr 

Jennifer Morgan Engineer Company OPORDS 

By Captain Joseph E Birchmeier 

Live Fire on a Multipurpose Range Complex By Order of the Secretary of the Army: By Captain Christopher R. Felchlin 

DENNIS J. REIMER Expedient Cold-Weather Concreting 

General, United States Army By Charles Korhonen 

Chief of Staff Engineer Qualification Tables: A New Training 

Methodology 

By Second Lieutenant Patrick 0. Corr Official: 

Modernizing Sets, Kits, Outfits, and Tools 

By Tom Knotts 

The Light Task Force Engineer 

JOEL B. HUDSON By Captain Treavor J. Bellandi 

Administrative Assistant to the Engineers in the Future Army 

Secretary of the Army By James L. Allen 

04115 Make a Difference! 

By Major Thomas H. Magness and Major Kenneth W McDonald 

Front Cover: One Station Unit Training DEPARTMENTS (OSUT) soldiers learning to prepare a 

concertina obstacle. Photo by Jim Ray, TSC, Inside Front Cover: Clear the Way 

Fort Leonard Wood. 8 Personal Viewpoint 51 Engineer Update 

Back Cover: 07 dozers on line ready for 19 Letter to the Editor 53 Lead the Way 

attack. Photo by Jim Ray, TSC, Fort Leonard 39 CTC Notes 

Wood. 49 Engineer Professional Bulletin Survey 

ENGINEER (ISSN 0046-19890) is prepared quarterty by the U.S. Army Engineer within their areas of expertise for the purpose of enhancing their professional 

School, 320 Engineer Loop. Suite 370. Fort Leonard Wood, MO 65473-8929. Second development. Views expressed are those of the author and not those of the 

Class postage is paid at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, and additional mailing offices. Department of Defense or its elements. The contents do not necessarily reflect 

official U.S. Army positions and do not change or supersede information in other U.S. 

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ENGINEER Magazine. 320 Engineer Army publications. Use of new items constitutes neither affirmation of their accuracy Loop, Suite 320, Fort Leonard Wood, MO 65473-8929. nor product endorsement. ENGINEER reserves the right to edit material. 

CORRESPONDENCE, letters to the editor, manuscripts, photographs, official CONTENT is not copyrighted. Material may be reprinted if credit is given to 

unit requests to receive copies, and unit address changes should be sent to ENGINEER and the author. ENGINEER at the preceding address. Telephone: (573) 563-4104, DSN 676-4104. 

ENGINEER'S e-mail address is: eubanksc@wood.army.mil. Our Internet home page OFFICIAL DISTRIBUTION is targeted to all engineer and engineer-related units. 

is located at: http://ww.wood.army.miIIDDDIENGRMAG/ernag~hp.htrn. PERSONAL SUBSCRIPTIONS are availde by contacting the Superintendent of 

DISCLAIMER: ENGINEER presents professional information designed to keep Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7950. Address changes for 

U.S. military and civilian engineers informed of current and emerging developments personal subscriptis should also be sent to the Superintendent of Documents. 

November 1997 Engineer I 
A New Era Begins in the Personnel Realm 

By Cuptain Matt Zajac 

n today's era of reduced resources and 

escalating print costs, those of us in the 

personnel realm must determine how 

to disseminate information to the greatest 

number of people in the shortest amount of 

time. While we recognize the power of the 

Internet, we also recognize that not everyone has access to information posted 

electronically. 

Personnel Update 

ith these concerns in the forefront, the Engineer Personnel 

Proponency Office (EPPO), the 

officer branch, and the enlisted branch 

proposed adding a new department-entitled "Personnel Updatew-to the Etzgitzeer 

Professiot~ul Bulletin. The purpose of the 

"Personnel Update" is not to duplicate 

information available on the Internet but 

rather to focus on major issues facing the 

branch today. 

This issue of Engineer includes articles on initiatives that have far-reaching 

impacts on both engineer officers and 

enlisted soldiers. The article on OPMS 

XXI (page 3) describes where we are and 

where we see ourselves headed, and 

"Changes in NCO Structure" on page 6 

tells of ow success during this endeavor. 

We ask you to take time to consider your 

future and provide EPPO some guidance. 

The EPPO staff will measure the success 

of the new department by the level of 

response received from you. 

Internet Sites 

T hree Internet sites focus on engineerspecific personnel issues. 

The Engineer Personnel Proponency Ofice maintains a site at http:N 

155.9.32.3./EPPO/eppo-hp.htm. EPPO 

provides advice and assistance to the Engineer School commandant to attract, 

develop, and retain engineer officers, warrant officers, and soldiers. Typical articles 

cover the impacts of Department of the 

Army decisions on the branch, proposals 

on restructuring the branch, and "what-if' 

articles that ask field personnel where the 

branch should be headed. Topics currently 

at the EPPO site include creating a 12B 

additional skill identifier for combat engineer equipment, consolidating MOSS in 

the 62 series, and recent successes in 

expanding engineer Project Warrior positions to the Combat Maneuver Training 

Center and expanding Ranger coding in 

engineer units that support light, airborne, 

and air-assault infantry units. 

The Engineer Officer Situation 

Report (SITREP), which replaces the 

discontinued paper Engineer Officer Bulletin, is maintained by the Engineer 

Branch at PERSCOM. The Engineer 

Officer SITREP reports the latest 

engineer-specific information on schools, 

promotions, and assignments. From it 

you can access links to related home 

pages (such as Army, PERSCOM, Fort 

Leonard Wood, USACE, OPMS XXI, 

and the Engineer Unit Directory). 

The Engineer Oficer SITREP is published biannually and updated as necessary. 

Through this medium, the Engineer Branch 

continues to provide timely and accurate 

information, trends, and statistical data to 

assist officers in managing their careers. 

Current topics include results of the FY97 

Advanced Civil SchoolinglSmail-Group 

Instructor/Observer-Controller and the Year 

Group '91 Functional Area Designation 

Boards and upcoming board dates. The 

SITREP is available at http://wwwperscom.my.miVopmd/engineer/enbull.htm. 

The Engineer Enlisted Newsletter, 

maintained by the enlisted branch, 

focuses on information enlisted soldiers 

need to successfully plan their future. 

Articles in the current Engineer Enlisted 

Newsletter include information on adjustments to the Selective Re-enlistment 

Bonus, force structure cuts, and an afteraction review from the last promotion 

board for sergeant first class. The Engineer Enlisted Newsletter is at http://wwwperscom.army.mil/enlist/eng-ltr.htm. 

Essayons! 

ith the addition of this new 

department to Engineer, the 

personnel realm has gained an 

axis to ensure that you receive the information you need when you need it. As 

always, suggestions on ways to improve 

the Engineer Branch are welcome. Send 

correspondence to CFT Matt Zajac at 

zajacm@wood.army.mil. IY 

2 Engineer November 1997 
OP61S XXI AND THE ENGINCER CORPJWBERE ARE WE H€4DlNG? 

By Captain Matt Zajac 

ince July 1996, PERSCOM's Officer Personnel 

, Management System (OPMS) XXI Task Force has 

been analyzing the challenges facing the management 

and development of the Army's officer corps of today and 

tomorrow. After aligning these challenges with requirements 

posed by Force XXI, the task force formed a new vision and 

set of characteristics and established objectives for the officer 

development system. 

First and foremost, the task force focused on creating a 

system that allows officers to remain in key developmental 

jobs for longer periods of time. Reduced personnel 

turbulence increases unit effectiveness and results in an 

officer corps with a greater depth of experience in each 

branch and functional area (FA). 

Career Options 

elying heavily on input from the field, the task force 

created four career development system options for 

evaluation. The options range from merely adjusting 

today's system to severing it into four separate career fields 

(CFs) that will align with the Army functions in 2010. In June 

1997, the Army Chief of Staff directed the OPMS XXI Task 

Force to implement an officer development system structured 

around four career fields: operational, operational support, 

institutional support, and information operations. Figure 1 

shows how today's system transforms to a four-career-field 

development system. 

The Operational Career Field includes the basic branches, 

FA 39 (Civil Affairs), and the Special Forces Branch. They 

focus on functions associated with fighting and training the 

force. The Engineer Branch, including the U.S. Army Corps 

of Engineers (USACE), remains in this career field. 

The Operational Support Career Field contains the Army 

Acquisition Corps and FA 48 (Foreign Area Officer). 

The Institutional Support Career Field produces officers 

skilled in obtaining and managing resources that the Army 

requires. FA 4.5 (Comptroller), FA 47 (U.S. Military 

Academy Professor), FA 49 (Operational Research and 

Systems Analyst), FA 52 (Nuclear Weapons), and two new 

Career Field Redesign 

Company grade troop time 

and schooling 

TODAY I 

I 

TOMORROW 

Legend 

MEL- milkatyeducatton level 

AAC - Amy aoqulutlon corps 

ACC -~m~ycornpet~t~ve~~tegory 

November 1997 

Figure 1 

Engineer 3 
Career Field Designation Process 

A few officers move Primary zone directly to other CFs LTC board 

LegnG 

MEL .militaryeduuttion level 

Figure 2 

functional areas-FA 43 (Human Resource Manager) and 

FA 50 (Force Developertare grouped in this career field. 

The Information Operations Career Field recognizes the 

Army's requirement for specialists skilled in collecting, 

organizing, processing, and disseminating intelligence 

across the, full spectrum of the human, signal, and electronic 

information bands. The current FA 46 (Public Affairs) and 

FA 53 (Automation Systems) are joined with four new 

functional areas related to the collection and analysis of 

strategic intelligence, modeling and simulations, spacebased operations, and the integration of information 

operations in support of jointJcomponent commanders. 

Focusing 

igure 2 shows how the proposed officer development 

system separates officers into the four career fields. 

Recognizing the necessity for grounding Army 

officers in solid, leadership-developing platoon and 

company experiences, the task force proposed a system that 

maintains the current, familiar initial developmental pattern. 

Officers continue to enter the Army with a branch 

designation and serve in that branch until they complete 

company command. Then (about their fifth year of service) 

they select a functional area. Single tracking will no longer 

exist. The functional area choice, their personal goals, and 

performance counseling will guide the officer's career into 

one of the four career paths. The path is permanently 

designated after their primary zone promotion to major. 

From this point on, they are promoted and selected for 

schooling from only the officers in their career path. No 

longer will there be "double" looks for promotion or 

schooling, which is possible now because of separate basic 

branch and functional area boards. Limited opportunities 

will exist to change career paths after selection for major. 

The new system allows officers with the desire and aptitude 

for performing roles outside of today's command track to 

continue to hone their skills, compete for challenging 

assignments, and serve the Army and the nation. 

Challenges 

he Engineer Branch faces two key challenges as we 

move toward OPMS XXI. The first is our need to 

remain one regiment. By aligning the entire engineer 

force under the operational force, the branch averted the 

consequences of an early task force recommendation to 

create a separate functional area, in a separate career field, 

for USACE officers. The current focus is to balance the 

officer inventory with our requirements and authorizations. 

The task force's recoding initiative directs that branch 

proponencies review their authorizations and, with specific 

guidance, determine which positions can be recoded. These 

recoded positions will help the task force develop the new 

functional areas and create viable career opportunities for 

each career field. The Engineer School's Personnel 

4 Engineer November 1997 
Proponency Office is reviewing the branch authorizations 

and will brief the Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel, on 10 

December 1997. 

Our second challenge is a function of our diverse 

assignments. The Engineer Branch is struggling to branchqualify all of our majors with the few branch-qualifying 

(S3KO) positions available. This shortage has resulted in an 

unacceptable level of unit turbulence, with engineer majors 

serving barely 12 months in these key developmental positions. 

So how does the Engineer Branch develop officers and 

then increase their depth of experience? Perhaps by 

expanding the definition of "branch qualification" to include 

certain USACE positions and division staff positions (such 

as assistant division engineer). We must also determine 

lieutenant coloneVcolone1 "command qualification" and if 

there are any formally recognized paths to either the table of 

organization and equipment (TO&E) or the USACE 

commands. Balancing the qualification of engineer officers 

while maintaining one regiment remains fundamental to our 

branch's success as OPMS XXI evolves. 

Supporting Force XXI 

he Army faces major challenges in the years ahead. 

The OPMS XXI Task Force and the Engineer Branch 

have made significant progress toward an officer 

development system that supports both the Army's future 

vision and the needs of today's engineer officers. Our 

success during this redesign period is a direct result of your 

input. With your support, tomorrow's Engineer Branch will 

continue to provide officers unparalleled challenges and 

unequaled job satisfaction. Equally important, we will 

ensure that the Engineer Corps remains ready to meet the 

nation's challenges in the future. 

For more information on OPMS XXI, refer to the 

Engineer Personnel Proponency Office's home page: http:// 

www.wood.army.mil/EPPO/eppo~hp.htm. 

We welcome suggestions on forming our future officer 

career development pattern. The point of contact is CPT 

Matt Zajac at DSN 676-4087 or commercial (573) 563-4087. 

The e-mail address is: zajacm@wood.army.mil. u 

Captain Zajac, oflcer coordinator in the Engineer 

Personnel Proponency Ofice, has coordinated USAES efforts 

with the OPMS XXI Task Force for the past 18 months. 

Previous assignments include commander, C Conzpany, 2d 

Engineer Battaliotz, Korea; executive oficer, 362d Engineer 

Compat~y (CSE), Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and platoon 

leader; 264th Engineer Company (MGB) during Operations 

Desert Stortn and Desert Shield. CPT Zajnc holds a bachelor's 

degree in civil engineering from the Universiv of Illinois and is 

completing a master's degree in engineering management from 

the Universiry of Mi.~solcri at Rolla. 

Carrying Your Concerns Forward 

By Captain Matt Zajac 

On 15 October 1997, MG Robert B. flowers, 

Commandant, U.S. Army Engineer School, presented the 

1997 Functional Review (FR) to LTG Frederick E. 

Vollrath, Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel (DCSPER). As 

the personnel predecessor to the annual Functional Area 

Assessment (FAA), the FR allows the DCSPER to 

address issues within the personnel arena before they 

are presented to the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army 

during the FAA. The commandant and representatives 

from the officer, warrant officer, and enlisted branches; 

the Office of the Chief of the Army Reserve; and the 

National Guard Bureau presented their assessments of 

and concerns about the engineer force. 

Enlisted Concerns 

MG Flowers stated that the shift of 76 percent of the 

engineer force to the Reserve Component during the 

drawdown has affected the branch's ability to rapidly 

respond to and maintain support for extended stability and 

support operations. A prime example of this challenge is 

the personnel status of our active duty bridge units. The 

12C military occupational speciality (MOS) continues to 

experience an initial-term retention rate average of only 33 

percent (FY96 to present) and only a 14-month CONUS 

tour stabititation. Low initial-term retention rates during 

FY97 for MOSS 12B, 51M, 51f, and 81T were also 

discussed. 

The continuing shortage of active duty master 

sergeants and sergeants major in career management 

fields (CMFs) 12 and 51 is another concern. Promotion 

rates have exceeded the Army's average since June 

1996, but retention rates are well below average. 

Another enlisted concern is the Department of the 

Army's elimination of the 285th Engineer Detachment 

(Quarry). While the Reserve Component still has 

significant quarry assets, the Active Component cannot 

maintain viable career progression for this MOS (only 16 

authorizations remain). Our challenge now is to identify 

how to train and support those units in the Reserve 

Component. 

Officer Concerns 

Errgineer officers are concerned about the effects of 

OPMS XXI and the Officer Restructuring Initiative (ORI) 

on the branch's structure and career progression. Other 

concerns are the diversity of the branch-particularly with 

regard to developing and retaining female and AfricanAmerican field grade officers-and the continuing 

shortage of branch-qualified captains. In response to 

these last two concerns, MG Flowers requested that 

PERSCOM initiate a Call to Active Dufy for engineer 

officers who have recently left the service. LTG Vollrath 

agreed in concept but directed that the effects of OPMS 

XXI and OR1 authorization reductions be studied before 

bringing officers back to active duty. 

November I997 Engineer 5 
Changes in NCO Strnctare 

hen an Ann), Ent~s article 

reported in June 1997 that an 

estimated X.700 Arrny NCO 

jobs rvould he eliminated in nn d-fort to 

trlrn tlie NCO content from 50 lo 47.5 

percent. the Engineer School and the 

Engineer Branch received an avalanche 

of pliune calls, c-mniI, ant1 Eetrcrs rxprcssrng grave conccrns about potcnlial 

CUtS. 

The schuul's Engineer Pcrunnncl Pmponency Orlice (EPPO) is pleased to 

rcpon ilrat llle engineer force if in an 

exccptir,nally stahlc positinn and, 

hccilusc or lllc hot tom-up revicw of each 

engineer miIitary clccupational sprcialty 

(MOS) during the Changes in Noncomrnisslooed Ol'ficer Structure ICINCOS) 

initiative in 1996, promotion opportunilies wilI increase in niost MOSs. Thc 

engineer leadership worked long and 

linrd to prepare a proposal that rnerts the 

Anny 's needs, provides halanced carecr 

prngrcssian. and enilnnces rhc hr~lnch's 

ahil~ly to meet its Jiversc missions xs we 

move into lhc ncxt century. 

CINCOS Review 

n 18 June 149h. the Deputy Chirf 

ol' StnlT Cur Pcrsunncl (DCSPER) 

directed :dl personnel proponenclcc lo conduct ;i helium-up review or 

every MOS. This ~nitiative, termed $he 

CISCOS, resulted from n $170 million 

rcduc~inn in the Amly personnel budget. 

Thc guidance was tn align MOSs with the 

Army's gual nf a 47 percent NCO srmc- 

[LIE. Howcver. the DCSPER realized that 

some MOSS would have hirher or lower 

percentages, depending on thcir mission 

reqiiircments. Thc guidance also nllawcd 

pmponencies to correct stagnation in 

MOSS thal historically displayed poor promotion opportunities. 

I CINCOS ProposaF 

PPO hcgan its analysis immediately. The first challenge was to 

determine where ro trim, since the 

e~~gineer force'< NCO content was 

already at 44.7 percent. The Enpineer 

Schuol formcd n task ibrcc ~LI analyze 

each MOS from the bottom-up. EPPO's 

proposal f'wuqed on table of distribution 

and allnwanccs OA) zi~~thorizations,o 

i~ had only a minor impact on table 01' 

urganizarion and cqutpment (TOcYcE) 

SZRICZU~CS. 

In August 1496. :I bonrd oTcommnnd 

sergeants ~najor. which included the engineer sergeant major, reviewed the proposal for its i~npncts on combat readiness 

and cnrcer progression. The hoard's tinal 

ndjusrrnenfs resulted in a proposal: tharProvided rhc uvcrall cnpinccr force 

with bcrtcr career proyrcssion. 

Fixed two MOSS ~hnt birtorically 

had poor carerr progression. 

Enhanced the capabilities of the 

warfightiny ti~rce. 

The DCSPER accepted the engineer 

CINCOS proposal on 2 1 May 1 907, with 

;In implrrnenlntion date of I Octobcr 

1998. This initiative will affect promotions early in FY9H. 

Carcer Management Field (CMF) 

12. The CJNCOS proposal hr CMF 17 

restructured 123 posirions and transferred 

40 staff sergeant positiuns tu MOS 62N 

Construction Equipment Supcrvisor. The 

positions affected wcre 38 MOS 122 

Combat Engineer Senior Scrgeants, who 

wcre intelligence seryeants in the battalion and brigade S2 sections. Those positions were reduced From master sergeant 

to sergeant firs[ class. Thirty-eighr staff 

sergeants in Active and Reserve Component observer1 controller positions were 

reduced ro seqeants. hecilus: the senror 

NCO hiird believed it was wlth~n il sergennt's capability to complete that mission. As tor MOS 1 ?C Bridge Crew 

Menlhess, Bosnia higliIighted a requirement for a senior host operator in our 

hridgt unirc; thereiore, 20 srrFednts werr 

tipgraded to staff sergeants and given rhr 

titlc uf Scnior Boat Opcr:~tor. The nced 

[or more skill level 10 boat operators 

rewlted in 27 sergeant positions being 

dr~wngraded ta speci:llist. Thesc adjust. 

tnents bntanced out career progression in 

MOS 12C. Finally. recognizing thc disproporlionnte number of MOS 12B Combat Engneer E3's waiting for thc 

opportunity to pin on E4 mnk, CINCOS 

nltuwed 350 E3 posilions to bc upgraded 

to E4, 

CMF 12 currently has an NCO srrength 

of 44.1 pzrcen! and, nfier implementing 

CINCOS, will shift to 43.6 pcrccnt. 

CMF 51. The bottom-up review 

revealed that in CMF 51. 30 pnsitinn~ 

fmrn MOS 51 H Conslmc~lan Engineer 

Foreman in garrisons :rnd Departments of 

Puhllc Works could hc downgraded Tri)m 

sergeant tirsr class to sratf scrgcnnt. 

because staff sergeants possess the level 

of tcchnicnl experlisc ncedcrl to perform 

this function. H~storicdly. MOS h2N drsplayed a prior promotion rate, arid (he 

DCSPER's guidcncc allowcd tl~is prohlem to he rectified. A total ot 99 scrgcianl 

lirs! c3ass and staff sergeant posltlons 

were transferred to MOS 62N from 

MOSs across the engineer force: 54 from 

5lH, 40 from 128, two from 51M Firelighter, and three from 51T Technical 

Engineering SpecinIist. Transferring thesc 

pos~tions docs not completely fix the current stagnation problem. but it improves 

career progression for 62N snldiers. 

CMF 51's cumnt NCO content of 43.2 

percent will be increased to 43.5 percent. 
fmm staff sergeant to sergeant. Two MOS 

82D Topoprnphic Surveyor positions in 

the Aerospace: Activity in Saint Louis and 

eight battalion 53 Survey Operations Sergeants wcrc reduced from serycant first 

class to stnrf hergeant. 

CMF 31 's current NCO strength of 48 

percent was reduced to 46.4 percent. 

CMF 12 Recap 

5000 authorizations 

2500 authorizations 

2000 + PERSCOM Revised 43.6 

1500 

1000 

500 

0 

CMF 81. The CINCOS review afFecred 20 positions in CMF 8 t. Ten MOS 

8 1 L Lithographic Operations Sergeant 

position!: in battalion S3 sections shihed 

Career Progression 

he three bar graphs depict the 

changes to career progression tbr 

rhe Engineer Corps. PERSCOMms 

guid:tnce to he EPPO is represented by a 

single line across the top of each graph, 

Thiq ideal line provides the best career 

growth for a particuinr CME The light 

CMF 51 Recap 

gray bars indicate total positions at the 

present rime (August 1997). The black 

hars represent the changes made by ClNCOS. 

As indicated hy the graphs. the 

changes being implemented bring orlr 

engineer CMFs either to the ideal line or 

very close no it. This means that our 

MOSS will offer reasonable promotion 

opport~~nities welS in to the f'ii!urr. 

The ClNCOS initiative does not 

hinder engineer promotions, reduce job 

opportunirres, or eliminate any psitions. 

The majority of changes to engineer NCO 

strengh are in positions where there is 

redundancy of leadership snrl an excess 

of technical expertise. The CINCOS initiative allows the Engineer Personnel Proponency Office to increase both prornorion opportunities and the combat 

readiness of [he Engineer Corps. LI 

O Current 

authorizations 

m Revised 

auth~rizati~ns 

NCO percent 

Current 43.6 

Ideal 44.8 

Revised 44.1 -+- PERSCOM 

Revised authorizations 5807 

CMF 81 Recap 

authorizations 

M Revised 

authorizations 

* PERSCOM 

NCO percent 

Current 48.0 

Revised 46.4 Scr~erznt Major Mrrrpl~?, is nssig~ted 

to the EPPO. Previoris [I.\ rignr71~rlr~ 

itrcludc operatinrls sergearlt, A Cumpurl, 8154th E~lgitieer Rnttaliotl, Fort 

Lewis, Wasjtblgron. He is a gmdirnie of 

rkc Rdva~tced ~oncommissiori~d Oficcrs 

Course arrd the Opemiions and Itltelligmce Course. SCM Mzrrph~b linld.~ nll 

arsocia t e degree from Perice College, 

Tacoma, Washington. 

Current authorizations 739 I Revised authorizatkns 739 

November I997 
Personal Wewpoint 

Marine Engineers: 

Developing a Strategic Vision for Engineer Support 

By Major Jay E. Johnson 

IF or several years the U.S. military engineering 

community has struggled to speak as one voice and 

attack from a united front. As we move into the 21st 

century, it is time for Marine Corps engineers to move forward 

and prepare to support Operational Maneuver From the Sea 

(OMFTS), as described by the Commandant of the Marine 

Corps in a 1996 White Letter. This NavyIMarine Corps 

concept builds on the foundation laid by two earlier 

documents: "From the Sea" (1992) and "Forward From the 

Sea" (1994). These documents present landmark shifts in 

operational focus and a reordering of coordinated priorities for 

naval forces engaged in forward areas. Their objectives are to 

prevent conflicts and control crises in areas known as the 

"chaos of littorals," which refers to chaos in shore or coastal 

regions. OMITS is the centerpiece of our preparations for 

future expeditionary, littoral, and amphibious warfare. 

Principles of OMFTS 

perational Maneuver From the Sea describes the 

Marine Corps' concept for the future. ItFocuses on an operational objective. 

Uses the sea as maneuver space. 

Generates overwhelming tempo and momentum. 

Pits strengths against weaknesses. 

Emphasizes intelligence, deceptions, and flexibility. 

4 Integrates all organic, joint, and combined assets. 

To remain a relevant military engineer force in the future, all 

military engineers must be able to "deal explicitly with the full 

spectrum of challenges that we will have to face, the dangers and 

opportunities created by new technologies, and the very exciting 

prospect of adapting the tradition of maneuver warfare, not 

merely to amphibious operations, but to all aspects of warfare in, 

and around, coastal waters." (OMFTS, 1996) 

Marine Engineer Vision 

ith the OMITS concept in mind, Marine Corps 

engineers landed 28 July 1997 on Camp Lejeune, 

North Carolina, to conduct the Naval Exped~tionary 

Engineering Conference. Part~c~pating in the conference wlth 

us were guests from the Navy Seabees and Army engineers 

trom the 20th Engineer Brigade, the U S Army Eng~neer 

Center, the XVIII Alrborne Corps, and the U.S Army Corps of 

Engineers. Our mission was to develop a common Marine 

Corps vision for engineer support, identify strengths and 

weaknesses in engineer support, and establish critical issues 

and objectives for engineer support. Armed with that 

information, we will soon develop strategies and action plans 

that will lead to our campaign plan for naval expeditionary 

engineering support to the Marine AirIGround Task Force 

(MAGTF). The intent of the week-long conference was to both 

inform and guide the advancement of Marine engineer issues 

(doctrine, organization, training, equipment, and support) in 

the context of joint engineering and the Marine Corps 

development process to create a strategic plan. That plan will 

serve as our azimuth for the 21st century. 

This was not a "typical" conference with numerous 

speakers where attendees reunite with old friends. Under the 

tutelage of Colonel Phillips, Commanding Officer of the 

Marine Corps Engineer School, we quickly realized that this 

was a working conference with a specific goal: to unite the 

engineer community by creating a strategic vision for the 

Marine Corps that encompasses and has applications across the 

other services. 

The Marine engineer vision is toDeliver focused engineering support across the total spectrum of military operations. 

Provide flexible, mobile force multipliers. 

Provide units that are sized to get to the fight with the 

capability of supporting sustained operations. 

Support MAGTF joint and combined operations. 

Enhance momentum, sustain the force, shape the battle, 

and win! 

This vision is a beacon that demonstrates the Marine Corps' 

commitment to a joint engineer environment. 

Challenge 

or success in future conflicts, all U.S. military engineers 

must have the capability to link with the MAGTF and 

combine into a relevant combat force multiplier that the 

joint commander can bring to any mission. The full spectrum 

of conflict has no limits; it encompasses an asymmetrical 

enemy that may range from humanitarian relief to full-scale 

war. Engineers must be prepared to operate in a seamless, 

interoperable environment and have a diverse structure that is 

task organized to support the MAGTF and joint commands. 

8 Engineer November 1997 
Opportunities environments. It is critical that we revise and modify the current - - 

Tj,&7 ith this new challenge come new opportunities to 

exploit and add to our "tool box." For example, we 

must create new doctrine that supports OMFTS and 

develop or procure assets that provide adequate force 

protection. By tailoring our engineer capabilities to fit the 

mission, we will maximize our efforts and "showcase" 

engineers as the force multiplier for today and tomorrow. 

To fill the doctrinal void, joint service engineers recently 

received approval to publish Joint Publication 3-34, Engineer 

Doctrine for Joint Operations. The initial draft of JP 3-34 is 

due out for review in November 1997. This publication 

outlines engineer fundamentals, organizations, planning, 

operations, and the capabilities of all service engineers for the 

joint force commander and his staff. It supplements two other 

joint doctrinal publications with an engineer focus: JP 4-04, 

Joint Doctrine for Civil Engineering Support, and JP 3-1 5, 

Joint Doctrine for Barriers, Obstacles, and Mine Warfare. 

These publications provide the joint force commander with 

the tools he needs to maximize engineer efforts and make 

them a true part of the joint team. 

Some opportunities are already a reality. Interservice 

engineer training has been conducted at Fort Leonard Wood, 

Missouri, and other locations since October 1995, and we are 

developing training exercises that will strengthen our 

complementary capabilities with all services. 

Our Marine engineer vision sets the stage for a new era of 

naval expeditionary engineering. Now we must revise the role, 

training, equipment, and structure of Marine engineers to 

more fully support OMFTS and joint operations. This should 

be done gradually in a continuous process rather than take 

quantum leaps that create a major event. A gradual, wellplanned process will ensure that Marine doctrine and the new 

assets we procure adequately support and keep pace with 

OMFTS and the other services. 

Role. The Marine engineer role is clearly defined by our 

four basic pillars (mobility, countermobility, survivability, and 

general engineering). These pillars will not change. However, 

we require further amplification on how our role will support 

the evolving tactics and operations required for OMITS. First 

we must develop tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) 

that will help define the engineer role in supporting OMFTS. 

Then we must test and validate our TTPs and inform the 

MAGTF of our capabilities. Until the Marine engineer role in 

supporting OMFTS is clearly defined, we should not develop 

a unified priority list relative to funding, personnel, 

equipment, and training. 

Training. As MAGTF tactics evolve, we must reorient 

Marine engineer training to support OMFTS. If we do not 

adequately train Marine engineers to support the OMFTS, we 

will cease to be a combat multiplier in joint 

engineer training program of instruction and individual training 

standards at our formal schools and Fleet Marine Force units to 

sustain OMFTS. 

Equipment. Current equipment and resources do not 

provide Marine engineers sufficient capability to support the 

MAGTF or the joint community. We must review the MAGTF 

table of equipment with regard to ground tactical mobility 

requirements and develop an armored engineer vehicle for use 

in highly mobile environments. One option may be to develop 

an engineer variant of the Advanced Amphibious Assault 

Vehicle. We must develop a united Marine engineer Program 

Objectives Memorandum strategy to procure equipment that 

supports OMFTS and joint missions, or we will continue to be 

left scrounging for crumbs at all future congressional funding 

hearings. 

Structure. Finally, the current organization of Marine 

engineer units may not adequately support future operational 

concepts of OMFTS and joint missions. To be effective, Marine 

engineer units must be structured to support the dynamics of 

the MAGTF, OMFTS, and joint commands. We must formulate 

an analysis tool to validate future operation concepts in their 

planning stages. These analyses should indicate how to revamp 

the Marine engineer structure to fully support OMFTS and joint 

operations. 

Setting the Course 

he July 1997 conference was successful in that it gave 

our engineer community a shot in the arm or wake-up 

call upon which we can build for the future. We Marine 

engineers now must focus on our vision and implement an 

engineer campaign plan. An engineer steering group (consisting 

of six colonels, one Navy captain, and one GS-15 civilian) was 

introduced at the end of the conference. This group will guide 

our community; the executive-level decision makers; 

Headquarters, Marine Corps; the Marine Corps Combat 

Development Center; Marine Corps Systems Command; and 

Marine forces in accomplishing this mission. 

As the conference came to a close, we were reminded to "be 

patient, work the tactical issues, and spread the word of our 

campaign plan." That plan will unite our engineer community 

as one voice and not only support but lead the way in OMITS 

for others to emulate. 

Major Johnson serves as commanding oficer; Engineer 

Equipment lnstructiorz Company, Marine Corps Detachment, 

U.S. Army Engineer Center; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He 

previousljs served as Combat Engineer Company Executive 

Oficer; Combat Assault Battalion; Engineer Support Companjl 

Commander; S4, 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 3rd Marine 

Division, Okinawa, Japan. MAJ Johnson holds a master's 

degree from Webster University. 

November 1997 Engineer 9 
By Captain Luwrence Farrell 

30 March 1997, 10:05 hours: CPT Striker was not pleased; 

his armored vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB) maintenance 

readiness rate was 49 percent for the month. When he briefed 

the company's highlights, the battalion commander wanted to 

know ifall the AVLBs had two soldiers assigned to them. Striker 

answered, "No." Irritated, the battalion commander asked, 

"Why don't you fully man your AVLB crews?" CPT Striker's 

reply was, "Sir; I am at 85 percent strength. If lfully man my 

AVLBs, I won't have six trained engineer squads for the 

upcoming National Training Center rotation." The battalion 

executive ofleer interjected, "Your company is getting six new 

12B soldiers today from the replacement centeE That should 

help alleviate your personnel problem." 

Later; as CPT Striker walked into the company orderly 

room, the jirst sergeant approached and said, "Sir; here are 

Alpha Company's six soldiers." Half-seriously, CPT Striker 

asked two of them, "How much AVLB training do you have?" 

The first soldier replied, "Sic I have three hours of stick time 

in an AVLB. " The second soldier answered, "Sic I have nine 

hours of stick time in an AVLB. " CPTStriker was more than a 

little confused. He asked his first sergeant, "Top, did both of 

these soldiers graduate from the same 12B school at Fort 

Leonard Wood?" 

Training Structure 

his article provides an update of the current combat 

engineer career management field (CMF) 12 training 

at Fort Leonard Wood. Unlike other engineer training 

there, combat engineer training is not a joint effort among the 

four services. It is only offered to Army soldiers. 

All CMF 12 training conducted at Fort Leonard Wood 

occurs in a One-Station Unit Training (OSUT) 

environment-the Army's method of combining basic 

combat training (BCT) with advanced individual training 

(AIT). OSUT provides the following benefits: 

10 Engineer November 1997 
It is relatively inexpensive compared to other training. 

Soldiers performing OSUT at Fort Leonard Wood do 

not travel between posts during BCT and AIT. However, 

soldiers who graduate from BCT at Fort Jackson, South 

Carolina, are shipped to different posts around the country for AIT. Besides the obvious savings on travel costs, 

many hidden expenses are saved in an OSUT environment. For example, soldiers do not draw and clear 

equipment from the central issue facility twice or obtain 

a set of orders for each type of training. When viewed 

on an Armywide basis, the time, money, and effort 

saved quickly become enormous. OSUT also allows the 

unit to focus on additional training. 

It allows units more time to mold and train soldiers than 

BCT, which lasts only eight weeks. With OSUT, engineer companies keep soldiers from reception to graduation. The two OSUT engineer battalions at Fort Leonard 

Wood-the 35th and the 169th-have identical tables of 

distribution and allowances and both are part of the 1st 

Engineer Brigade. 

OSUT companies are authorized 17 permanent-party 

soldiers: 11 drill sergeants and six headquarters personnel 

(see figure). One drill sergeant is always off because of 

charge of quarters, leaving 10 available for training. Each 

company is structured to have three platoons at full capacity 

with three or four drill sergeants in each platoon. OSUT 

companies have the same standards as any other unit in the 

U.S. Army. They have brigade, battalion, and post 

inspections as well as the more routine requirements (such as 

officer and NCO development classes, mandatory training 

requirements, family support group meetings and activities, 

and a variety of other events). When these responsibilities are 

35th Engineer (OSUT) Battalion 

TDA 

LTC 21800(1) 

I I MAJ 21800 (1) CPTZIBOO 

viewed collectively, it is understandable why drill sergeants 

earn an additional $275 per month as "Special Duty Pay." 

rl 

Training Phases 

CSM OOZ50 (1)- MSG *O (I) - 

35 SFC 75250 (I) ssG 12B30 (I) 

0 SUT is divided into five phases. Phases I through I11 

occur in BCT and Phases IV and V occur in AIT. 

Although not the official names of each phase, the 

following descriptions accurately portray the training soldiers 

receive. 

SGT 75820 (1) SGT 12B20 (*) 

SPC 71L10 (1) Civllan Force 

PFC 75810 (1) GS04 0031 8 (2) 

I CPT 21800 (1) 

1 LT 21 BOO (1) 

1225M (1)' 

i 12830 (1) 

' 92Y20 (1) 

.92Y10 (1) 

SSG 12C3X (1) 2 

Phase I: Soldierization and Common Task Training 

Phase 11: Weapons Training 

Phase 111: Fire and Maneuver Training 

Phase IV: Light Engineer Training 

Phase V Mechanized Engineer Training 

BCT Phases 

hase I. Soldierization lasts 14 days and focuses on 

basic soldiering skills. It includes more than thirty 

subjects, such as drill and ceremony; wearing and 

appearance of the Army uniform; first aid; map reading; 

nuclear, biological and chemical procedures; Army family 

team building; and environmental awareness. Soldiers train 

continuously for 14 days and are constantly in the drill 

sergeant's presence. This is the most critical training phase, 

because it provides the foundation on which all follow-on 

training is based. 

Phase II. Weapons training lasts 11 days and teaches 

soldiers to properly fire, maintain, and qualify on the M16A2 

November 1997 Engineer I I 
A soldier trains on the AVLE! simulator in an indoor environment. 

sern~aiitotnutlc rifle-a rcquirenlent for successful phase They train at five live-fire ranges to hone this skill. Soldiers 

completion. It also familiarizes soldiers with other weapons, 

such as the M203 grcnadc Iaunchcc. the M249 scmiautnrnatic machine gun, and the M60 autornaric machine 

gun. 

Phase In. Fire and maneuver trainin? introdvcc soldiers 

tn live-fire ranges and grenades and their first tield problem. 

During this phase. soldiers are aggressively and repeatedly 

tested on their ability to shoot, move, and communicate. 

must qualify nn two hand-grenade ranges-live-fire and 

combat assault (inert)-to successfully compiete this phasc. 

At lhc end of Phasc 111. soldiers must pass lwo more tests to 

move into the AlT portion of thc OSUT cycle. Thcy must score 

3t Ieast 80 prcent on !lie End-of-Cycle Test. which servcs nl; il 

final exam for BCT and ensures that each soldier knows how to 

execute basic combat tasks on the battlefield. Soldiers must 

also pass the Army PhysicaZ Filness Test [APFT) according to 

1 1 5CT standards. which diffcr from regular Amy standards. A 

1 I minimum score of SO percent in each tested category is 

1 I required. which is a challenging requiremenr. I I There is no Army -. requirement concern in^ -. physical - fitness 

for soldiers enlisting in the Army. The only wei~ht 

rrrquiwment states tl~nr they cannr-rt bc morc ~hnn 60 pnunds ., ,. over lheir maxirnum allowed weight. If an overweight soldier 

enlists in the Army. he is placed on [he uverwcight program 

and treated Iike any otller soldier. In today's socicty, where 

physical fitness and total health are not highly valued or 

emphasized, many soldiers cannot succt.ssf~~lly complete one 

- I push-up when [bey arrlvc at rhe reception station. 

Soldiers who complete all the BCT requirements are 

awarded a weekend pass. which is the only pass piven during 

the entire cycle. It is a motivational tool tbr the advanccd ' individual training rhat is about to begin. 

1 Pfrrrre IV Lizhr engineer training includes 13 days of 

demolitions and land nine warfare training. During 

demolitions training. soldiers lenrn try propcrly construct 

, electric and nonelectric firing systems and to deronntc I 

demolitions. They particip:itc in two dcmolitians rances tn 

L. - - .--- -- A - - 1 test ihrir pinliciency in these tasks. Then [hey are iaughi the 

fundamentals of mine laying and mine clearing with a vilriety OSUT training includes training with mine-detection 

systems. of antitank mines. 
En simulated mine Iraln~ng, recycled ttres are used in place of trad~tional sawdust. 

Pl~are t: Mech:inizcd engineer training, which lasts 10 

days, consists of M60 chassis training, AVLB cmplacernent. 

and armorcd cornhat earthmover (ACE) operations. Class 

size is extremeIy important during this phase. Simply stated, 

the [ewer soldiers in a cl~lss, the more driving lime per 

soldier, which answers CPT Striker's question in the 

opening scenario. 

The military nccupational specialty (MOS) 12B Cornha1 

Enpinuer program of instruc~ion states that [he minimum, 

optimum, and maximum class sizes are respectively 135, 150, 

and 20n soIdiers pr company. Often. these classes are either 

overbooked or not filled at all. During the summer and fa!], 

many classes have more than 250 soldiers per company because 

of the largc number of soldiers who enter the service after high 

school gr:~duation. From November to May, classes are small 

due to the limited number of recruitr. ne Engineer SchooE tries 

to prevent this accordion effect, hut potcnrial recruits usuaI!y 

enlist in whrchever service has the quickest opening (and 

paycheck). Compc~i [son is especially keen ktween the Marines 

nnd the Arniy. hecausc both services have similar combat 

MOSS and are ulten recruiling he same potenliat enlistees. 

The lasr three major events of AIT are the End-of-Cycle 

Comprchcnsive Test (EOCCT), the five-day field training 

exercise (FTX), and the APFT according to regular Army 

standards. 

To successfulty complete the EOCCT, soldiers must 

score a "GO" in every category. Every aspect of the IZB 

POI, including M9 ACE and AVLB employment, is tested. 

This is accomplished hy using realistic simularon and 

[raining aids, which are fabricated at the local Training 

Support Ccntcr. Thcy provide soldiers the opportunity to 

train and be tested on equipment in an indoor environment. 

After the EOCCT, soldiers must complete rhe combat 

engineer RX and APFT. These two events are conducted 

using the same standards as a regular modified table of 

nrganiza~ion and equipment unit. Once soldiers successfully 

cornple~e thesc cvents. normal outprocessing occurs and they 

graduate from OS UT. 

Team Training 

he tnining rhat each MOS 12B soldier rcccives at Fort 

Leonard LVnd is challcnging, realistic, and demanding. 

Thc Engineer School continually reviews and adjust5 the 

training and subjects rauzht to meet demands of the modern 

battlefield. Suggestions and input from warfighting unit.$ are 

requested regularly. For example, before 1495, MOS I2B soldiers 

received training on the Bailey bridge, However, this instruction 

wx5 clirninated when the Engineer School consolidated MOSS 

12B and I2F and determined that more critical ~sks should hc 

tau@ in the time allowed. The "demise" of the combat engineer 

vehicle and requests from tield units caused two days of Bailey 

bridge mining to be reinstated into OSUT. 

Each year more than 3.500 combat engineers are trained at 

Fort Leonard Wood. The soldiers come from unique 

backgrounds and circumstances, but each is expected to meet 

the same standards. These standards could not be met withour 

thc hard work and dedication from the team of quality 

civiIians and soldiers who train them. The caliber of the 

combat engineers entering the Total Army force today is a 

direct refl eclion of this team-training approach. w 

Crrptuin Fnrrell is cunlmander of Alpha Conipanp 35!h 

Erl~ineer Rnttnlion (OSUT), Fort teonard Wood Missouri. He 

was previor~sly assigned to the 44th En~in~~r Bnrmlion 

(McchJ, Canzp Houze, Korea, and has served conzbar tours in 

Saudi Arabia (Opcmtions Deserr Shield and Desen Storm) 

arid Somalia (Operation Rextore Hope). CPT Fnrrell hold.^ a 

degree in civil engineering from Virgirrio Military Institute. 

Plr oto~aphs by Jim Ray, TSC, Fort konnrd Wood. 

Novcnlbpr I997 Engineer 13 
Operation Desert Strike: 

By Lieutenant Colonel Gregory S. Kuhr 

I n September 1996, the National Command Authority . Pegasus Fury - combat operations. 

ordered an Army brigade combat team (BCT) to deploy' to . Pegasus Calm - regeneration of pre-positioned equipKuwait in response to Iraqi military actions against Kurdish ment and transport of unit equipment and personnel to 

minorities in northern Iraq. The 1st Cavalry Division's 3rd the home station. 

"Greywolf' BCT responded, along with its supporting 8th E Pegasus Recoil - full recovery of equipment and personnel. Engineer Battalion. The 3rd BCT already had a task force in 

country as part of the normal Central Command rotations, so it 

deployed an additional armor and infantry task force with 

supporting arms. This article describes the deployment from an 

engineer commander's perspective and highlights lessons 

learned during each phase of the operation. 

Pegasus Strike 

ow that deploying to a theater and drawing pre-positioned 

sets of equipment is becoming the norm for many units, 

commanders must develop deployment plans to 

adequately prepare for these missions. Since deployment readiness 

is the top priority for the 1st Cavalry Division, it has developed an 

excellent deployment standing operating procedure (SOP). Known 

as Pegasus Strike, it is continuously refined as each redeploying 

unit offers new lessons learned. The SOP has five subelements: 

Pegasus Point - all deployment preparations through 

departure from home station. 

Pegasus Landing - reception, staging, onward movement, and integration of all forces. 

Pegasus Point. Personnel availability is an immediate 

concern for deploying commanders. The goal is for all units to 

be at 90 percent personnel strength or more. We were at 94 

percent, but once the deployment criteria were established, we 

were 54 soldiers short of the objective. Additional soldiers were 

attached from the engineer brigade's other two battalions. 

Company commanders verified the soldiers' deployment 

readiness and integrated them into their units. Their families 

were added to the rear detachment notification rosters and family 

support group telephone trees. 

Lesson Learned: Deploying commanders must develop a 

plan to integrate attached soldiers into their units. This plan 

must address not only soldier readiness but also inclusion of 

families into rear detachment notification rosters and the 

company family support group structure. 

In the Ist'Cavalry Division, commanders track deployments 

daily with charts (weapons qualifications, training and personnel 

status, and family readiness). Standards are detailed in the 

The Volcano mine-laying 

system proved to be a 

significant force multiplier 

in a desert lacking 

obstacles to limit cross14 Engineer Novenzber 1997 
Sample Cabal Layout 

Berm: 

Pegasus Strike SOP. When called to deploy, a commander can 

immediately assess current posture, identify shortcomings, and 

develop a plan to attain the standard. 

After establishing the deployment criteria, the rear 

detachment was formed from personnel identified as 

nondeployable. A rear detachment order addressed physical 

security, equipment maintenance, and property accountability. 

To prevent a maintenance backlog, our home station fleet of 

more than 150 prime movers must be maintained during the 

deployment. The fleet consisted of 29 M113A2 armored 

personnel carriers, 12 armored vehicle-launched bridges 

(AVLBs), 21 armored combat earthmovers (ACES), 29 

HMMWVs, and 13 HEMMTs. The rear detachment order 

included instructions for exercising and maintaining the 

equipment on a weekly basis. 

Our direct support work was transferred to a forward support 

battalion (FSB) that did not deploy. The engineer brigade gave 

the FSB a priority for the work, and it was understood that some 

assets would be dedicated to meet this requirement. 

AR 750-1, Maintenance Operations, allows services to be 

postponed and vehicles put into administrative storage; 

however, our command decided to leave a maintenance NCO 

and 3 prescribed load list clerk behind to supplement four 

nondeployable mechanics. The rear detachment performed 

wheeled services, and we performed services for tracked 

vehicles and engineer equipment when we returned. 

Lesson Learned: Ensure your rear detachment has an 

order or SOP that describes its duties and responsibilities, 

especially in the areas of physical security, equipment 

maintenance, and information dissemination to families. 

Our family support groups were very active before 

deployment. Commanders ensured that all soldiers, including 

those attached from another battalion, were on telephone lists. 

Each soldier provided a strip map to his house in case of an 

emergency. NCOs talked to soldiers about managing bills and 

other affairs while they were deployed. A nondeployable senior 

NCO was designated the battalion's command financial specialist 

to assist families with financial problems. 

Lesson Learned: Single soldiers residing off post 

frequently do not have anyone to manage their affairs during 

deployment. They must make arrangements for their 

apartment, utilities, telephone, cable, etc. 

We contacted the Army War Reserve (AWR)-5 contractor, 

ITT Corporation, to determine what equipment could be drawn 

out of the AWR-5 at Camp Doha, Kuwait. Equipment not 

available was considered "to-accompany-troops (TAT)" 

equipment, which must be air-loaded. We compared equipment 

available from the AWR-5 with our authorized modified table of 

organization and equipment (MTOE) to produce an initial list of 

TAT equipment. This list was reduced through mission analysis 

and the availability of 463L pallets. After the BCT decided on a 

final TAT list, each company movement ofticer built an 

authorized unit equipment list in the Transportation 

Coordinator's Automated Command and Control Information 

System. 

Lesson Learned: You cannot draw or ship all authorized 

equipment just because it is on your MTOE. Conduct a 

mission analysis to determine essential equipment and 

prioritize its shipment as TAT. 

November 1997 Engineer 1.5 
All cabals were constructed with a serpentine entrance in order to slow approaching vehicles. 

Alpha Company, 8th Engineers, which had been in country Home station load plans for equipment and supplies could not 

since August 1996, found that dozers were essential, because be used because models and quantities of some of the available 

the ACE lacked sufficient power to cut into hardpan soil equipment differed (for example, the M113A3 at Fort Hood 

beneath the top 1- to 2-foot layer of sand. However, dozers differed from the MI 13A2 available in AWR-5). Some items had 

require an M916 truck and trailer to move between distant sites, to be left behind for a return trip, including part of the Class 111 

and divisional engineer battalions have neither operators nor package materials and much of the Class IV barrier materials. 

mechanics for dozers and M916s. Before deploying, we trained Lesson Learned: Home station load plans cannot always 10 ACE operators on basic dozer operations, and when we be applied to the pre-positioned fleet. To expedite the arrived in country, we drew five dozers and trained the ACE equipment draw, units should scrutinize the unit basic load 

operators on the job. We also drew an M916 and an M920 truck for all classes of supply and make a tentative plan before the with 40-ton lo'wboy trailers and used soldiers already licensed deployment. on the equipment to operate them. Our mechanics learned to 

troubleshoot and repair the equipment as problems arose. NOW Before initiating training, units were allowed 10 days to 

engineer battalions within the division are directed to complete inventories, finalize hand receipts, and build cabals 

incorporate dozer training in their training plans. (see figure on page 15). A cabal is a tactical assembly area 

Lesson Learned: Engineer units must be versatile and 

able to adapt to the METT-T (mission, enemy, terrain, 

troops, and time available) conditions to ensure their 

missions are accomplished. Deployments cause units to 

stretch their capabilities, so leaders must be flexible in their 

problem-solving processes. 

Pegasus Landing. The goal is for each company's prepositioned set of equipment to be drawn within six hours of the 

company's arrival at Camp Doha. Major tasks during the draw 

include: 

W The operator performs before-operation preventive 

maintenance checks and services on all equipment. 

W The company draws weapons; supplies; and sets, kits, 

and outfits. 

W The company commander signs for equipment on a 

master hand-receipt. 

(TAA) with a 6- to 8-foot berm that defines a company's 

perimeter and enables it to establish a force-protection scheme 

(traffic flow, crew-served weapons, and perimeter security). 

Tents were set up, field latrines and showers emplaced, trash 

burn pits constructed, weapon-firing platforms and serpentine 

entrances built, and soldiers acclimatized to the weather. 

Pegasus Fury. To prepare the force for all possible 

missions, an aggressive training program was initiated after the 

10-day acclimatization. Units began with individual training, 

which included weapons qualification, common task testing, and 

military occupational specialty training. This evolved 

sequentially to squad, platoon, company, and battalion 

situational training exercises. The following eight-step training 

model was used: 

1. Plan the training 

2. Trainlcertify the leaders 

16 Engineer November 1997 
3. Reconnoiter the training site 

4. Issue the plan 

5. Rehearse 

6. Conduct the training 

7. Conduct the after-action review 

8. Perform retraining 

The brigade commander established five priorities which 

were discussed daily among commanders: force protection, 

quality of life, safety, training, and maintenance. 

Force Protection. Throughout the deployment, force 

protection was paramount. Several reports of threats made by 

terrorist organizations against U.S. soldiers in Kuwait were 

taken seriously due to the recent bombing of the Khobar 

Towers in Saudi Arabia. In the cabals, each unit maintained 25 

percent security around the clock, crew-served weapons and 

night vision goggles were mandated, and ammunition was 

carried in magazines but not loaded. No single-vehicle 

convoys were authorized outside of the brigade's TAA unless 

approved by a battalion commander. The brigade's entire TAA 

was secured with manned checkpoints to control unauthorized 

access and ensure that civilian vehicles (such as water trucks) 

were escorted. 

Lesson Learned: A strong force-protection posture 

serves as a deterrent for external threats. 

Quality of Life. We worked hard to improve our quality of 

life. Lights and wooden floors in tents, hot water for showers, 

video players and televisions for each company, tables and 

benches for eating areas, sports competitions, and unit 

barbecues kept the soldiers involved in improving their 

facilities and made life in the desert bearable. 

Lesson Learned: Quality of life is a morale builder and 

force-sustainment issue. 

Safety. We emphasized safety in every activity, beginning 

with a risk assessment and implementation of control measures 

to make the risks acceptable. We conducted classes to remind 

soldiers of basic safety precautions. Topics included everything 

from operations (weapon misfires, vehicle maintenance, etc.) to 

personal care (preventing dehydration, field sanitation, etc.). 

Lesson Learned: The key to safe training is for 

commanders to religiously conduct risk assessments and 

implement risk-management controls. 

Training. The brigade commander wanted soldiers to 

consider this deployment the best training they had ever 

experienced. Weapons qualification ranges were constructed 

from bare desert, and the live-fire and fire-control exercises 

challenged crews with an assortment of targets. All weapons were 

brought into the "fight" and often combined the dismounted 

infantry with the MIA1 Tank and the M2 Infantry Fighting 

Vehicle. The combined arms team participated in all aspects of 

the training, which included artillery impacting just forward of 

the friendly units, engineers firing MICLlCs or blowing 

demolition charges while covered by maneuver forces, and smoke 

tracks laying down a heavy screen of covering smoke. Soldiers 

looked forward to getting on the range, because it was 

challenging 'and exciting. 

Maintenance. Commanders ensured that proper preventive 

maintenance was conducted and intensively managed all pacer 

and combat-essential deadlining deficiencies. 

Pegasus Calm. Toward the end of the deployment, we 

focused on regenerating the AWR-5 equipment set so it was ready 

for reuse in combat when we turned it in. We established a 

command post at Camp Doha to receive convoys from the desert, 

manage the limited facilities, track the regeneration process, and 

troubleshoot problem areas. Because limited facilities at Camp 

Doha forced the brigade to sequence its units through 

regeneration, normal brigade command and control nodes 

continued to operate in the field. Thus, the 8th Engineer Battalion 

received the mission to control regeneration operations for the 

brigade. We did not regenerate other units' equipment, but 

assigned responsibilities, set up schedules, designated facilities, 

communicated standards, and tracked and reported progress. The 

task force and company commanders were responsible for 

meeting the regeneration standards and timelines. 

Lesson Learned: Regeneration is like any combat mission. 

Assigning a controlling headquarters significantly aids 

communication flow, adherence to standards, scheduling, and 

reporting. 

Wheeled convoys and heavy equipment transports carrying 

tracked vehicles were escorted to Camp Doha's primary turn-in 

lot, where the regeneration process and schedule were briefed to 

commanders. Every option was considered to bring nonmissioncapable (NMC) equipment to a fully mission-capable (FMC) 

status, including local repair or purchase of parts, controlled 

substitution between vehicles, and parts shipment from the states. 

Lesson Learned: Regeneration is not just turning in 

equipment to the AWR-5 contractor. It is getting the fleet 

ready for quick reissue if an operational emergency arises. Set 

a goal to regenerate the fleet to the highest standard possible, 

then intensively manage all NMC equipment. 

The 8th Engineer Battalion developed a system using a 

Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to track the brigade's operational 

readiness (OR) rate as equipment was turned in. We established a 

file for each company and when their OR rates were updated, the 

November 1997 Engineer 17 
At the Camp Doha washrack, a soldier cleans his MI 13 thoroughly prior to a technbcal 

inspect ion. 

sprcadshec! auturnntic;llly reflected a revised OR rntc fur them, I Re-estabIisI1 the unit maintenance propam. 

the batrallor~, and the BCT. This data allowed the hrigade to D~~~~~~~~ compensatory time for ttr with 

~OCL~S maintenance resources (In crlmpanies nr equipment with their families, 

problems. 

Pcrhnps rhe most demanding iirsk during regeneration was 

managing nhc life support area. Insurficient facilities at Camp 

Doha rcq~~ired that units redeploy from the desert in a 

sequenlial manner. Tlie camp couId accommodate 

appri?xi!nately 2,200 solcllers. hut [here were more than 4.000 

in the hrigade. The hatlalion established a billeting plan and 

arranged for sufficient latrine\ and shnwers. When a company 

rcgenerntcd its equipment, it moved our OF the billets 

(wnrehouses with beds) and inlo Iioltling areas (nIso 

warehouses) until the unit tlcpartcd for the airport. This 

moverncnt allowcd nnothcr unit to begin its reyeneration 

process. 

Lesson Learncd: 'll~e life-support requirements must he 

clnsely managed to ensure that the con~rnander's intent for 

mission accomplishment is met. 

Pegasus Rccail. As cornpanics ctlmplctcd thc rcgeneration 

procesri, home-stalinn equipment was prepared for shipment 

and soldiers were manifested for the return flight. When 

possrhle, companies lrom the same battalion were ninnifcsted 

nn the same plane to I'acilitate the family support group 

reception at Fnrt tlood. 

Rack at Fort Ilood, rccovcry waq the ba~tnlion's irnn~ccliarc 

I Ensure thc unit's deployment readincsv IT hack to standard as soon as pussihle. 

r Assign ncw soIdiers who arrivcd at Fort Hood during the 

deploy ment. 

Prepare NCU Efficiency Rcposts for soldicrs ntt:~ched to 

the battalion from a sister unit. 

It took ot lens! three months ta get equipment back to 

standard and nllow soldiers to hilly rccover. We wcrc exernptcd 

from additional missions, or it would have taken even Iongcr. 

Lesson Learned: Allt~w sumcient time tn fwlly recwer arter 

a deployment. Develop a plan of tasks to he accompliql~cd, 

establish milestones, and work to meet your goals. 

Conclusion 

he deployment to Kuwaiz reinforced the 1st Cavalry 

Division's deployment standards and methadoloyy. 

P~gosrrs Strik~ enabled us to tlwnk ahead and develop 

pIans Tor each follow-nn phase nf thc opcrntion. The lessons we 

learried wrl[ nnt nnly contribute to Funher developmenr of the 

division's deploynlent procedures hut will n!so heIp other units 

prepare Tor deployments it1 tlie future. w 

concern. Tasks to he accornolished included: 

Lieirterlnrrr Colonel Krhr is n Re,qirt~enrnl Tncrirnl Oflccs r1t 

Re-establish properly accountahiliry to first- and sec- ;fie U. S. Mili~nry Acndenty, War FO~III, NNY York. Previnr ts ond-line supervisors. r~ssier~rr~er~rs irrcl~~de Conrrrtnrider. 8th E~iairieer Rnrtaliori: 

Inven[ory TA-50 cqui~nlenl and makc a~~rn~riate Bcplq Con~nlnrider; New Orlelirls Disrrirr: S3 mtd XO, 2d 

adjustments. Eti~irleer Rurmlk)~~, Knsen; rind S~rlior E~IR~IICET O~.TPTVL'~ 

Recnvcr equipment that was shipped, Con troller: Nctrinnot Tminin~ Cen~el: Forr ir~dn, Cnlifomin. 
Leffer to the Editor and bngade COLTS !s one method I cons~dered but ull~mately 

rejected. There were four reasons for this rejection. 

November 1997 Engi~t~er 19 

I 

1 

The Engineer Reconnaissance Platoon: m I don't think this method 1s susta~nabke In the long term. 

Overcoming the Lack of Engineer Reconnaissance Assets There would be no engineer presence withkn the scout 

training plan except when a unit is preparing lor deployMr. Sayer's article ((Engineer, August 1997, page 46) ment to the National Training Center. I presents some interesting concepts on engineer-specilic 

intelligence gathering. However, just down the block from the I don't think engineer skiHs would be rna~ntained when 1 AWE'S 299th Engineer Battalion, the 8th Engneer Battalion of engineers are attached to maneuver units. 

the 3rd (Greywolf) Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, has been m Attachment does not allow the engineer commander 

practicing a var~anl of engineer reconnaissance for the past enough influence over the employment of this costly 

three years. asset. The engineer companies and battalion are, In fact, 

I My battation recognized the same need for timely rak~ng these soldiers out of hide, and 1 thlnk the battallon 

engineer-specific Intelltgence that Mr. Sayer identified. We shoutd retain greater command and control of them. 

the problem by attaching sappers the line 8 As stated in my article, the level or training these soldiers 

companies to both the task force scout platoons and the receive IS directly t~ed to the!$ ablllty to survive on the batbrigade combat observation lazing teams (COLTS). Typ~cally, tlefietd. When attached to different units, there is no 

each line company would attach two sappers from one method to verify that their knowledge, skills, and abilities 

platoon to their task farce scouts and the other platoon would meet the requirements for combat employment 

anaeh two sappers to the brigade COLT section (12 soldiersl 

6 learns per BCT). addition all^ you state that your melhod provides more 

The sold~ers were senior specialists or junior sergeants, eyes to cover the task force area. The melhod I propose 

and they trained with their supported efement for a 9-month delivers eight engineers to each task force As I understand 

period, beginning with the ramp.up for a National Training YOUf method, tour soldfers from each company are provrded 

Center ~NTC) mtation and wiZh the NTC rotation, for the reconnit~ssance mtssion, with two sofdiers gong to the I They conducted as much joint training as possible, ranging Supported maneuver lask and two going the I 

from daily PT to advanced scouting techn~ques. Therefore, each individual scout would be task organized to 

These engineer augmentees panted a detailed picture lor '@parate scout and 'OSS teams. have been 

each task and the brigade as a whole, Each sapper uncurnfortable with assigning missions to elements without 

operated with a different scout section or COLT that cwered back-up. Your method provides SIX sets of eyes with the 

engineer-specific named or targeted areas of Interest. This '''gade (One learn of Iwo "** each 'Ine 

typically yielded lour sets of engineer eyes in each task force l2 eyes wrthin the brigade 

sector (mg teams of two soldjers), and they provided delalled boundary. My method provides erght Of eyes lor 

reports on such actlvitles as enemy defensive preparations or each task lorcen '' sets Of @yes On the brigade 

breaching atternpfs on frlendly obstacles. The sappers operating battlefleid, with eng'neer scout assrgned Ihe 

wrth the COLTS proved to be extremely valuable, because they based on mission requirements and METT--i While this 1 

were usually air assaulted to thew outposts (0P) and were costs more terms Of manpower and eqlrlpmentr 

fee! that the beneflts of the redundancy outwerghs the cost. therefore much more survivable than their scout counterparts. I 

I th,nk this is a more feasible sollrtlon to the engineer scout fin all^ I believe lha!ac!ivatmg the scou!plafoon as deprcted 

dilemma than Mr. Sayeh. Flrst, it n sornethrng that each in my artide probably is less difficult than you [htnk The 

mechanized engineer battalion can do now, without having to wait Commander get the HMMWVs and radios 

years for modlt~ed table of organlrat~on and equ~pment (MTOE) needed to equip !he platoon (probably the mosl difficult ,!ems to , 

changes, Second, although taking these soldlea of hldev ac~uirel by listing those items as a cemmander*s requirement , decreases the line ramp stpngth, is mtn,mal wilhin the battalion MTQE documentation. Possessing sufficient 

and a Outweighed by the timely and accurate Intelligence organic vehicles and communrcalron assets is critical tor , that the scout-sappers generate. Third, this plan yields twrce as accom~iishmg scouf platoon mrssions. As you srare. the reams 

many engineer OPs as does the proposed engineer co-lxated with COLTS probably would amve at their posrbons 

reGonnaissance platoon, both sUrVIMbilltY and by air msertton, While this method provrdes short-!erm benefits 

I intelligen,-egatherlng Capability, nnaltr, this only requires insofar as insertion is concerned, sustaining ?he teams after 

half as many soldiers and none of the specrallzed equipment that inserfton becomes more d~lllcult it they are drscovered or 

the remnna1ssanc.g platoon mandates, In Cght of today's ever- Susta'n losses. In lhat scenario, any scout who is 

dareasing budgets and troop strengths, this augrnenfafion plan Or who is requrred lo evade the enemy limited " a 

appears to be a much more realistic option. loot-march egress from his position. The availability of arr 

Mark A. assets to withdraw scouts is questionable at best. Duty to our 

554th Engineer BaRa,ion soEdiers requires berter planning than "I hope Iha t .. " Too many I 

Leonard Wood, times we have seen soldiers "d~e of wounds" or be overrun 

because their extraction was only cursorily planned or executed 

Aulhor's reply: without planning. Many units ai the NTC sfruggle to accomplish 

I appreciate your comrnenls concerning the 8th Engineer th~s ~rtticaf mission, and very few succeed. 

Baltaiion's decision to jmplement a scout cepabili@ Your Again, thank you for contributing your ideas and conttnuing 

experience is another example of many minds recognizing a the d~scussion on this important topic. 

I common problem. Attaching scouts to the task force scouts Michael W Sayer 
By Cuptuin Joseph F: Birchmeier 

C ompany operations orders (OPORDs) provide 

subordinate company leaders a clear visualization of 

tasks the company must accomplish for an upcoming 

operation and describe how the commander expects to 

accomplish them. Appendix B of FM 5-71-2, Armored TuskForce Engineer Combat Operations, includes a good example 

of a company OPORD. However, the OPORDs prepared by 

many company commanders who train at the National 

Training Center (NTC) do not include details their units need 

to be successful during the mission. This article focuses on 

problem areas that I have observed in company OPORDs. 

Planning the OPORD Briefing 

B efore the OPORD briefing, the commander must 

decideWho will attend. 

When it will be given in relation to the task force (TF) 

OPORD briefing. 

W What briefing products will be used. 

What products will be issued to the platoons. 

Attendees. My recommendation is that the first sergeant, 

platoon sergeants, platoon leaders, and a company command 

post (CP) representative attend the company OPORD. For 

defensive operations, the NCO providing engineer expertise 

at the Class IVIV point also should attend. 

The platoon sergeants provide each platoon another set of 

ears at the OPORD to ensure that all information is captured. 

Their presence gives the commander immediate access to 

some of the most experienced personnel in his unit to quickly 

spot problems with the company's plan. They will also hear 

paragraph 4, which the platoon leaders will expect them to 

execute. 

A representative from the company CP also should attend 

the OPORD briefing, so he can take any changes back to the CP. 

Briefing Time. I believe the commander should issue the 

company OPORD before the TF OPORD to capitalize on the 

company's ability to parallel plan with the TF. This sequence 

allows platoon leaders to link up with the supported company 

team immediately after the TF OPORD to help develop the 

company team OPORD. If the platoons remain under the 

engineer commander's control during the upcoming mission, 

platoon leaders can continue their troop-leading procedures. 

Briefing Products. At a minimum, a commander should 

use the modified combined obstacle overlay (MCOO), the 

situation template (SITEMP), the fire support overlay, TF 

maneuver graphics, and the obstacle overlay, if applicable, 

during his OPORD. The combat service support (CSS) 

overlay should also be used, if available. 

The commander should provide a hard copy of the 

company OPORD to platoon leaders, or at a minimum, he 

should provide a copy of the OPORD form so they can fill in 

the blanks. The commander should also provide the SITEMP 

(if not provided with one of the company's warning orders), 

the fire support and CSS overlays, maneuver graphics, 

pertinent terrain products (such as Terrabase), and the 

obstacle overlay, if applicable. 

Before beginning an OPORD, commanders should require 

that platoon leaders post the maneuver graphics on their maps 

and allow them to make notes on the overlay. This information 

will help them understand the OPORD. The commander may 

also require that platoon leaders provide the current status of 

personnel, equipment, and supplies (to include demolitions, 

small-arms Class V, and marking materials) before the 

OPORD. The status reports provide an early warning of 

potential "show stoppers" that may need immediate attention 

or require changes to his plan. Information that the 

commander requires from platoon leaders should be in the 

unit SOP. The commander should issue his OPORD from a 

location that helps platoon leaders visualize the upcoming 

mission. It is not always possible to issue an OPORD on 

terrain overlooking the objective; however, if terrain leading to 

a key pass through which the unit will maneuver is visible, the 

view will greatly assist platoon leaders. 

Paragraph 1 

T his paragraph often lacks sufficient detail and contains 

several problem areas. 

First, many commanders do not discuss the impact of 

terrain on breaching operations. For example, based on an 

analysis of the terrain, they should indicate where the use of 

mine-clearing blades will be restricted because the soil is too 

rocky or undulating. Platoon leaders must understand this 

information, especially if they will be task organized to a 

company team, so they can explain it to the company team 

commander during OPORD development. The MCOO can 

greatly assist in the platoon leader's visualization of the terrain. 

20 Engineer November I997 
Second, commanders rarely provide details about the 

enemy other than his composition, disposition, and strength. 

They should brief all of the enemy's combat multipliers, 

their purpose, and where they expect the multipliers to be 

employed. 

The NTC teaches seven forms of enemy contact. If all of 

them are briefed at the company OPORD, we have gone a 

long way toward discussing the enemy. The forms of contact 

areVisual (if divisional/regimental reconnaissance is in 

sector and where the division reconnaissance teams will 

be) 

Direct fires (where we expect to come within range of 

the antitank systems, T-80, BMP, etc.) 

Indirect fires (when we expect to enter indirect-fire 

range of the enemy's various rocket and cannon systems) 

W Air (both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft) (where and 

when we expect them to attack) 

w Nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) agents (where 

and when we expect the enemy to employ nonpersistent 

and persistent agents) 

Obstacles (what we expect the composition and depth 

of the obstacle(s) to be; the type of mines we expect to 

be in the minefields; where we expect scatterable 

mines-both artillery delivered and by the UMZ-and 

the mobile obstacle detachment to be used) 

Electronic warfare (if and when we expect the enemy to 

jam our communications during operations) 

The commander should ensure that platoon leaders 

understand the mission of the remainder of the engineer 

battalion because engineers often are shifted from one TF to 

another as the battle progresses, especially during offensive 

operations. Similarly, the company CP should ensure that 

consolidated brigade graphics are available to facilitate 

movement to another TF zone or sector. To prevent 

fratricide, the commander should also inform platoon 

leaders of obstacles emplaced or to be emplaced by sister 

units. This includes the Volcano and ADAMJRAAM (area 

denial artillery munitionlremote antiarmor mine) obstacles. 

Change I to FM 5-71-2 moves the Scheme of Engineer 

Operations (SOEO) from paragraph 3.a. to paragraph I .b. in 

the OPORD format (see Engineer, April 1997, "Change 1 to 

FM 5-71-213"). My observation is that the commander often 

fails to develop an SOEO. FM 5-71-2 provides outstanding 

examples of how to develop one. The commander should 

brief the SOEO as discussed in FM 5-71-2, because it 

explains what the company expects to accomplish in a wellorganized, easily understood format. Each platoon leader 

must understand the company's perspective 7n the operation 

before he focuses on his platoon's piece of the pie. Just as a 

company may be shifted to an adjacent 'IF, a platoon may 

have to complete tasks initially assigned to another platoon. 

Paragraph 2 

T his paragraph normally consists of a generic sentence. 

For example, "D Company will provide mobility/ 

countermobility support to the TF to support the TF's 

attack." The paragraph should describe tasks the platoons 

must accomplish for the company to be successful. FM 5-71-2 

provides excellent examples. 

Paragraph 3 

C hange 1 to FM 5-71-2 incorporates a "Concept of 

Operation" paragraph into paragraph 3 of the OPORD. 

This paragraph allows a commander to explain how 

engineers under his control will accomplish their assigned 

tasks. The paragraph is especially useful for a breach force 

commander during an offensive operation. 

A problem with paragraph 3 is that commanders fail to 

develop detailed timelines that platoon leaders can refer to so 

they know when tasks are to be performed. Examples include 

the "no later than" time to have an obstacle constructed to 

support breach rehearsals or when the commander expects 1st 

platoon to have obstacle group A1A emplaced. Timelines 

should be as detailed as possible and include the times 

scheduled for TF rehearsals, logistical packages (LOGPACs), 

and precombat inspections (PCIs). 

Commanders must provide as much detail as possible for 

all activities. For example, state where the obstacle for the 

breach rehearsal will be constructed and how many obstacles 

(and what types) 1st platoon will emplace in obstacle group 

AIA. (Details will be refined by the platoon leader on the 

ground.) State where the commander's PCIs will be conducted 

and what will be inspected. 

Finally, although intent graphics are supposed to describe 

the effect, target, and relative location of the obstacle group in 

the defense, I recommend that commanders define the target 

for platoon leaders (perhaps by placing the obstacle overlay on 

the SITEMP). Additionally, I believe commanders should 

provide platoon leaders a proposed design of the obstacle 

group. 

Paragraph 4 

ost successful units integrate the first sergeant into 

the development of the CSS plan and brief this plan 

at the OPORD. Paragraph 4 should include the 

followingW How platoons will be logistically supported if they are 

task organized to another unit. 

(Continued on page 24) 

November 1997 Engineer 21 
' I By Captain Christopher I?. Felchiin 

n July 1996, the 1249th Engineer Battalion at Salem, 

Oregon, became the first engineer unit since 1987 

to conduct a live-fire exercise on the Multipurpose 

Range Complex (MPRC) at Yakima Training Center in 

Washington. 

The concept was born through the efforts of the 3rd Engineer Training Battalion (ETB), 2d Regional Training Brigade (RTB), at Fort Lewis, Washington. The 2d RTB was 

formed in 1994 as a result of a congressional mandate, the 

Ground Force Readiness Enhancement Program. This program governs the conduct of evaluated platoon lane training 

for high-priority National Guard units, with top priority 

given to units designated as enhanced brigades or force support package units. 

Planning 

I n November 1995, the 3rd ETB worked with the 1249th 

Engineer Battalion to plan the 1249th'~ two-week 

annual training (AT) for 1996. The training battalion 

includes three company teams-each with an engineer captain, a sergeant first class, and three staff sergeants-and a 

headquarters section. These teams evaluated the 1249th'~ 

company and platoon operations for the entire training 

period. 

B Company, 3rd ETB, developed the MPRC live-fire 

exercise as part of the overall AT plan. The company produced tactical orders for the companies and platoons participating in the live-fire exercise and projected the Class IV and 

Class V supplies needed during each phase. 

Conducting tank and Bradley gunnery is commonplace on 

the MPRC, but an engineer unit using the facility for training 

was a new concept. When briefed on the concept, the RTB 

and the 1249th commanders recognized the excellent training 

opportunity the exercise presented and the retention and 

recruiting possibilities it held for the battalion. 

The ETB scheduled the exercise toward the end of the 

training period so the soldiers would have time to perfect 

their tasks. The lane focused on three mission training plan 

tasks: Troop-Leading Procedures, Conduct an In-Stride 

Breach, and Breach Obstacles. Another critical factor for success was to certify the platoons in both demolitions and M2 

crew-served weapons before they arrived on the MPRC. The 

unit accomplished this during the first week of training. 

The Scenario 

T he plan, which was finalized after several recons to 

Yakirna Training Center and brief backs, included a 

six-part scenario. In this scenario, an engineer platoon 

22 Engineer November 1997 
Soldiers from the 1249th A Company start a minefield breach. 

supported an armor company team as the lead element of a 

task force attack against a motorized rifle company (-). The 

ETB company observer/controller (OC) (an engineer captain), role-played the task force commander and the armor 

company team commander. The remainder of the ETB company OCs were safety personnel and rode in the back of the 

squad armored personnel carriers going downrange. Each 

platoon OC (a staff sergeant) rode with the platoon leader 

and evaluated his actions while executing the lane. Targetry 

on the MPRC was set up to accommodate M113A3s with 

M2s. Gunners engaged crew-served targets at positions from 

600 to 1,800 meters, and small-arms personnel targets were 

engaged from 50 to 1,100 meters. 

Under the platoon leader's control, three squads simultaneously proceeded down individual lanes. The platoon 

encountered two obstacles along the route to the objective: a 

wire obstacle overwatched by a combat security outpost and 

a 120-meter, surface-laid minefield with a concertina fence. 

The platoon moved through the obstacles, consolidated on 

the objective, and prepared for a counterattack. After completing the counterattack portion, a dismounted live fire, the 

platoon moved forward on order and conducted a MICLIC 

breach of a minefield. At this point the lane ended and the 

platoon returned to the staging area for shakedown and an 

after-action review (AAR). 

along with repairing the lane and policing all marking and 

breaching equipment left on the lane. Scheduling was met by 

moving a repair team one phase line behind the platoon conducting the live-fire exercise. The technique maximized time 

and allowed the follow-on platoon to start within minutes of 

the platoon returning from the lane. 

Each AAR was based on mission training plan tasks and 

was an in-depth analysis of what happened, how it happened, 

and what could be done to improve the next exercise. The platoon OC facilitated the AAR and kept the platoon on track 

with leading questions that allowed soldiers to discuss their 

perceptions of strong and weak areas. The platoon received a 

video and photographs showing their performance while conducting the lane and the AAR to use later as training tools. 

Lessons Learned 

hen planning an undertaking as complex as this livefire exercise, prior planning may prevent mishaps 

that have mushrooming effects. 

Push logistics to the site and prepackage items so the platoons can make final preparations. 

Deliver Class V supplies (including the MICLIC trailer, 

rocket, and box) at least 24 hours before the event so platoons can conduct precombat rehearsals. 

The After-Action Review Complete weapons qualifications for soldiers before they 

amve for annual training. 

hen the first platoon completed the lane and moved set aside one day (per company) at AT to fire the 

to the AAR, the next platoon began its run down mounted M2 at both stationary and moving targets. If the 

the lane. B Company timed the training schedule MICLIC is to be used, preventive maintenance checks 

so that each platoon moved through the entire scenario in and services and battle drills must be routine.The 

one day. This included two dry runs and a live-fire exercise, MICLIC is a key piece of equipment that is frequently 

November 1997 Engineer 23 
neglected unli! needed in the hea! of battle. OCs at the (Continuenfrom fflP 21) 

comhat training centers have found that the MTCLLC . Dctaiis on whcn, whcrc, and what type of LOGPAC thc 

has appraxirnately a 50-percent success raze during 

actual firing, and the operational rate is even lower. 

I. Maintain sufficient Inne-marking cquipmenr lo train 

three or more continuous breaches. Each rncchnnized 

engineer squad must be able lo breach and mark its 

own lane. 

The Rewards 

live-fire cxercisc on an MPRC provides u scnsc of 

accomplishment because the cvcnt allows all organic 

systems tn fire. The 1249th'~ annual train~ng was 

conrlucterl with no accidents or safety violations and at comhat speed. The platoens ran rhe lane in less than two hours, 

and obstacle breaching was completed (hreachcd and 

marked) on an average of 7 minutes and 15 rninutcs, respectively. Smoke and pyrotechnics were used extensively 

throughout the exercise. 

Thc training was cxzrernely challenging and rewarding, 

and musl of the soldiers thought it was onc of the highlights 

of their AT. It was the mosi realistic training thc unit had 

conducred and grearIy hcncf'i~cd cornbar readiness. Tho 

l2491h took home another valuahle asset thar will undouhtedly contrihute to its overall improvement. Excited, motivated soldiers went back to Oregon with a Film fillcd with 

renllsric training. Both the film and lessons learned will 

asfist the command throughout the ncxt yunr with rutention 

and re-enlistment. 

The 1249th Engincer Bazt:llion pInns lo make the livc-fire 

excrcisc thc apex r)f rhc unil's annual training. The 3rd ETB 

and thc 1249th commanders and staff :we proving thc bcncf~ls of the Ground Force Readiness Enhancement Program 

wrfh continued high quality, challenging training. Id 

Cclptui17 F~ichlirt is nn c.~cl~an~~ oJiccr rrf thr Cnrindi(arl 

fi)rc~.v School oj' M iiitury Etqitzeering, Chilli~uuck, Eririsfr 

Colrdmbirr (rnnvittg Decpt~rhrr 1997 m Ga.qerorlrn, New 

Rrruuwick). Prc.vinus ns.si~nrrrr~tts ir~clrrd~ ohserver/ 

rnnrrul lrr c~ttrl confpuny cnrrrnitinrler: 3rd Etlginerr Twining 

Rrrttrrlion, ?d Hexiottnl Tiwining Rrignde, Forr Lewis, 

W(~skirt,yton: c.ompriny rontmnncicr; ,rssi,gm?it 53, nnd S4, cP2d 

E~l~it~eer Arirtolion. Rnmber~, Gt-rnrcrrly; ex~crrtivc iflrcr 

n~rd plutoot~ lendrr: IOth E?igirlrer Bnttnliurl, ScElwcinfilrt, 

Ger/?~nrl?! 

unit will use for the operation. 

r Details on what type ot' mine resupply method will he 

used in the defense; wha! assets will be used to move 

Class IV/V supplies around the bnttlefield; if applicable, 

when mine dumps will he activated and closed; and hnw 

much material has been alloczited to support each obstacle group. 

Adjusrrncnts to mine resupply methods throughout thc 

operatinn. For example, use the tailpale method initially 

to upload trailers and hegin the push of materials. Then 

transition to servicc station resupply once obstacle construction has begun and mine dumps are established. 

Revert to the tnilgate method as the enemy attack nears 

ao prevent mines from being [eft on the battlefield. 

A detailed cslsusltty evacuation (CASEVAC) plan for the 

company-specitically, who will control the CASEVAC, which vehicles and radio net will be used, and 

whcthcr casualty collection points or some other methntl. 

will he used. 

A plan to evacuate vehicIes off the hattlelicld. 

I Reload plans for the MICLFC andlor Volcano. Considcr 

adding internal company graphics to the maneuver 

graphics lo I'acililatc these plans. 

Paragraph 5 

arapnph 5 is normally not a problem. However. 1 

rwornrncnd that commanders require platoon leaders 

lo provide >jump*' plans for company teams rhcy may 

bc attached Ito so communicalions with the platoon is 

maintained throughout the mission. 

For the most part, commanders do not conduct snfcty :~nd 

fratricide risk assessments or brief them and their control 

measures to subordinate leaders. Assessments shouFrl be 

well-planned and should idenrify spccitic risks to soIdiers 

during this operation and how leaders can reduce those ~isks. 

Summary 

hen stress and fatigue set in, an effective OPORD 

can p~vcnt confusion on the hnttlctieId. 

Commanders incrcasc rhcir ability to rffeclivr!y 

cornrnunlcatc if they use every training evcnz as an 

opportunity to give OPORDs tn suhortlinatcs. An organized 

and detaiIed OPORD briefing wiIl help ensurl: successful 

comhat operatfnns. w 

Cuprain Birchrn~ier is (I ~loctrir~e wri~er in (Ire Ileprrrtnle~tt 

uf' Trcrirlirlg rr~rri Doctrin~ QPIJE~~~I~IPII~, U,S, A n*liy E~~gir~ecr 

S~I~NI. HP ~I~PVIOI~.S/J SPNL'CI OR flit Sii/ckri~rrli~r 12 ?kt??~. 

Norinrirrl Trclinitig Ctvtter; Fnrr Int~rrr. Culfi)rtrin. CPT 

Hiru/micier is N ~rt~dtr(ire of /he U.S. Milit(~r~dcarlpr~n. 
125 

- im E 

cU 

2 

al 

a 76 

5 

En 

C 

E M 

Gi 

I .- 

w % 

- m 

PI 

[r 

0 

01023~~XtQ7063W 

DAYS 

*All concrete cured at 70F after 56 days. 

120 

c. 

e 

0 1m 

2 al " 

5 Control 40F 0) 

= tQ 2 

z 

.- 

u 

- m 

d 20 

0 

0 10 20 30 

Dcys 

= Normal range of curIng temperatures NF = Antifreeze 

I magine for a moment that you are 

the engineer officer or NCO in 

charge of a project requiring that 

you pour concrete-and the temperature falls heIow 40 degrees Fahrenheit 

(F). This may nnt snund like a big deal. 

hu~ Army manuals such as FM 5-742, 

Concrr.re ntld Ma.rotlry, and industry 

standards direct that fresh concrete 

should not be cooled berow 40 F after 

emplacement. Therefore, some form of 

thermal protection must be used during 

cold weather or your project may come 

to a screeching halt. If you don? have 

the luxury of fa1 ling hehind schedule 

and the project budget is tight, what do 

you do? Fortunately, the Army's Cold 

Regions Research and Engineering Figure 1. Effect of temperature on normal concrete. 

November 1997 Engineer 25 

strength more slowly. which is not a 

problem if there is time to cure it a bil 

longer. Under the right conditions, it 

may become stronger than concrete 

cured in warm weather. Figure 1, illustrates this potentially positive effect. 

During the first month, the strength of 

concrete cured at 40 F, the lowest temLaboratory (CRREL) is working on a 

soiution called atllifreezt. cidmixf1rref. 

Read on to learn how you soon may he 

ah!e to emplace ConCrete at 1eTrIperatures as low as 15 F or lower. 

The Technical Challenge 

T he simplest way to protect concrete from the cold is with insulation. But when the outdoor 

temperature dips below 40 E concrete 

usually must be protected by heated 

enclosures, which are resource intensive flabor, time, equipment. and budget). Under battlefield conditions or in 

emergency situahons where concrete 

must be placed regardless of the temperalurc, engineers may not havc any 

thermal protection, Ict alone a heated 

enclosure. TI concrete must be pIaced 

unprotected in the cold, it may freeze. 

If it does. the results can be disastrous. 

When the water in fresh concrctc 

freezes, the icc-which takes up 

Figure 2. Results far one antifreeze chemical tested. 

roughly 9 percent more voIume than 

water-an generate disruptive pressums that create rnicrocracks in [he 

concrete, Later, when the ice mcltq, the 

damage done by freezing can cut the 

strength of concrete in half (Figure I). 

Another interesting effect of cold 

weather on concrete is [hat it pins 
The following excerpt is from guidance developed for winter concreting 

operations in Bosnia. 

A User's Guide to Antifreeze Admixtures 

Description 

An antifreeze admixture is a chemical compound that depresses the freezing point of water and accelerates the hydration rate of cement at temperatures below 32 F. Chemicals used in the present formulation are sodium 

nitrate and sodium sulfate. Available in dry form, they are dissolved in water 

before being mixed with other concrete ingredients. 

Preparing the Chemicals 

Weigh a quantity of water sufficient for one batch of concrete. Slowly stir in 

and dissolve a quantity of sodium nitrate equal to the weight of 6 percent of 

the cement required for one batch of concrete. Slowly add a quantity of 

sodium sulfate equal to the weight of 2 percent of the cement required for one 

batch of concrete. 

Mixing Procedures 

Follow standard mixing procedures. Add coarse aggregate and some 

mixing water. Start the mixer, add fine aggregate, cement, and the remainder 

of the water while the mixer is turning. Mix for several minutes until the mixture is thoroughly blended. (The mix water contains the dissolved antifreeze 

chemicals.) 

 h he relative strengths shown are based on a limited number of laboratory tests, 

so field results may vary from those shown. 

*cured an additional 28 days at room temperature. 

Dosage 

Use the following quantities per 611 pounds per cubic yard of portland 

cement. 

sodium nitrate ............. 36.6 pounds 

sodium sulfate ............ 12.2 pounds 

Performance 

3~he Strength of concrete cured 7 days at 23 F is 60 percent of the strength of the 

control concrete cured 28 days. Thus, if the control mixture has a 28-day strength of 

5,000 pounds per square inch, the 7-day strength of the 23 F mixture is 3,000 pounds 

per square inch. 

perature allowed by FM 5-742, is less 

than that of concrete cured at 70 F. 

However, the concrete eventually 

becomes stronger than concrete cured 

at 70 F. Although cold weather 

often is the best time for making good, 

durable concrete, too much cold can 

be devastating. 

Compressive strenglhl 

Relative to 28 days, at 70 degrees 

Fahrenheit 

percent 

7 day 14 day 28 day 56 day2 

Dosage 

by cement 

weight 

percent 

The Solution 

TemDerature 

(internal) 

of concrete 

degrees 

Fahrenheit 

eveloping an admixture capable 

of allowing concrete to gain 

strength at below-freezing temperatures has long been a goal of builders in the north. As early as the 1950s, 

the Soviet Union used ordinary salt 

when pouring concrete in the winter. 

Though corrosion was later found to be 

a major drawback, the use of salt as a 

freeze-point depressant proved that 

chemicals can protect concrete from 

freezing. Lingering concerns about the 

long-term effects of any antifreeze 

chemical on concrete discouraged their 

widespread use, despite the existence of 

chemicals that are compatible with concrete. FM 5-742 states, "...do not try to 

lower the freezing point of concrete 

with accelerators (antifreeze compounds 

or similar products), because the large 

quantities required seriously affect compressive strength and other concrete 

properties." 

We now have evidence to ease some 

concerns about possible harm to concrete. Data from almost two years of 

laboratory and field testing with private 

industry (concluded in 1996) show that 

certain chemicals can be added to 

concrete to allow it to gain strength 

at below-freezing temperatures without 

detrimental side effects. Unfortunately, 

these findings have not resulted in commercial products to date, so military 

engineers still lack an off-the-shelf 

answer to cold-weather concreting. 

To fill this gap, CRREL is using 

experience gained from working with 

private industry to create expedient 

admixtures for the military. Their goal 

is to develop guidance that will enable 

military engineers to formulate their 

26 Engineer November 1997 
own antifreeze admixture from chemicals likely to be found in a cold-region 

theater of operation. The search for 

candidate chemicals is not limited to 

those that are benign to the long-term 

performance of concrete. Chemicals 

that allow concrete to remain structurally viable for as little as 6 months also 

will be considered. The product of this 

effort will be a "How To Do" pamphlet, 

which will detail mixing procedures, 

mixture proportions, chemical dosages, 

concrete strength estimates, and handling advisories. It will be followed by 

an update to Army manuals. 

Figure 2 presents one of CRREL's 

findings. It shows that this particular 

admixture promotes a strength gain at 

14 F that compares to that of normal 

concrete cured at 40 F. What's more, 

preliminary findings (not shown) suggest that concrete made with this admixture may be unaffected by temperatures 

as low as minus 4 F. Although it gains 

little usable strength at this low temperature, concrete seems to recover its full 

compressive strength when thawed. 

The main drawback to this chemical 

is that it contains an alkali that may 

adversely affect the long-term durability 

of concrete. It causes certain siliceous 

aggregates to swell and crack the concrete. However, even in very high dosages, which CRREL does not recommend, the first cracking probably 

would not occur for 5 to 10 years. Concrete so affected probably would last 

many more years before its strength was 

greatly compromised. Since the only 

concern is for long-term applications, 

the chemical in Figure 2 was recommended as an antifreeze admixture for 

expedient cold-weather concreting in 

Bosnia (see user's guide, page 26). 

Conclusions 

ormal concrete cannot be 

exposed to freezing weather 

without some form of thermal 

protection, which places serious constraints on the use of concrete in coldregion theaters of operation. An alternative approach to cold-weather concreting is under development. When 

completed, it will allow military engineers to place fresh concrete for shortterm applications at below-freezing 

temperatures without the need for heat. 

Following this 2-year study, longer-term 

topics aimed at providing military engineers with enhanced winter construction 

capabilities will be addressed. 

For more information about coldweather concrete operations or to see 

other cold-weather construction practices developed, contact Mr. Korhonen 

at the U. S. Army Cold Regions 

Research and Engineering Laboratory, 

72 Lyme Road, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755; telephone, (603) 646-4438; 

fax, 603) 646-4640; e-mail, korhonen@crreI.usace.army.mil. LI 

MI: Korhonen is a research civil engineer at CRREL, dealing with maintenance 

and rehabilitation issues of military facilities in cold regions. He holds a master's 

degree in arctic engineering from the University of Alaska and is a doctoral candidate at Purdue University. 

Army Division Advanced Warfighting 

Experiment 

By Vern Lowrey 

Six senior military evaluators from the U.S. Army Engineer School's Maneuver Support Battle Lab participated in 

the Army Division Advanced Warfighting Experiment 

(DAWE) at Fort Hood, Texas, 5-13 November 1997. The 

DAWE was a key event in Force XXI warfighting experimentation. Results of the DAWE directly impact the heavy division design decision, which is expected in February 1998. 

The 4th Infantry Division conducted the exercise using 

the conservative heavy division design force structure. This 

design has three combat engineer battalions located in the 

division troops but no engineer brigade headquarters or 

commander. A 24-person engineer planning and operations staff is located at the division level. 

In addition to the new force structure, several new engineer systems were included in the experiment. The three 

, systems tested in each maneuver brigade and division tactical operations center were the Engineer-Obstacle Planner 

Systemllactical Engineer Command and Control System 

(E-OPSllECCS), Digital Topographic Support SystemMobile (DTSS-M), and the Raptor Intelligent Combat Outpost. New systems simulated were the Grizzly, the Wolverine, the Heavy Dry Support Bridge, the Airborne Standoff 

Minefield Detection System (ASTAMIDS), the Deuce, and 

the multirole bridge company. These systems directly support the Force XXI objectives of gaining information dominance and conducting dominant maneuver. 

The following key issues are being evaluated as a result 

of the DAWE: 

- Operational and tactical impacts on the removal of the 

engineer brigade headquarters for the experiment. 

- Operational and tactical implications of an engineer 

force structure that includes a mix of Active, Reserve, and 

National Guard forces. 

- lmpact of the combat service support redesign on 

engineer operations and logistical support to divisional and 

echelon-above-division (EAD) engineers. 

- Impact of changing engineer capabilities for line-ofcommunication and main-supply-route missions throughout 

the division battlespace. 

- lmpact of digital terrain data management on the 

maneuver commander's visualization of the battlespace. 

- lmpact of EAD engineers integrating into a digitized environment with possible incompatible communication systems. 

The DAWE has given us a view of the future of our 

Army. We have a long way to go, but there are new and 

exciting implications for mobility and survivability systems 

as well as for other operating systems. 

Vern Lowrey is technical director, Maneuver Support 

Battle Lab, Fort Leonard Wood. 

November 1997 Engineer 27 
Engineer Qualification Tables: 

A New Training Methodology 

By Second Lieutenant Patrick 0. Corr 

I n March 1997, the 10th Engineer Battalion at Fort 

Stewart, Georgia, conducted its annual Skybridge Focus 

field training exercise in preparation for deployment to 

the National Training Center. During this exercise, squads 

were qualified using Table VIII from the battalion's newly 

developed Engineer Qualification Tables (EQTS).' Engineer 

equipment crew certification was integrated into the EQT 

sapper training. This was the first time the unit used this 

qualification method, and we saw dramatically improved 

results. 

Inspired by the success of armor and infantry gunnery 

tables (and previous combat engineer vehicle [CEV] gunnery 

tables) and the need for an organized method of sapper 

qualification, the 3rd Infantry Division Engineer Brigade 

introduced EQTs to the brigade's engineer battalions. These 

tables link existing programs such as the MTP, 

marksmanship training, and engineer battle drills into a 

sequential battle-focused qualification process. They build 

from individual tables through platoon live-fire tables and 

roughly correspond to armor and infantry gunnery tables. 

The proficiency of squads and platoons was previously 

tested through exercise evaluations (EXEVALs) based on 

fragments of the mission training plan (MTP) and local 

drills. However, these EXEVALs were not well standardized 

or systematically resourced, tasks were not arranged or 

tested in an ascending degree of complexity, and individual 

tasks were not specifically grouped to be practiced before 

squad or platoon tasks. No program exists to justify a 

standard package of resources that can be accurately 

projected through the Standards-in-Training Commission 

(STRAC). Adequate amounts of ammunition and demolitions are rare, and most posts do not have areas large 

enough for demolitions training. There is no priority for 

logistical requirements for training engineers, because we 

do not have a system that speaks the same language to our 

maneuver brothers. These conditions do not facilitate 

quality engineer training. All this changes when individual 

units are given priority, because they train under a system of 

qualification tables recognized by installation and unit 

commanders. 

During Exercise Skybridge 

Focus, soldiers are rated on 

how quickly they 

successfully reduce a 

surface-laid minefield. 

28 Engineer November 1997 
Combat engineers construct a wire obstacle. 

Execution of EQT VIII rehearsal was conducted. Each squad was first certified on - 

xercise Skybridge Focus was the test bed for EQT 

VIII, and it provided significant evidence of EQT 

success. Eighteen squads from six line platoons were 

qualified on EQT VIII tasks. Four of those squads received 

100 percent first-time GOs and were rated as "Killer 

Squads." 

Sapper squads and assault and obstacle crews performed 

mobility, countermobility, or survivability tasks each day. 

inert demolitions. 

Q Breach a surface-laid minefield, dismounted. Squads 

were rated on speed and the successful completion of a 

dismounted breach of a surface-laid minefield while using 

live demolitions. This drill was performed on the same 

lane as the bangalore breach to simulate a complex obstacle and on terrain where such obstacles might be 

emplaced (not the demolitions range). 

The training was set up using scenario-based lanes and 

grouped into drills based on mobility, countermobility, and 

survivability. Each line company set up and evaluated a 

portion of the lanes based on the EQT and crew certification 

tasks. 

Throughout the week, mobility drills were run and 

evaluated by A Company. Individual lanes were planned by 

the company, and internal leadership served as observer1 

controllers for each lane. It is important that NCOs provide 

input concerning lane planning, because their squads are 

being trained and evaluated. The mobility lane included a 

combination of squad drills and crew certification tasks. The 

tasks were not part of the EQT but complemented the sapper 

lane training well. They provided an excellent opportunity 

for the battalion to certify all armored combat earthmover 

(ACE), armored vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB), small 

emplacement (SEE), and Volcano operators. Each drill 

0 Conduct minesweep operations. Minesweeping is a lost 

art, and this drill proved to be extremely challenging. We 

found that doctrinal rates for minesweeping are twice as 

fast as those normally achieved on the ground. Four to 

five hours were required to properly execute this drill. 

Mobility Crew Certification Tasks 

0 Proof a vehicle lane using an ACE. This task requires 

significant operator training before certification because 

herringbone operations are a challenge for operators. 

0 Reduce an antitank ditch. This lane was very successful. We used the same ACEs to reconstruct the antitank 

ditch after they reduced it. A maintenance team should be 

kept on site when digging with ACEs, because one 

downed ACE can bottleneck the crew certification lane. 

lasted approximately three hours. The following paragraphs 0 Defeat a wire obstacle. We seldom use this task at the 

briefly describe each drill and certification task : NTC, but it can be very effective and has minimal impact 

Mobility Table VIII Drills 

on the ACE. 

0 Clear a footpath with a bangalore torpedo. Since this B Company executed the countermobility lane. They 

drill requires live demolitions, a three-hour dry provided evaluators and did the planning for four EQT drills 

November 1997 Engineer 29 
nnd threc crew certificnt~on tasks. Each lane 

lasted three hours except for the antitank ditch 

lane, which EsstctI six trours. 

Counterrnobility Table VIII Drills 

0 Construct a wire obstacle. This is an old 

.;tapIe for combat engineers. Every squad 

qualified a1 niyht using douhfe the normal 

lime. Ncnrly iiII nS the squndl; received firsttime (305. 

3 Create a hasty road crater. Live dernal~- 

[ions WC~F used (In this ~RC. To add realism, the operation was cnnduclud on n tank 

trail, not ;1 r;lnFc. Because a nonstandard 

arcn was used for dcmofitions, at1 entrics no 

[lie ares were hlockerl. Add~tionalZy, the 

lane ofi'iccr-in-chnrgc cuurcfinnrcd use of nn 

ACE to fill thc cralcrs :~ftcr cach s~l~ild went 

thrnu$i A dry-l?rc rchcitrs;il of [his drill 

was canducrcd hefore it was cxccu~cd with 

live dcrnol~tlons. 7 his l~clpcd cnsurc snfcty 

and sqtlad success since nor enough dcmolitions were availc~hle to retrain with live 

demolitions. 

0 Ernplace a row in a deliberate minefield. 

Inert lnlnes were used during this task. This 

is an easy drill to set up, and the squads perfonncd ~t proficient! y. 

p Emplace a nuisance minefield with the 

modular pack mine system (MOPMS). 

The lO~h Engineer Battalion used the 

MOPMS for tllis drill since it is 3 critical 

task that supporls our mission essential task 

Iisl. This task is very technical and required 

the most retminin~. It was most rcsponsihlc 

for squads Ltlling short of obtaining "Killer 

Squad" status. 

Covntermohili ty Crew Certification 

Tasks 

D Ernplace nrld mask n Volcano rnineficld. 

Our crcws wcrc ccrttficd. hut we encountered 

prt~blerns with maintaining the Valcnno. 

Opentors must perform preventive maintcnnaue checks and services on the racks as 

well RS thc wchicle to IzcIp prevent the Volcano from going down dunng certificntinn. 

O C~nstruct a tank ditch. All ACE operators 

wcrc certified. A lot ot digg~ng is involved, 

which preqents ideal contiltions for an ACE 

I 

10th Engineer Battalion Engineer Qualification Table Program 

EQT twining Is conducted In three phases: basic (individual), intermediate (squad), 

and advanced (platoon}. 

The basic phase, Tables I-IV, establishes the lowest level ol sappw sklils and 

culminates with weapons, mines, and demolitions qualificat~ons. These are stand-alone 

events involving sapper teams or indivtdual soldiers. This training is normally executed 

during "sergeants' tlme," range weeks, demoTition ranges, and other unit trajnng 

The intermedrate phase, Tables V-YIII, builds on the skills developed during the 

basc phase. This phase develops team and squad skills and culminates with a battle 

dr4ll certification and lie-lire qualification course. 

The advanced phase, TaMes IX-XII, develops ptabon coordination and execution. It 

culminates with a platoon qualilicat~on course lor both offensive and defensive 

scena rlos. 

The lollowing tables are inctuded in the EQT Program: 

Table I - Leader Certification. 728 NCOs and lrne platoon leaders are certified in 

mines and demolitions within 90 days of their assignment to the unit. 

fable I1 - Indlvldual and Crew Certification (Inert). Squad leaders conduct 

individual training on mines and demolitions using inert training devices lndivrduals 

must be certrfied bebre Table IV train~ng is conducted. 

Table 111 - lndlvidual and Crew Weapons Ouallficafion (Live). Squad leaders 

conduct preliminary marksmanship instruction for individual and crew-served weapons, 

and squad members qualy with their assigned weapon. 

Table IV - Mine and Demolitions Qualification (Live), Companjes certify squads 

on mine and demolitlons tminlng uslng rive mlnes and demolrtrona. 

Table V Squad Bame Drill Training. Squads train on seven drills: const rucl a wire 

entanglement; create a hasty crater obstade with explosives; emplace a row in a 

minefield; emplace a point minefield; breach a surface-laid rnmefield, dismounted: clear 

a fwtpath wlth a bangalore torpedo: and conduct minesweep operat~ons. 

Table Vl Squad Battle Drill CertNcatioibn The platoon leader evaluates and certrf~es 

squads on !he seven sapper drills based on Table Vlll conditions without l~ve arnrnunihon. 

Squads wll not execute Table VII until they are certified by the platmn leader. 

fable VII Squad Baffle Drill Qualllication Course (Dry Run). Squads execute 

sapper battle drills in a tactical scenario ustng blank amrnunit~on and tealishc 

demolrtion-sffects s~rnulalors. Tasks are performed on terrain slrnrlar to the training area 

used lor live certification. 

Table Wll Squad Baffle Dril! QurUllcation Course (Live). Squads execute 

sapper baRle dnlls in a tactical scenario using live ammunition and demcl~tions and inert 

mines. The company ccmmander evaluates 3rd certifrss squads. Additionally, all ACE, 

AVLB, SEE, and Volcano crews are certif~ed on their equipment 

Table IX - Platoon Batile DrSN Training. The platoon trains on six tasks: conduct an 

in-stride breach w~th a MICLIC, conduct an m-stride breach dismounted, establish a 

mlne dump, emplace a tact~cal minefield, emplace wire entanglements, and site and 

mark a Volcano minefield. 

Table X Platoon Drill Certlffclcalfon. The company commander evabates and 

certifies the platoon on SIX platoon drills wrthout live ammunition or live demolitions. 

Table XI - Platoon Drill Outllificieetion Course (Dry Run), The platoon executes Ihs 

drills in a taciical scenario uang blank ammunition and demoltion.eflec!s umulators. 

Tasks are peiYomed on lerraln similar to the training area used for lie certification. 

Table XI1 PIatoon Orlll Qualification Course (LlveJ. The platoon executes the 

drills in a tactical scenario using blank ammunition, live demolitions, and inert mines. 

The battalion commander mluates and cerhl'ies the platoon. 
The 10th Engineer sappers cornptete the breach. 

breakdown. Make sure n maintenance team is on site to 

repair ACES. 

a Construct a tank hesrn. This lane is very intensive and 

requires a maintenance team on site. 

Survivability Table VTII Drills 

The survivability lane did not have any Table VIII drills 

hut concentrated on key tasks that directly supported crew 

certification-a combination of survivability and force 

protection tasks. D Company planned and executed this 

lane. AII the company nuclear, biological, uhcrnicat (NBC) 

NCOs were attached to I3 Company, headed by the battalion 

NBC NCO. to run a complex NBC Iane. The line squads 

cxecuted two Ianes lasting rwo hours each. The first lane was 

centered on bivouac force protection, whrle the second Iane 

was an NBC lane. Tt~e crew certification lanes Insred four 

hours each. 

Survivability Crew Certification Tasks 

P Construct a fighting position for the MI with an 

ACE. Agnin, a maintenance ream must he on site to 

conduct repairs. 

o Construct a modified two-tier M2 position with an 

ACE. Due to the similarity to Lane 1, the same site and 

observerlcontroller were used. 

movement and perforrncd unmasking procedures with and without nn M256 kit. Ltuh 

squad laced several differen1 NBC scenarios 

with realist~c effects. Most soldiers .;;lid they 

itantcd more NBC training conducled this way. 

D Perform bivouac procedures. During th~s 

tame. each squad performed rr~ulriplc [asks r;ln_ring from pract~cing camouflage techniques to 

conrtrucrinp battle positions, clcct~pyin~ n vquucl 

scctor and crnploying nn MX al:~rm, sctting up 

wise communica~~ons. and preparrn9 range 

cards and sector skaches. 

kyhridge Focus proved thc efrectivuness of EQT VIII. 

Thc EQTs are an cxccIleat way to cfticicntly nicasure 

sappers' proficiency nnd resource tminin2. During the 

quiirterly training brier hcforc Skybridge Focus, [Ire 3rd 

Infantry Division commander saw what the resource 

requirements were for the EQT program and that the normal 

engineer S~ilndnrds In Training Commission (STRAC) did not 

support those requirements. Sincc no training arm supported 

this lane training, he gavc instructions to find suitahlc sfat 

esratc on Fort Stewart. G3 was dlrected to providc real 

cslate and ammunition support to the maximum uxrcnl 

possible. Because the EQTs are similar to gunnery lahlcs. tl~c 

commander understands their importance and supports 

changing future STRAC allncations, He also supports 

constructing an urea to conducz fhe EQTs. 

The 10th Engincer BattaIion was extremety suoccssf~~l with 

this new approach and significantly imprnved train in^ 

development in preparation for the NTC. The organiz:uiun of 

the tables yields a solid foundation for instructing and 

evaluating soIdicrs. squads, and platoons. Each soldier traineil 

with tf~c EQTs is fully capable of performing all silpper tasks 

to standard. The EQTs proved invaluabIe throughout our 

recent NTC soration. They are a Feat roo1 for both Active and 

Rcserve Component units. 

0 Construct crew-served fighting positions with the ' The battalion developed these qunlificntion t:!hles (shown 

SEE. This Ianc was SUCCESS~U~, and all ol3tratOrS were on page 30) for [heir heavy engineer unit, During [he second 

certified. quarter of FY98, the U.S. Amy Engincer School wiIl publish 

support. Second Lteutenunt Corr is (I platontr lender itt B Cornpnrt~: 

O Conduct NBC skills procedures. This training is nco- IOth Engineer Bartalion. He holcls a bachelor's dc~rrp itt rivi! 

essary for every soldier. Squads conducted dismounted engitreerirlg from Gonza~n University, Spokar~e, W(~shirrgton. 
By Tom Knotts 

he Army's old Pioneer Tool Set has a new look and a The trailer is outfitted with six molded plastic boxes, two 

new name. Formerly known as the Set, Tool Outfit, on each side of the trailer and two across the back. To 

Pioneer (Portable), line number (LIN) W58486, it has minimize the cleaning associated with hydraulic fluid, all 

been updated and given a new designation-the Hydraulic, the hydraulic tools are packed in one box. They are 

Electric, Tool Outfit (HETO). It is mounted on a 3 112-ton mounted on a plate and secured with tie-downs, thus 

making it easier to remove and return them for stowage. M353 trailer and pulled by a 5-ton truck. 

HETO Improvements 

he old system has been transformed from a marginally 

acceptable end item into an outstanding piece of 

equipment. The HETO boasts several improvements: 

It can be used with its onboard hydraulic or electric 

tools, which include a portable hydraulic motor generator, drills, saws (including a chain saw), lights, an impact 

wrench, sockets, and pumps. The HETO can simultaneously power one electric and one hydraulic tool or two 

hydraulic tools. 

Access to the power panel is more convenient, which simplifies maintenance on the power unit. The radiator opening is protected by a screen, and the engine cover on the 

opposite side of the controls is modified with vents. With 

these changes, the HETO can be operated without removing (and possibly losing) the panels. The power unit is 

rotated on the trailer and mounted with the radiator and 

fuel openings in front of the trailer. This configuration prevents spilled fuel or hydraulic fluid from falling on the 

trailer bed, which could cause the trailer deck to become 

slippery or fuel to drip off the trailer onto the ground and 

damage the environment. The position of the power unit 

The M353 trailer carries the HETO and its power unit. 

32 Engineer November 1997 
One of the HETO boxes contains a sump pump and hoses. 

also eliminates possible environmental damage from 

leakage when draining the radiator or refueling the motor. 

The hydraulic motor generator is mounted on a plate and 

fastened in one of the plastic boxes, making it portable. 

Halogen lights on the HETO have roughly 10 times the 

life expectancy of the floodlights on the old system. 

Fielding of the HETO will begin in the first quarter 

FY98. 

Other Updates 

n addition to the HETO project, the following sets, kits, 

outfits, and tools (SKOT) are being updated: 

Shop Equipment, Woodworking, Base Maintenance, 

Trailer-Mounted, LZN T16988. This set includes reciprocating saws and blades; chop, circular, table, and jig 

saws; routers and router bits; pneumatic nailers; and a 

compressor tool kit. 

1 The Platoon Box (Carpenter's), LZN W34511. It is 

equipped with electric rechargeable power tools such as 

saws, drills, an electric sheartnibbler kit, and an electric 

grinder. 

The Squad Box (Carpenter's), LZN 34648. This box 

includes manual tools such as a chisel set, a hacksaw 

with blades, hammers, a circle cutter, and a set of flat 

boring bits. 

1 The Tool Outfit, Hydraulic Systems Test and Repair 

Unit (HSTRU), NSN 4940-01-036-5784, LZN T30377. 

New state-of-the-art equipment will replace out-dated 

tools and fittings in this unit. 

The trailer-mounted woodworking set has a General 

Service Administration National Stock Number (NSN) and 

can be purchased directly by units. The Platoon and Squad 

Sets will soon be given NSNs. 

Supply catalogs containing changes to the SKOT above 

will be published on CD-ROM. 

Most tools in the sets above are in the General Services 

Administration SCIT (Standardization and Control of 

Industrial-Quality Tools) Program, which lists 20,000 tools 

that are guaranteed for life. If one of them breaks, the 

contractor will replace it at no cost. 

Future Updates 

ets to be updated soon are the Tool Kit, Mason, LIN 

W44923, and the Tool Set, Electric, LIN W60925. As 

additional SKOT revisions and improvements occur, 

information will be published in Engineer and on the Combat 

Developments Newsgram on the Internet at http://155.9.32.3/ 

DCD/CD%20NEWS/newsgram.htm. 

A kit containing the SCIT catalog and CD-ROM can be 

obtained by calling GSA Centralized Mailing List Service, 

Fort Worth, Texas, at (8 17) 334-521 5. 

The Engineer School's Directorate of Combat Developments welcomes ideas concerning how to change and 

improve these sets. The point of contact is Tom Knotts at: 

Commandant, U.S. Army Engineer School, ATTN: ATSECD-F-F, 320 Engineer Loop, Suite 166, Fort Leonard Wood, 

Missouri 65473-8929. The telephone number is DSN 676- 

7273 or commercial (573) 563-7273; the e-mail address is 

knotts@wood.army.mil. 1Y 

ME Knotts is chief of the Force Integration Division, 

Directorate of Combat Developments, U.S. Army Engineer School. 

November 1997 Engineer 33 
By Captaitl Treavor J. Bellandi 

'ith the fast operating tempo 

of today's Army, new platoon 

leaders must "hit the ground 

running." For those fortunate enough to 

be in light, airborne, or air assault units, 

being a platoon leader is only part of 

the job. They must also fill the role of 

task force engineer for the infantry battalions they support, which is a fulltime job in itself. 

To help new platoon leaders perform 

their task force engineer missions as 

painlessly as possible, I have cornpiled 

lessons learned and suggestions garnered from the Joint Readiness Training 

Center (JRTC), the National Training 

Center (NTC), and other exercises I supported as a task force engineer. 

The following information addresses 

how to prepare for an upcoming mission, staff planning, the engineer annex, 

and the tactical operations center (TOC). 

It is followed by three of the most common missions that engineers support. 

This article is not intended to replace 

doctrine or address all engineer missions. It is one soldier's perspective. 

I Mission Preparation 

Route clearance in restricted terrain is one of the most difficult and most 

common tasks a light engineer platoon will perform. 

roper preparation will save time 

later. For a field exercise, learn 

the scenario by reading everything distributed by the S2 and S3. Visit 

the infantry unit you support to get 

more information. Know your unit's 

capabilities. Use book tirnes for obstacle preparation and route clearance only 

until you have worked with the platoon 

long enough to determine how much 

time these tasks actually take. 

34 Engineer Novenzber 1997 
b 

It- gg e 

r 

=- - 

- -- -- -- 

Soldiers in the TOC at JRTC prepare for an upcoming mission. 

Rehearse staff planning skills by 

working with the infantry in both staff 

and field exercises. Staff rapport is 

more a function of your desire to help 

and learn than your technical knowledge. Obtain a copy of the infantry battalion's tactical standing operating 

procedures (SOP) and understand how 

they operate. To communicate effectively, understand your battalion, brigade, and division SOPS. Know the 

staff planning sequence (mission analysis, course of action development, etc.), 

your requirements to support the planning process at each stage, and what 

other staff officers are doing. FM 101- 

5, Staff Operations, and the Command 

and General Staff College manual, ST101-5, Command and Staff Decision 

Processes, describe the sequence of 

tasks. Include the platoon sergeant and 

squad leaders in the planning process 

by bringing them to staff exercises with 

the infantry. Meet the people you support to build a better working relationship and a more cohesive team. 

Once you know the basic scenario 

and your requirements, conduct battlefield preparation and prepare a shell for 

the engineer battlefield assessment 

(EBA) and engineer annex before the 

exercise begins. Prepare the written 

requirements as soon as possible to 

allow more time for troop-leading procedures once on the ground. After completing preparation and rehearsals, 

begin the actual planning process. 

Planning and Coordinating 

he staff sets the conditions of success for every mission through 

the PCISE (plan, coordinate, integrate, synchronize, execute) process. 

Execution is the culmination of all previous events, and following the PCISE 

process improves the likelihood of a 

successful operation. 

Engineer Annex. As the task force 

engineer, you have a wealth of knowledge to give the staff, but you must use 

the proper vehicles to relay it. Fortunately, many assets (vehicles) are available. The brigade prepares an engineer 

annex, which should include an overlay 

and possibly a "trap map," which is a 

list of potential enemy ambush or mining sites within the sector. After you 

receive the brigade engineer annex, 

make a copy of the obstacle overlay so 

you can brief the infantry battalion 

commander. It may help to carry a personal map board with a small overlay. 

November 1997 Engineer 35 

Intelligence Preparation of the 

Battlefield (IPB). The S2 starts the 

planning process by developing the 

IPB. Task force engineers play a critical role in its development, because 

they are the staff experts on terrain 

analysis and enemy and friendly engineer assets and capabilities. Give the 

S2 initial information based on the 

EBA and fill in the gaps later. This 

allows him to begin constructing the 

IPB without being overwhelmed by 

extraneous information. The likely 

enemy course of action and the enemy 

engineer role in it are critical pieces of 

information the S2 needs. During wargaming, wear a red hat often to portray 

the enemy engineer and give the staff a 

better feel for their adversary. 

Engineer Estimate. 

engineer estimate, then create and post 

execution and survivability matrices. 

Although you know what your squads 

are doing at any given time, a matrix 

helps the commander and the rest of the 

staff quickly see how engineers are supporting the fight. 

Risk Assessment. Finally, conduct a 

risk assessment and be proactive in 

briefing the commander on risk management in areas where engineers are 

working. This will save time and possibly lives. Once you understand the 

plan, coordinate with other staff members to help solidify the engineer role in 

the scheme of maneuver. 
decision w~sely. 

Synchronization. This is an imporrant pan of the planning process. T~ke 

an active role in synchronizing cngineer assets, uspec~nlly sc~trcrahle 

mines. It is cssenrial ro undcrst,tnd scat- 

~cr~blc mine assets and finny pmcedurcs, as well as the approval authority. 

Relay Information. lie stilff lives "Producing a concise, First. decipher thc nnnex you receive 

or dies with the passing of infoma~ian. from higher headquarters. Carefully 

Since everyonc imrnedii~lely grabs his informative (engineer) examine the mission stntemenr. which 

own anncx Irom the brigade opcratinns contains hoth a task and a purpose. 

order, give the rest of the stafi' a sum- Learn the doctrinal terms for task and 

annex is critical to 

mary of your annex. Sharc the trap ninp purpose to better understand the miswith the fire support officer (FSO} so sion, and use doclrinal terms in your 

hc c:ln target thosc locations. Informamission success.'' mission htatement. After analyzing the 

tion henefits no one if you kcep it m mission, review the ctllnmander's 

yourself, so share it with othcrs. includ- intent, which has three parts: purpose. 

~np other platoon leaders, higher head- Modular Pack Mine method, and end state. Read them to 

(MOPMS) and the Volcano are impor- determine what you must 

quarters. and subordinates. [ant to horh the offunse and defense, achieve for mission accomp~~s~mcnr, When passing information, remcm- and you are the subject mattes expert. ne uommanderps intent revolves 

her thar you have two chains of command to inform: the ink1ntsy task force Help prepare borh Ihe and around the decisive point and hnw he 

enemy decision support tcmpfates. Cal- defines success, ~~~~~~~i~~~~ 

and \he brigade engineer. Send your culate trigger points for scarlerahle intent all of your snttjiers. ,hey can 

target and ohsfasle lisrs to higher hend- mines and reserve targets (remember on in your absence. qunrlers, using specific grid coordi- hat triggers include decision time plus When writing an enpincer annex, nates. Finally, don't wait for cxccut~on time plus transmission rime). the mission is 

information lo comc lo yolt. AC~UI~C Kcep in mind that tri~~er points must ne,,ssarilv the same: as [he infhntry information from adjacent units on tie in €0 anmed and tnrgcted areas of For file ininntry mis- routes, obstacles, ;inri displaced civil- interest to be succecsful, sion may he to conduct counterreconwho lnay trnfFic 'low On When the stalt. tinishes [he ovra- n,i,sn,, uperations, while rl,c 

routes (MSRs' in [ions order. rend it i~nrnedinrely and engineer mission he la cnnrlrucl sector. ldentify infomlatinn that has not been ,, ,,gagenlenl art.n. ~h~ 

Integration' the coordinated, especially i~~formstinn nfi-ccis YoLl desiLnBtC mander and the rest of the staf'r' want nut coordinated w~th the other sl~ce ele- to subordinate units. D~~

on ,he you to hc part rll the tciim, nnly you can rnents. This will avoid conflicts in the staremcnt, subordlllare ensure that engineers are integrated different anncxes and in the informa- tither your rqullds the 

into thc task force plan. When working 

with the stall: pace yourself. M:uathun 

tion Put our lo company commanders* infantry 10 which your scll~ads ;Ire 

Continue ru coordin:~~e and syncl~ro- n,Eached. ~f [he platoon is under task planning sessinns are orten necessary ni7,e is complete, 

to praducc the operations ardcr in a 

force control. the t:~sks refer to individtimely manner. To remain cifeclive, Yourjoh in Ihz is not squads. TnclucIc any attachments to 

finished when the staff disseminates y,,r especially heavy equipsnent. work to expand your staff planning the order, Maintain contact for intcllihe eneincer annex 10 thc task 

force c~perations order is :In 

irnporrant tool for inlrn~ing 

inl:tntry conlpany curnmi~nder~ ;ind 

suhordinalc cr a con- leadcrs, Producin, 

cise, informative annex 1s critical to 

missic~n success. 

TOC Procedures 

Rcmcmber that the engineer nnnex is 

same 1s the pl;~tonn cpcralinns 

order, which plaloun will rcquirt. 

when thc ~nsk fnrce u~dcr is complcre. 

span of attenrion. This requircs soning 

critical infnrmatlon from rhe less 

important, ns wcll as learning to focus 

cln the task at hand Be asserrivc with 

us1 new platoon Ic:l~lers wan1 

to spend ns li~tlc lime in the 

TDC, and :IS much time wilh 

gence updates and t'tagmentnr~ orders 

10 which you should contribute. Also. 

fnllow-on missions. 

hecause at snlnc you wllr retlsrn 

the stafl in getting your voice heard. 

Don't be intimidaled hccaure you are 

thc lowest-ranking mcmher. The slaff it. 

a team, and as the engineer, you are a 

critical mernher. Wh~le thc commander 

makes the final decision, everyonc 

must conrr~hutc so hc can make that 

to th~ TOC 10 begin the planning proccr5 again, PCISE is a dynnrnic 

!ha[ requires continual updating and 

attention to nrnkc It work. 

Engineer Annex 

Thc engineer annex is iI vital parr 

.f any maneuver operations order. 

Although ~hc 53 may limit the amount 

,,fspiice a~laciited to the :rnncK, always 

include information the battalion and 

company comn~andcrs need to propcrly 

use engineers when thcy execute thc 

nlan. 
Sappers move to the breach site at the NTC. 

their troops, as possihlc. To accomplish 

 his, honc your TOC operations to 

increase clllcicncy. 

Kccping abreast of current events ix 

key to working In the TOC. A In1 can 

happen in a short time. so usc DA 

Form E 544,1314fy Sta~Jourr~nl, to keep 

a lo? with a brief descriptron of each 

event and the time it occurred. Also, 

track rcquests For information that you 

wntI to higher headquarters. As the 

halllclield changes and fatiguc scts in, 

n wsilten record serves RS a reminder. 

Othcrs in the TOC need 10 know what 

15 hi~ppening, so include both friendly 

and cnemy obstacles on the battle captain's tnap. Update your overlay and 

inl'clrm h~ghur hcndquarters of changes 

regularly. 

Bring enough supplies (acetate, 

markers, cic.) to the TOC to avoid having 10 borrow from others. AIso, bring 

:ippIi~ilble ~n~ssit~n ll~ining plans and 

o~her pertinent manuals. An old demo 

box rnakcs n good storage container for 

manuals and an efrectivc way to cany 

and prottct written materials. You can 

also use ~t to establish ynur :ma in rhe 

TOC or to sit on. After being in ~hc 

TOC once or twice, you will dererrnine 

exactly what you need. Ask fcllow platoon lenders for suggestions. 

At times, the planning process and 

task force TOC will scem chaotic. 

Develop a plan For operating with the 

staff to avoid getting caught up in the 

confusion and falling to produce a succcssl'ul plan, 

Engineer Missions 

he planning process is dynamic. 

While no rwn oprations ordcrs 

are the same, there are many similarities among the various missions that 

engineers perform. The following tips 

pertain to three of the most common 

cnginecr missions: offcnse, defcnse, and 

stability and supporz operations, 

Offense. An offensive mission for 

the lieht task forcc cnginccr can be 

extremely difficult. because you may 

have to plan an attack without knowing 

what is on rhe ohjeczive. Resist the 

tenlplnlion to split squads p~ecemeal, 

one per company, jusl so everyone has 

cnginecr SUpQOrt. Ynu nnly have onc 

platoon, so yuu will have the grcatcst 

impact hy nlassing the rorces. 

The rnost important aspect of an 

attack is the initial obstacle intelligence 

received from reconnaissance elements 

:ind the scouts. Send one or two of your 

best soIdiers with them zo provide engineer cxpcrtise before the breach. While 

the intell~pence collection efforts are 

taking place, concentrate on other !asks, 

such as route reconnaissance and clearance on MSRs and infiltration lanes and 

countermobility on your flanks to prevent enemy counterreconnaissance 

efforw. As par1 of the initid EBA, consider the effects of illumination, 

weather, and sleep deprivation on both 

the attacker and the defender, and use 

these factors to your advantage. Also, 

consider the enemy's use of scatterable 

mines. Decide how you wouId brench a 

scatterable minefield if one is discovered in your sector. 

When planning an attack, consider 

the number of breaches and their separation distance. DoctrinaIly, a hattalion 

task force requires a minimum uf two 

breaches at least I00 nleters apart. 

Unfortuna~cly. lhe rest of the staff and 

the commander may not agree to this 

because of the amount uf supporl 

required. Be prepared to support your 

position, hut ren~ember that he commander has the final say. Coordinate 

with the S3 and the FSO on the length 

2nd type of suppression and obscusation during the breach. and make surc 

you discuss the elements of SOSR (soppress. obscure. secure, and reduce) during the task hrce rehearsal. To increase 

command and control, consider pos1- 

tioning yoursclr at the breach site with 

the main effort. 

Last, but not least, prepare for success. In other words. prepare for the 

transition to a hasty defense once an 

attack succeeds. Develop some realistic 

logistics requirements and time estimates lo prepare thc newly taken objective for the defense. Scatterable mines 

are one of the quickest and most reliable methods for repelling enemy cnunterattack forces. Short of that. using 

resupply convoys or tielicopters to 

bring in Class IY and Class Y supplies 

in preconfigused packages can be very 

effective, as long as you clear the route 

For the resupply convoy. 

Defense. Every successful offense 

results in a defense, either hasty or 

deli berate. 

RegardIess of how long you expect to 
defend the position, certain key concepts 

are relative to all defensive missions. 

The most important elements of a 

defense are time and resource management. To speed the process, plan for a 

defense well in advance. It is better to 

build one obstacle to standard than to 

build several of them poorly. Ask the 

S3 to allocate infantry platoon hours to 

help with the countermobility effort. 

After preparing a survivability matrix, ask the infantry battalion commander to sign it. This helps diffuse 

any problems your digging assets have 

with overzealous company commanders. Before digging, ensure that the 

supported unit sights in positions. 

Maintain strict accountability of the dig 

assets and carefully select who will be 

in charge of them. Based on experience, the infantry battalion command 

sergeant major is the best choice, but 

the maneuver commander must allow 

this. 

Proper discussion of engagement 

area development warrants an entire 

article, but a few key concepts follow. 

Remember that your obstacle intentblock, turn, disrupt, or fix-must coincide with the maneuver commander's 

intent and that your obstacle plan must 

support his defense. 

When planning tactical obstacles, be 

sure that counterattack lanes are open 

and have a plan for closing them. 

MOPMS works well for closing lanes, 

as long as the senior soldier on the site 

understands the firing procedures, trigger points, and safe distance. Determine casualty evacuation routes; some 

of these need to stay open during the 

entire engagement, and counterattack 

lanes may need to stay open as well. 

Coordinate with the infantry to provide 

security while emplacing obstacles, 

and try to walk the ground with the 

commander to ensure that the engagement area you create is fully used. At 

the same time, plan fires on all obstacles with the FSO. 

Tactical obstacles are your responsibility, but also advise the company 

commanders on their protective obstacles and survivability positions. This is 

leaders. It also reminds the infantry 

to properly report their protective 

obstacles. 

Locate yourself either at the TOC or 

in the sector with the counterattack 

force, so you can verify that lanes are 

open before the commander launches 

the reserve into battle. 

Stability and Support Operations. These missions include peaceenforcement operations and low-intensity conflicts. As you struggle to keep 

abreast of the status and location of 

your assets, minefields are the greatest 

threat. 

The primary engineer tasks during 

stability and support operations are 

route reconnaissance, route clearance, 

and force protection. Obtain minefield 

rules of engagement for the employment and removal of mines, as well as 

when to clear minefields and when to 

simply mark them and find a bypass. 

Clearing is not the same as demining, 

so do not clear everything since it 

wastes resources and puts soldiers at 

needless risk. 

During stability and support operations, you probably will have to deal 

with static security points (SSPs), better known as checkpoints. Develop a 

plan that includes relieving existing 

SSPs and building new ones. Be prepared for other construction projects as 

well, since not all stability and support 

operations are hostile in nature. 

Battle tracking is key throughout 

this type of mission. Everyone must 

know minefield locations and how they 

are marked. Try to include engineers 

with all convoys traveling through your 

sector. This requires extensive S4 

coordination, because the tendency is 

to send vehicles down MSRs before 

they are cleared. Coordinate with the 

S2 to update the IPB continuously. 

Identify and disseminate information 

on any new enemy mines located 

within the sector, including their type 

and changes in their employment (for 

example, whether they are buried, 

booby-trapped, or equipped with antihandling devices). 

To prepare troops for this type of 

mission, SOPS for minefield marking 

and clearing must be up-to-date. 

Rehearsals are important, too. If possible, practice combined arms clearance 

with the infantry, such as using thermal 

sights from their antitank weapons for 

mine detection. 

Communications during stability 

and support operations are crucial. Give 

your soldiers specific information 

through the use of good troop-leading 

procedures. Maintain communications 

with other platoons and coordinate with 

adjacent units when doing route clearance and convoy operations. The best 

place to maintain command, control, 

and communications is at the TOC. 

Deployments to Haiti and Somalia, 

as well as exercises at JRTC, have 

shown that the task force engineer must 

manage assets all over the battlefield. 

While the enemy threat during stability 

and support operations may not be as 

great as in other missions, the danger is 

just as high. 

Filling in the Blanks 

he task force engineer's job is 

demanding, to say the least, and 

platoon leaders need help to 

accomplish everything the job requires. 

They must prepare and execute staff 

requirements effectively and efficiently 

to allow more time to lead their platoon. 

The information in this article will fill in 

some of the blanks that remain after the 

Engineer Officer Basic Course is completed and will give new lieutenants a 

base for working as a member of the 

combined-arms team. LJI 

Captain Bellandi is the S1, 54th 

Engineer Battalion, Bnmberg, Germany. Previous assignments include S3 

Air and pEatoon leade~ 65th Engineer 

Battalion, Schojield Barracks, Hawaii; 

JRTC and NTC rotations. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy with a 

bachelor's degree in engineering physics 

and attended the CAS3 Course and Field 

Artillery O$icer Advanced Course. 

38 Engineer November 1997 
Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) 

By Captain John C. DeJarnette 

Integration of the engineer company into the light 

brigade combat service support (CSS) system remains 

a substantial challenge. There are three principle areas 

of concern: 

w Unit Level Logistics System (ULLS) maintenance 

support. 

w Management of Class IVIV supplies at the brigade 

level. 

w Integration of the brigade rear engineer cell (BREC) 

into the forward support battalion (FSB) operations 

cell. 

ULLS Maintenance Support 

Light engineer companies lack organic ULLS ground 

computer systems and prescribed load list clerks. 

These assets are consolidated at the engineer battalion 

level and rarely deploy to the FSB with an engineer 

company. Because light companies have no organic 

ULLS support, automated equipment maintenance and 

dispatch must be provided by another unit. More 

importantly, without ULLS support, engineer company 

commanders lack access to the automated Open 

Document Control Register and the Nonmission 

Capable reports. Lack of access to these reports 

significantly complicates the company's ability to 

manage parts requests. Many units observed at the 

JRTC manually order parts using DA Form 2765-1. The 

manual system works, but visibility of engineer 

maintenance issues is lost at the brigade level because 

FSBs use automated products to prioritize and manage 

maintenance. The best solution to these shortcomings 

is to provide each engineer company with an organic 

ULLS ground computer. If that is not possible, we 

recommend the following procedure. 

When an engineer company is attached to a 

maneuver brigade, the engineer company will "depart" its 

equipment from the engineer battalion ULLS and "arrive" 

it to the B Company FSB ULLS. This procedure provides 

automated maintenance management support to the 

engineer company and increases brigade-level 

awareness of engineer maintenance issues. Because 

the engineer company command post is located in the 

brigade support area, this arrangement allows the 

engineer company executive officer ready access to 

maintenance management information at both unit and 

direct support levels. 

Management of Class IVN Supplies 

Rotational units lack viable standardized Class IVN 

combat configured loads (CCLs). While most brigade 

tactical standing operating procedures (TACSOP) list 

CCLs and their contents, the FSB does not configure 

trucks, containerized delivery system packages, 

palletized load system packages, or low-velocity airdropped packages in accordance with the brigade's 

standardized CCLs. As a result, unorganized packages 

are delivered to the forward logistics element or task 

force Class IVN point. This means that task force 

leaders must organize the materials into packages that 

support the obstacle and survivability plans. The effect 

at the JRTC is loss of valuable preparation time while 

materials are sorted, reconfigured, and delivered. 

Typically, whoever arrives at the task force Class IVN 

November 1997 Engineer 39 
point takes what they want regardless of the 

distribution plan. Engineers often are left to fend for 

themselves with little support from the task force S4 or 

executive officer. Frequently, critical Class V items 

such as MOPMS are not accounted for and end up in a 

unit other than the intended recipient. This undesirable 

effect is a result of poor planning and supervision of 

CCL construction and distribution. It is critical that CSS 

units package and distribute Class IVIV materials in 

accordance with the brigade TACSOP and operations 

order. Extensive leader involvement at the FSB and 

supervision by the brigade S4 and brigade engineer 

are required to correct this deficiency. We recommend 

that units comply with information in Appendix C, FM 

90-7, Combined Arms Obstacle Integration. 

Integration of the Brigade Rear Engineer Cell 

Into the FSB Operations Cell 

The engineer company command post doctrinally 

serves as the BREC. However, it generally occupies 

the FSB perimeter as a separate tenant unit. This 

arrangement does not support effective integration of 

mobility and survivability operations in the rear area, 

as shown in the following paragraphs. 

The BREC lacks organic mobile subscriber 

equipment. Therefore, it cannot receive or send fax 

traffic or be integrated into the brigade's local area 

network (LAN). The BREC typically is manned by the 

engineer company executive officer, first sergeant, 

supply sergeant, and one or two drivers. The workload 

associated with operating a separate company 

command post and the physical separation from the 

FSB reduce the effectiveness of the BREC. 

The FSB has a significant requirement to track the 

status of supply routes within the brigade area of 

operations but is reluctant to call on the BREC for 

assistance, because that requires someone to walk 

from the FSB TOC to the engineer company command 

post. Additionally, the BREC can guide the preparation 

and distribution of Class IVIV CCLs but is not typically 

integrated into the CSS planning process at brigade 

level, because the BREC is not part of the FSB TOC. 

We recommend integrating the BREC into the FSB 

TOC. This arrangement allows the BREC to become 

an important resource to assist the FSB with mobility 

and survivability functions that parallel those of the 

brigade engineer and the brigade main engineer cell. 

The engineer company gains visibility on Class IV/V 

issues and engineer company maintenance issues, 

gains access to mobile subscriber equipment 

support, and improves manpower efficiency. Information flow is improved for both the FSB and the 

engineer company. 

Please continue to send us questions and recommendations about mobility and survivability operations and 

techniques. Call (318) 531-026610282 or DSN 673-02661 

0282. The e-mail address is: brooksje@polk-emh2.- 

army.mil or dejarnjca polk-emh2.army.mil. 

Captain DeJarnette is an engineer observer/controller 

at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, 

Louisiana. He previously served with the 37th Engineer 

Battalion, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and as 

Commander, B Company, 1 I th Engineer Battalion, Fort 

Stewart, Georgia. 

National Training Center (NTC) 

A Disconnect in the Desert: Integrating Heavy and 

Light Engineers at the NTC 

By Captain Chuck Samaris and Captain Otis Cagle 

Commands and staffs must effectively integrate 

mechanized and light engineers to maximize their 

impact on the battlefield. Effective integration requires 

planning, coordination, and supervision. However, the 

engineer force seldom trains to effectively integrate 

these units except during heavyllight rotations at the 

NTC. Current trends indicate that problems develop 

when the mechanized engineer battalion commanders 

and staffs of a heavy brigade combat team (BCT) lack 

involvement in the planning, preparation, and execution 

of engineer support to a light infantry task force (TF). 

Background 

During typical rotations of heavy and light units at the 

NTC, the BCT deploys with three task forces-one 

armor, one mechanized infantry, and one light infantry. A 

mechanized engineer battalion consisting of a 

40 Engineer Nover~zber 1997 
headquarters and headquarters company and two 

sapper companies deploys with the BCT, and a light 

engineer platoon deploys with the light infantry TF. The 

BCT and light infantry TF usually have no habitual 

training relationship and have had little collective 

training prior to deployment. As a result, brigade 

engineers often overlook the engineer capabilities 

available within the light TF, and the light engineer 

platoon leader fails to consider that a higher engineer 

headquarters is available to provide guidance and 

support. These oversights inhibit effective integration of 

the mobility and survivability battlefield operating 

system (BOS) throughout the depth of the BCT 

battlespace. 

0 bservations 

The following considerations are based on 

observations that repeatedly lead to separate light and 

heavy engineer support to what should be a seamless 

fight. 

Consider the impact of the light task force's accelerated time line. 

Include the light engineer platoon's capabilities 

when conducting the engineer battlefield assessments (EBAs). 

Base the task organization on identified engineer 

tasks that have clear command and support relationships, decision points to shift units and assets, 

and link-up procedures. Do not task organize 

based solely on habitual relationships. 

Ensure that command and control requirements 

include reporting procedures and battle tracking of all 

engineer events in the brigade area of operations. 

Provide brigade engineer support to the preparation of the entire engineer force, including logistics 

and rehearsals. 

Techniques and Procedures 

The following techniques and procedures will help 

the light engineer platoon leader and brigade engineer 

collectively support heavyllight BCT operations. 

The brigade engineer must consider support to 

the light TF early in the EBA and scheme of 

engineer operations (SOEO) development process. 

The light TF may cross the line of departure up to 12 

hours before the main body of the BCT. Their early 

departure requires accelerated planning and execution 

time lines. Early in the planning process, the brigade 

engineer must plan and coordinate the critical 

resources and events that affect the light TF engineer. 

For example, a BCT plans to infiltrate a light TF to 

establish a blocking position, and the brigade engineer 

resources the effort with Volcano and MOPMS 

minefields. For that to happen, the light engineer 

platoon leader must clearly understand the location of 

resources, link-up procedures, and the obstacle intent 

(if any) before the light TF military decision-making 

process is initiated so that he can integrate these assets 

into the scheme of maneuver. 

The brigade engineer or his representative (53, 

XO, assistant brigade engineer, or battle captain) 

must maintain routine contacts with the light 

engineer platoon leader during the planning and 

preparation phases of an operation to provide 

guidance and supervision. Contacts may be face-toface or via mobile subscriber equipment or FM radio 

and are in addition to standard reports. Routine 

contacts should parallel those that occur between the 

mechanized engineer battalion and its organic 

companies. These contacts ensure that the total 

brigade engineer effort is properly focused and 

coordinated. They also provide the young light engineer 

platoon leader with senior engineer leadership in the 

absence of his company commander. 

A liaison officer (LO) facilitates coordination 

between the brigade and light engineers. FM 101 -5 

provides a clear purpose for employing an LO, selection 

criteria, and general guidelines. The LO's mission is to 

coordinate and support engineer operations within the 

light TF, not to burden the TF TOC or engineer platoon 

leader. To maximize the LO's effectiveness, the brigade 

engineer must provide him with proper tools, including a 

vehicle with driver and a radio with dual-net capability. 

Use of an LO greatly improves engineer input to the TF 

military decision-making process, engineer tracking, 

engineer reporting, and future planning during 

continuous operations. In addition, use of the LO 

enables the light engineer platoon leader to focus on 

preparing his unit to execute the mission. 

Note: For more information about liaison officers, 

see CALL Newsletter 95-7 (http://call. army mil/calV 

ne wsltrs/95- 7/tocsec5. html). 

When task organizing mechanized engineer assets 

to the light TF, the brigade engineer must clearly define 

command/support relationships and provide required 

engineer command and control (C2) nodes. For 

example, if a mechanized engineer platoon is task 

organized to a light infantry TF, the brigade engineer 

should immediately provide a C2 node to participate in 

November 1997 Engineer 41 
the TF military decision-making process and to 

coordinate the efforts of the light and mechanized 

platoons. The C2 node can be an 53 battle captain 

with a vehicle-mounted radio, who is assigned as 

the TF engineer. The C2 node will improve brigade 

engineer battle tracking of l~ght TF operations. It also 

synchronizes the efforts of the two engineer platoons 

that are task organized to the light infantry TF and 

eases the transition of designated engineers to the 

new main effort after the light TF mission is 

completed. 

The above observations and techniques revolve 

around command, control, communication, staff coordination, and leader supervision. We hope they 

provide both mechanized engineer battalions and light 

engineer platoons with some important insights to help 

their units prepare for a successful heavyllight rotation. 

Remember the bottom line: Planning, coordination, and 

supervision are required to effectively integrate heavy 

and light engineer forces and maximize their impact on 

the battlefield. Good luck-and Train the Force? 

Captain Sarnaris serves as the engineer battalion 

tactical operations center trainer, National Training 

Center, Fort Irwin, California. 

Captain Cagle serves as the Sidewinder 13, the light 

!ask force engineer plaloon/cornpany trainer, at the 

Natimar' Tmining Center, Fort Irwin, California. 

b 

I 

Attention all ENGINEER Professional BulEetin readers! We need your help. If 

you wish to continue to receive the ENGINEER, we need your lull 9-digit ZIP code 

(ZIP + 4) and street address. The postal service has implemented changes that 

affect the mail system for magazine deliveries. This includes APO and FPO 

addresses. This Fs where you can help: Fill in the information below, and return 

by e-mail, regular mail, or fax. You can also phone us at: DSN 676-4104, (573) 565- 

4104. If you don't know your 9-digit ZIP code or street address, contact your 

delivery post off ce. Thanks in advance! 

03d address: 

New address: 

Send to: 

E-mail: eubankscOwood.army.mil 

Fax: (573) 563-4001 

Address: ENGINEER Professtonal Bulletin 

Directorate of Training and Doctrine 

320 Engineer Loop, Suite 370 

Fort Leonard Wood, MO 65473-8929 

- 
ith the exception of our 

scninr leaders, few of us 

appreciate or understand two 

documents rllnt shape our Army's 

future. Thcy are A hkcriot~crl S'c~rrir~ 

Srmregy for A Nrw Crrrrirsy and the 

~Vational Milita~ Srrnte,qy of rhr 

Utlit~d Sfa~e.~ of Am~rira This article 

contains my views on how these documents impact the Engineer Regiment. 

National Security Strategy 

nted May 1997 and signed by 

the President of the United 

Stales. thrs docun~ent is not currcntly available from the Government 

Printing Office. However, it is on the 

National Security Council's home page 

on the Interne1 at hfrp:/lwww,whitehousc.gov/WH/EOPINSC/Srratepy. 

The Naiiorlal Securie Strat~~yg 

states !ha! "The U.S. rnililary pIays an 

ussential role in huilding coalitions and 

shaping the international environment 

in ways that protect and promote U.S. 

interests. Through means such as the 

forward stationing or deploy~nent of 

Forces, defense cooperation and security assistiince, and ~ra~ning and exercises with ;illies and I'riends, our anned 

forces hclp to promotr: rcgional stability. deter nggsession ant! coercion, prevent and reduce conflicts nnd threats, 

and serve as role models for militaries 

in cmergrng dcmocmcies." 

This docunlent ou~lincs thc various 

threats military personnel may become 

invorvcd with, which primarily include 

small-scale contingcncles and major 

theater warfare. Bur military personnel 

also will help counrer a host of orher 

concctns, which are calletl "transnational threatsM-terrorism, drug trafficking, international organized crime, 

and environrnerltal and security concerns. In all, the Nariunal Security 

Stmrcgy says that rue "... in concert 

with regional allies, must remain able 

to deter credibly and defeal large-scale, 

cross-border ngeression in two distant 

theaters in overlapping time frames." 

National Military Strategy 

his document is under revision. 

but rhe new version is expccted 

to closely pasaIlcl he 1995 edition avaihlhle lhrouph the Govcrnmcnl 

Printing Oftice and on the‘ Interliet in 

various locations. Thc current Nnr~arl(~l 

Milirul-y Sfmte,qy defines intctnational 

dangers asRegional inslability 

Wcapons of mass deslruction 

Transnational dangers 

Dangcrs to dcmocr;icy and rcfrw~ri 

Thc docunlent s:lys that we will 

achieve our n;~tion;tl military rlhjectives 

throughDctcrrencc and conflict prevention 

Fight and win 

This last area (riglrt and win) rllso 

focuses on en~aging in tau m:ijnr 

regional conflicls simultnneousl y. 

Engineer Locations 

he Army hus becn reduced to 19 

active divisions, with a lotill 

active duty force of 495,000 sold~crs. Two or more drvisional hrieades 

November I997 Grgit~rrr. d 
Aviation 

Combat Service Support 

Command, Control, Communications, and Computers (C4) 

Ammunition 

Fire Support (includes Artillery) 

Close Combat (includes Armor) 

Air Defense Artillery 

Intelligence and Electronic Warfare 

Other 

MDEP 

Engineer 

I 

TOTAL 100.0 I 

Percent 

00.6 

are located in Europe, Korea, and 

Hawaii; a contingency corps is stationed in the United States for rapid 

deployment; and reinforcing force divisional units are stationed throughout 

the United States. The active force in 

Europe is composed of four brigades, 

two "2-brigade slices" of the respective 

divisions-not two entire divisions. 

Engineers are assigned to each 

division. The third brigade of each 

division is CONUS-based. 

About 76 percent of the engineers 

are in Army Reserve and National 

Guard units. That percentage is roughly 

parallel to the percentage of Reserve 

forces in transportation, quartermaster, 

and ordnance units. These reserve 

forces will deploy with their active 

duty brethern in the event of a real 

shooting war. 

Facts of Life 

orce Emphasis. The continued 

drawdown of the Army-and of 

engineer forces-has created 

some unique problems for future operations that are not intuitively obvious. We have shifted from a forwarddeployed force to a power-projection 

force. Our forces once were planned 

for deployment into mature theaters 

with road, port, rail, and air networks. 

Now they are more likely to deploy 

into austere environments, with Somalia being a prime example. Host 

forces may have limited engineer 

capabilities, and host-nation contractors may also be scarce. We may have 

to fight our way in, ruling out hostnation support altogether. Each of 

these events will impact the engineer 

force's ability to quickly perform its 

mission, which is to support the 

maneuver force. 

Funding. Added to this new fact of 

life is another: Engineers are not being 

modernized at the same rate as some 

other branches-Armor, Infantry, Artillery, and Aviation. A look at the 

research, development, and procurement budget from FY97-FY06 shows 

that the seven separate Engineer and 

Mine Warfare MDEPs (Mine Warfare 

Management Decision Packages) are 

scheduled to receive less than 1 percent 

of the total (see table). That tiny 

amount includes development and 

fielding of both the Grizzly breacher 

and the Wolverine heavy assault 

bridge. The combined research, development, and procurement budgets for 

two systems-the Commanche helicopter (Aviation) and the Crusader cannon (Artillery)-dwarf all other 

development efforts. The Armor 

Branch's armored gun system was successfully progressing through the development process but was killed to 

provide funding to other, higher priority 

systems. It is the first major system to 

suffer that fate but probably will not be 

the last. 

For engineers, the stark reality of too 

many needs competing for too few 

resources means that to be successful 

on the "budget battlefield," we must 

first prove our worth to the Army's 

senior decision makers-who advanced 

primarily from the Infantry, Armor, and 

Artillery Branches-and to the maneuver force we support. 

One impact of this resourceconstrained environment is that the 

Army is currently pursuing a policy 

called "cascading." As new equipment 

is purchased, it goes first to those units 

most likely to use it, primarily Force 

Package 1 (FPI ) units. Force packages 

are based on the "first to fight" principle, with those units most likely to go to 

war first being equipped with the most 

modern, most capable equipment. 

Equipment replaced in FP1 units is 

"cascaded" down to FP2, FP3, and FP4 

units, each in turn. The Army sees this 

as a way of ensuring that the most modern equipment is in the hands of those 

44 Engineer Novemher 1997 
The Combat Engineer Vehicle (CEV) entered manufacture in 1966. It was retired in 1996, except for use in Korea and 

Bosnia. The CEV was never upgraded. The CEV will be replaced in engineer units with the Grizzly breacher, but not 

until 2004. 

When the CEV was fielded, the M60A1 was the Armor Branch state-of-the-art tank. It has been upgraded or 

replaced nine times since 1969, with current state-of-the-art being the M1A2. Two future upgrades are 

being developed. 

November 1997 Engineer 45 
"Simulations and simulators play an ever more important 

role in engineer training and battle planning." 

most likely to use it (i.e., the contingency corps). It also helps ensure that 

our return on the original investment 

increases as lower priority units use 

older, less capable equipment. 

But cascading has some unanticipated impacts. For example, in the field 

of topographic engineering, cascading 

means that as engineer units receive the 

latest digital terrain-portrayal equipment, they must remain capable of supporting lower-priority units as well. It 

does no good to have the most complete digital terrain data in the world if 

you cannot pass that information to a 

supported FP3 unit. That unit will need 

paper maps and terrain products long 

into the future, which means that topographic engineers must maintain multiple capabilities in both equipment and 

personnel. 

This burden may be partly rectified 

by a political fact of life. Both the 

Army Reserve and the National Guard 

have some clout in Congress. Their 

backers have dedicated funds for certain equipment buys that cannot be 

afforded by the active forces. For 

example, in the sustainment engineering construction area, Reserve forces 

often have newer equipment than 

active duty units, which have a 

low priority for new construction 

equipment. 

In some instances, active forces 

have taken advantage of this phenomenon by tacking their requirements onto 

Reserve buys, thus lowering the overall 

price of each system. As the budget for 

active forces becomes smaller, this 

unusual purchase arrangement probably will increase. 

Goldwater-Nichols. Another fact of 

life Army planners must deal with is the 

Goldwater-Nichols DoD Reorganization 

Act of 1986. All Army table of organization and equipment (TO&E) units now 

are assigned to a joint command, as are 

their Air Force, Navy, and Marine 

counterparts. Goldwater-Nichols forced 

the military services to think "joint." 

An outcome of "jointness" is the 

introduction of multiservice training at 

Fort Leonard Wood. Engineers and 

truck drivers from all four services 

receive part of their instruction here. In 

turn, we send Army engineers to Navy 

and Air Force facilities to learn other 

specialties. 

The emphasis on jointness has carried over into materiel and doctrine 

development. Where possible, joint 

development efforts save time, duplication, and dollars. They also add to the 

interoperability of equipment among the 

four services and even with our allies. 

The future will include more joint training, perhaps at the National Training 

Center (NTC) or other locations. 

Simulated Training. Simulations 

and simulators play an ever more important role in engineer training and battle 

planning. What we can simulate, we can 

"experience" to a near-real level of 

intensity without the cost associated 

with on-the-ground training operations. 

Both of the major new engineer systems 

under development, the Grizzly 

breacher and the Wolverine heavy 

assault bridge, are being developed with 

embedded simulator technology. Other 

systems will follow their lead. 

Battle simulations are equally 

important. Historically, these high-tech 

computer games have not played engineer missions or have played them 

badly. New computer games bring 

engineer realities and dynamic environmental effects to the screen. What takes 

two hours to complete in the real world 

will take approximately the same 

amount of gaming time on the screen. 

Practicing Engineer Skills. The 

need to practice all necessary engineer 

skills during live simulations is increasing, with those performed at the NTC 

being a prime example. One reason 

bridging the Sava River in Bosnia took 

so long is that river crossings are seldom 

practiced at the unit level, even at the 

NTC. In Bosnia, bridging was a seldomtested skill for everyone involved. Only 

the Americans would attempt to cross 

the Sava in the winter under flood conditions, but our relative inexperience 

increased the time and resources 

needed to accomplish the mission. 

Conclusion 

w arfighters of the maneuver 

force like to talk about being 

at the very end of the "pointy 

stick," and they are certainly out there 

in harm's way. But in reality the soldier 

who is truly at the end of a pointy stick 

is often an engineer, and the pointy 

stick is usually a mine probe. For the 

near future, that situation will not 

change, because cascading will make it 

necessary for engineers to retain their 

current mine-probing skills. 

A significantly reduced budget will 

allow new equipment to be developed 

and fielded, but it will be in too few 

numbers to impact the entire force. 

Much of the force will remain equipped 

with older, less capable equipment, 

which will increase training and maintenance requirements. Although the 

quality of training will improve, tight 

funds may not allow units to receive all 

the training their leaders think is 

required. But when the next war comes 

and the next minefield has to be 

breached, or the next bunker defeated, 

or the next airfield repaired, engineers 

will be called to complete these missions-just as they are today. kt 

MI: Allen is chief of the Productivity 

and Management Division, Directorate 

of Combat Developments, U.S. Army 

Engineer School. He is retired from the 

U.S Army Reserve with 24 years of active 

and reserve duty. MM,: Allen served with 

the 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam and 

with the 1st Infantry Division in Germany. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army 

Command and General Staff College, the 

National Defense University's National 

Security Management course, and the 

Army Management Staff College. 

46 Engineer November 1997 
By Major Thonzas H. Mugness and Major Kenneth W McDonald 

ngineer senior lieutennnts and junior captains who are deciding what 

to do during their "post command" 

years-after company command and 

before a field-grade assignment-have 

many exciting, challenging, professional 

development jobs available to them. But 

perhaps none can rival teaching at the U.S. 

Military Academy at West Point, New 

York. No other assignment offers greater 

educating, training, and mentoring opportunities as well as opportunities for developing technical expertise and experience 

in a relevant engineering field. Most 

importantly, nowhere else offers the 

opportunity to make a more profound 

impact on the future of our Army! 

Successful Leadership 

A ssignments as senior captains and 

junior majors mark the transition 

point for most officers. Lieutenants and captains teach, train, and mentor 

privates and junior noncommissioned 

officers, while field grade leaders teach, 

train, and mentor junior officers. 

The Command and General Staff College (CGSC) selection board recently 

indicated that a successful field grade 

officer should demonstrate the ability to 

deal with abstract concepts; teach and 

coach; communicate effectively; plan, 

organize, and coordinate; lead and work 

with officer groups; check the effectiveness of systems, and understand systems 

and make them work. In addition, they 

should be ethical, concerned with soldiers and their families, and dedicated 

and selfless. 

What better place to hone these abilities than at the single largest commissioning source of our Army's lieutenants? 

Practiced in an arena where subordinates 

(cadets) may be a future Chief of Engineers or other leader in the Corps, these 

leadership skills will make a difference 

for the Army and the nation. 

Dealing With Abstract Concepts. 

Engineer officers on the West Point faculty teach courses in mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering (civil, 

mechanical, systems, and environmental), and relevant liberal arts and appliedscience topics. Instructors are given 

broad guidelines (course objectives) and 

a mission to structure a course to meet 

them. The course director, a title that 

most instructors carry sometime during 

their tour, especially in departments with 

many elective courses, ultimately is 

responsible for structuring lessons to 

accomplish the required mission. Abstract 

concepts (objectives) must be structured in 

a logical, flowing manner and fit into a 40- 

lesson load. The specific approach is usually left to the course director. Engineer 

officers deal with abstract concepts when 

designing courses in wastewater treatment, 

hydraulic design, land-use planning, and 

other critical engineering and appliedscience topics. Planning, organizing, and 

coordinating a semester of instruction is 

similar to organizing a major field exercise: Instructors must forecast for both the 

close battle (daily preparation) and the 

long term (resources, lectures, field trips, 

designs, etc.). 

Teaching and Coaching. The classroom size of about 15 cadets allows time 

for each student to receive personal attention at West Point. Those needing additional help may meet with instructors 

after class or on weekends. Engineer 

officers also teach military skills in 

military-science courses (two-week intercession between semesters) and during 

summer training. Here, teaching and 

coaching in the profession of arms can 

November 1997 Engineer 47 
~nily mnkc n difference in hnw these 

cadets view thclr f~i~urt: employmen!. 

This is the fun part Tor both rhe cadcts 

and the instructors! 

Communicating Effectively. Cornmunicatlon skills, hot11 i~rnl and written, arc 

challen~ed ~gulnrIy. Instnic~nrs not only 

stnicrure 55 minutcr oi'classroum time hut 

also prescnt information to yuunp men and 

wnrnen whn rnay not understand the material and who possess tlifierent level< of 

rnotivnt~on for Ie~rning. In~tn~ctnn must 

nuke d~e materia1 interesting and rt~mulatIng enouglr to meer horlt end? of (he intellectuirl spectrum. Arldittnnal cornrnr~nication tasks include technical writing, professional presentntinns, and 

numerous targels of opportunity which arc 

always ava~lable to the faculty nt West 

pi bin^. such as cumn~~lnity %peaking cnyngcments and cadet cluhs. 

Leading OlIicer Croups. As count 

director, an Instructor nnrnmatly lcnds 

groups nf LIP In 10 oificcn. althou~h some 

groups m:ky he Iar~er. Strucruring n courw 

lo meet academy expeclatronh and determining courw le,~mirig ohjec~~vzs (the 

rnis5icm) and lesson ~>hjcctivo?, [intcrlnediale ohjcctivcs) has mtlitnry pnri~llelc imd 

lurure lcadcrship benefits. Conveying this 

information 10 fcllow lnritructors. somc ol 

whom may hc seninr In rank. helps 

dcvelup thc ability ti, Icad officer ynlups 

Ultim:~tc responsibility for thc ctlursc lics 

with thr: coorsc rlirectur and rcr~irires proficlcncy In tlmc mnnagcmcnt. mlsslon 

focus, and cliplumacy. Ba1;lnctny this 

requirement with tcachinz detnarid?, addtrinnal insrruciion, cnrlel mentoring, ntld 

otlrer extrncz~rriculnr activit~es develops 

skills for F~lture uke rtl the RDL: Arn~y. 

There are hirnilar opporruriit~es to 

work with fellow ol ticers durirlg tl~c wnlmer. Reing n r;tcticnI or trarninp officer 

during c;ldc~ tielcl rrnininy it1 Camp Ruckncr can directly nfi'ccr cndcts' ~niprcsqior~ 

ot he Corps OF Engineers. Cadc~ sophomores train at the engltleer cornn~ittee's 

sapper training site on 3 varie~y nT cnmhnt engineering rnis.sic,ns. Thif is usually 

the iirst time !hat mrxt of thc~c cadet< 

11:rve seen en pincer boIilicrs in i~ction. 

Engineer nlficcrs serving as cnrnmlttcc 

memhcrs. or as comp;my or platoon [rainers, have a great oppomunity lo "sell nur 

branch." Temnn v~siiiiliznrion (Innd navigirrion). dismounted snppcr skills (infantry committee), and mher cnmhnt arms 

skills arc taught a1 other ,sites. Designing 

a site nnrf it3 lriiirting objcc~ives, forecasting rcsource requirernents, and lcnding 

proups uf fellow oFficers in fieId trniriing, 

mentoring, ant1 coaching wit1 pay b~g 

dividends lijr luturc misuionn Warking 

wit11 and lending groups ol cadets in 

combat-related tasks provides a great 

cnvirunmenf for devduping ~huse critical 

field-gmdc skills. 

Moral and Ethical Development 

A t West Point, you may be asked- 

:~lrnost on :I daily basis-about 

dedication. ethics. moralq, and 

philuaophical concerns. Cadets are taught 

and engage in these issties constantly as 

p,w of their developrnenlnl process. The 

cadet honr~r code is a cornersrone oF their 

educat~r>n ;ind nloral development. Wesl 

Pom1 h~culty serve ;IS company Iiimor 

represrnta~ivcs and in the considerationFor-others program. Instructors are chalIcngcd to providc cxmplcs of mural and 

cth~cnl sccnnrios from wh~ch cadets may 

Icnrn. Thi.; provides opportunitics for 

them to ask questions about the "real 

Army." Cadel rli~estions are not lirn~ted to 

I'om:il instruclion periods. Often n clasg 

may begin with "hot" issues that Iead to 

discussiuns oil morality nnd etllics in (he 

ficId Thew opportunities iue a Inryc part 

nf' the ovtrilll character development process fur each catlet. 

Targets of Opportunity 

echnical expertise developed in 

graduate siudtes, cnurse preparalion. and West Point research 

opportunitics !?lls a great need for the 

Arrny and nhc Cnrpq Mimy thcqcx compEcted by Fi1tul.e ZVcs! Pnint instn~crors 

I.VL) dircct links to Army issues nnd 

uf~cn 1Ll till a rcse:ircl~ need for thc niilltary. Thcsc include studlcs and Irlqtructlon in fields such as constnrction, 

cun~tmcf iun rnanngcmcnt, cnvlronrnental cn~inccrinp, c~vil and rncchsnical 

cnp~necring, land-use planning. water 

resoirrcc management, hazardous-wastc 

manapcmcnl. dm stability. and coastal 

cngineer~ng. Many instructors schedule 

nhe Prnfcssional Engineer Examination 

during thcir awignmen~ at West Point, 

since [hey are likely to he hcttor prcpnred 

fur it there than at any otlicr time in their 

career. Passing this exam enhances an 

engineer's crcdihi t~ty in future Corps 

asslgnmcnts. 

Supportive Data 

he autllors conducted a survey uf 

stlldents froin IIIL' Cla~ 01' 201)O 10 

idcntify the impr~rtiince nnd rolu of 

rotating junior military fncirlty in regard 

to tntlucncing cadcts. The s~inlcy indicntcd tllnz 47 pcrccnt OF thc 1 ,Ud2 carlcls 

surveyed thouyht the juninr P~culty had 

the most positive influence on them. The 

rcmnining 53 pcrccnt wcrc split hctween 

four url~er categories. Of the cadets surveyed, 90 percent indicated (hat WCLI 

Poinl provided thc type of rll'ticerr lhe 

cadcts wnnlcd to cmulate. An nmilzlng 8h 

percent ot 1t1e cadets indica~ed that tlic 

military raculry were !he grc;ilcst influence in [heir decision-making process fur 

branch selection. Thcsc results indic~~te ir 

nccd [or the bc~t officers in the Amy 

to go to West Point, so they cnn mike it 

d~ffrrence in the Iives of future Army 

officers. 

The Rottorn Line 

hc leadership of hiyh-quai ily cnpnccr officers at Wcst Pninl ha< ;\ 

tremendous impact Lruroas [he 

ac,~derny's wide spectrum nl iictivilies. 

Mcnroring fiirure Icaders in the role nnrl 

importance of cnpneers nn the hattlcfield 

occurs i!,lily-hot11 in and out of IW 

clnssroorn. We nccd our hcst, most motivated oficcrs to convey 3 positive nlessage lo young cadets who are thinking 

ahout the Amiy and rhcir fi~t~irc in it. Thc 

ci~alltn~e if a great one. The rewnrdsboth pennnafly and prot'escinnally-arv 

irnrnea.;i~r~hle, Mil;tke n difference1 w 

Mcljor ;Clngrlrss is cltrc~~clit~g ~tte Cn~rrtll(~fld t11ld GP!IP rtl1 x?li ff ct>//c'<ct. H&' \!'61.Y 

prcvin~isly (111 ~IISI~IICICIT (~II('~C,ORILIJJIII' arid 

ctn~imtintentml erl~ir~crrin~y g.ir rhe USMA. 

ICfA J ikfc~,ynet.s imldr n rllrr.t;p r.'.~ dcj.4v-r~ ill 

~,t~rirotin~critc~l et~gitteerit~,y frot~~ fh~, Utii- 

\UP r.rih8 n f E,.rcis nr~d is (I rr,6~istercd pmfcssio!~i~l ~~~~~git~tvpr it1 Vtr,q iri ill, 

Major McDot~olcl is rrrt as.rivt~r~lr ,vrr)- 

Jr,rsnr clf RPORTCI~IIJ' LEI IIIC USMA. He 

hrrlrls rrtnvrer's dt',rrt,~.s irt ,~eo~rq~lr~* nrrcl 

it1 cify nrrd n:yic~rinl plorir~irrx frr>rir IK,PIerr! KtvrtltrA~v U~~i\-crsity [rrlrl is rr rexisr~~rri! ~~tvji~.v.~iotid t*~gittecr i/i Vi~:q~r~icl 

rtrtd Wvontin 4. 

48 Engineer 
Engineer Professional Bulletin 

Readership Survey 

PURPOSE: To better serve the needs of our readers across the Department of Defense, the Engineer 

staff request that you respond to the following questions. The information will be used lo guide the content and format of future magazines. Due to budget reductions, we may reduce the number of paper copies published and rely mare on electronic distribution, but meeting your needs remains our first priority. 

Your response will help determine our publication requirements. 

To add your unit to Engineer's mail list, provide the complete military address at the end of the survey. 

Engineer is free of charge to military units. 

Service: Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps 

Name 

Commercial Phone No. 

Fax No. 

E-mail Address 

1. How many issues of Engineer have you seen in the past year? 

d. 4 

e. None (Go to Questions 8-10) 

2. How much of each issue do you read? 

a. All or almost all c. About one-fourth 

b. More than one-half d. Very little 

For Questions 3.4, and 5 use the following rating scale: (A=Excellent, B=Very Good, 

C=Good, D=Fair, E=Poor). 

3. Rate the following departments for the value of information they provide. 

a. Clear the Way ABCDE 

b. Bridge the Gap ABCDE 

c. Personal Viewpoint ABCDE 

d. CTC Notes ABCDE 

e. Past in Review ABCDE 

f. Engineer Update ABCDE 

g. Problem/Solution ABCDE 

h. Book Review ABCDE 

November 1997 Engineer 49 
4. How do you rate the feature articles for their usefulness in your engineering duties andlor 

professional development? A B C D E 

5. Overall, how do you rate Engineer? A B C D E 

6. 1 would like to see more information on (select as many as appropriate): 

a. Highly technical engineering subjects 

b. Officer and NCO professional development 

c. Field operations 

d. Doctrine and equipment development 

e. Other: 

7. After reading Engineer, I usually: 

a. Keep the issue for later reference 

b. Make copies of articles for reference and pass it on 

c. Pass it to someone else 

d. Throw it away 

8. Do you have access to the lnternet and the Engineer School's home page? (address 

is http://www.wood.army.mil) 

YES 

NO 

9. Do you have capability to download information from Engineer? 

YES 

NO - WHY 

10. Do you have capability to print information of adequate quality from lnternet? 

YES - 

NO WHY 

11. How frequently do you read Eng~neeron the lnternet? 

a. Quarterly, as Published b. Search for Specific Topics c. Browse 

Additional Comments/Suggestions: 

Please return completed surveys to: Engineer Professional Bulletin, Directorate of Training and Doctrine. 

320 Engineer Loop, Suite 370, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri 65473-8929. 

Engineer 50 November 1997 
- 

I ENGINEER UPDATE 

Commercial numbers are (573) 563-xxxx and Defense System 

Network (DSN) numbers are 676-xxxx unless otherwise noted. 

Monthly DOT Notes Newsletter. Engineer leaders now can subscribe to DOT Directorate of Training (DOT) 

Notes, a monthly newsletter from the Director of Training. DOT Notes will improve 

communication between the Engineer School and field personnel byInforming leaders of issues concerning doctrine, training, leadership, and personnel proponency. 

Informing leaders of changes to the Fort Leonard Wood home page. 

Soliciting comments and feedback on issues and publications. 

The first issue of DOT Notes was sent via e-mail to about 60 battalion and 

brigade commanders in June. Request your assistance to expand the subscriber 

list to all engineer leaders. To subscribe to this valuable new service, e-mail the 

following information (in the sequence shown) to Jim Evans at 

evansjQ wood.army.mil. 

- Location (state or country) 

- Component 

- Unit 

- Position in unit 

- Rank 

- Name 

POC is Jim Evans, -6197. 

Postal Address Changes. New postal regulations require that all bulk mail be Department of Training and 

Doctrine Development (DOTD) addressed with 9-digit ZIP codes. To update our mail list, we request everyone 

check the address on the envelope containing this magazine and provide us a 

corrected military mailing address. All military unit addresses (including APO and 

FPO addresses) must include a U.S. Post Office-approved street address and full 

9-digit ZIP code (ZIP plus 4). To update your address, send us both the OLD and 

NEW addresses (see form on page 42). POC is Catherine Eubanks, -4104. 

Field Manuals (FMs) Distributed. The following publications are scheduled 

for distribution: 

- FM 90-13, River-Crossing Operations, will be distributed 2d quarter FY98. 

This manual describes how divisions and brigades conduct river crossings. It 

shows the relationship to corps operations, where appropriate, and includes 

details for lower echelons to support the brigades. 

- Change 1 to FM 5-71-2, Armored Task-Force Engineer Combat Operations 

and Change 1 to FM 5-71-3, Brigade Engineer Combat Operations (Armored), are 

scheduled for distribution in November. These changes update the format for the 

engineer annex to the maneuver operations order (OPORD) and the engineer unit 

OPORD to comply with the revised FM 101-5. The most significant change is in 

the engineer unit OPORD. The scheme of engineer operations (SOEO) has been 

moved from paragraph 3 to paragraph 1. The SOEO is replaced in paragraph 3 by 

a concept of operations paragraph. This change allows engineer commanders to 

fully explain how their unit will accomplish its mission, especially in offensive 

operations in which the engineer commander is the breach force commander. 

These manuals are on the Engineer School's Publications Page on the World Wide 

Web: http://www.wood.army.mil/DDD/PUBS/pubs.htm. POC is Lucius Warrick, -401 5. 

November 1997 Engineer 51 
Staffing of Draft Publications. The following publications are staffed for 

review: 

- FM 20-3. The draft revision of FM 20-3, Camouflage, Concealment, and 

Deception, will be staffed to the field for comment using a combination of disk 

copies and the Internet. The draft is currently posted on the Engineer 

School's Publications Page (address previously given) with a suspense date 

of 28 February 98. POC is CPT Joe Birchmeier, -4015. 

- FM 5-434. The draft revision of FM 5-434, Earthmoving Operations, is 

scheduled for distribution and posting to the Engineer School's Publications 

Page in December. POC is Lucius Warrick, -401 5. 

Engineer Personnel Proponency ltschner Award and Sturgis Medal. It's time for engineer companies to 

Office (EPPO) focus on the past year's achievements and prepare submissions for the 1997 

ltschner Award and Sturgis Medal. These submissions reflect the culmination 

of a year of hard work for the company and the selected NCO. Submissions 

are due at Fort Leonard Wood by 10 February 98. The best submissions 

from an engineer company and an engineer NCO from each major Army 

command will be selected in April. Each unit should consider its own time line 

and plan from that point. Information on the composition of both the ltschner 

and Sturgis nominating books are in Fort Leonard Wood (FLW) PAM 672-1, 

dated 11 March 96. A winning ltschner book is described in an article 

published in the August 1995 issue of Engineer (page 49.) POC is SGM John 

Murphy, -4087. 

New Grizzly Award. The Grizzly, a new award sponsored by the Army 

Engineer Association, recognizes outstanding contributions to military 

engineering, as demonstrated by technical and leadership expertise. The 

Grizzly Award is offered annually to an engineer platoon leader in each Army 

component (Active, Reserve, and National Guard). Selection criteria and 

nominating procedures for the Grizzly Award are the same as those for the 

Sturgis Medal, as described in FLW PAM 672-1. The deadline for submitting 

nominations to the Engineer School is 10 February 98. POC is SGM John 

Murphy, -4087. 

Department of Tactics, Leadership, Terrain Visualization instructional CD-ROM. The first version of an 

and Engineering (DTLE) instructional CD-ROM created to help professional engineers become more 

effective terrain experts is being distributed to engineer units in November. 

Titled Terrain Visualization, the CD-ROM provides tutorials to guide soldiers 

through the important terrain issues, map information, and digital 

requirements of Army XXI. Included are a gallery of terrain visualization 

products, points of contact at the Engineer School, and a copy of the latest 

Terrabase II program with several sets of elevation data and imagery. The 

Terrabase II software program is designed to give staff officers and leaders at 

brigade level and below a simple yet powerful terrain visualization tool. 

Instructions for operating the Terrain Visualization CD-ROM and Terrabase II 

are provided. If your unit does not receive the CD ROM, call CPT Wendell 

Stevens or Mark Adams at -413414123, 

Cover of CD-ROM 

52 Engineer November 1997 
Lead the Way 

By Command Sergeant Major Robert M, Dils 

- U.S. Army Engineer-School 

G reetings from your Engineer Center! Much has Since arriving at Fort Leonard Wood, t have visited 

happened since CSM Julius Nutter and I our NCO Academy, the Drill Sergeant School, and 

transitioned this summer, and many of the many of the training units on post. My intent was to see 

issues that have surfaced will impact non- firsthand if we have the proper foundations to train 

commissioned officers (NCOs) throughout our great America's sons and daughters. I was very favorably 

regiment, CSM Nutter is a consummate professional impressed by what I found. Our nation's most precious 

command sergeant major, who always has the right resource could not be in better hands. Our institutions 

answer to every problem and situation. The Engineer are sound and vibrant, and they are producing the finest 

Regiment will miss him, and we wish him weH in NCOs to train America's finest soldiers. Our foundations 

his new career. I will do my best to follow his great are rock steady. 

lead. So what can we do to heal the wound? Nearly three 

For the past few months, there have been months ago our new commanding -general, MG 

Sensational stories in the news media about sexual Flowers, jumped on this problem with both feet, and Iharassment and the courts-martial at several posts, was right with him. First, he -spoke with every drill 

including Fort Leonard Wood. A very small number of sergeant on post to allay fears; dispel rumors, and 

the nearly 500,000 soldiers on active duty chose to express his personal confidence and trust in all of 

violate a sacred trust, and now those we serve and them. Next, he tasked each drill sergeant to write him 

protect are having doubts about our Army. All of our a letter stating how-to improve our post. The ideas - 

victories, accomplishments, and sacrifices are and concerns expressed in more than 400 letters 

overshadowed and somehow tainted. Good soldiers were distilled into 30 issues. Process Action Teams 

working hard in Macedonia, Namibia, and Laos pass (PATS), made up of NCOs, have considered these 

unnoticed white headlines focus on the criminal issues, -developed . solutions, and recommended 

misconduct of a few. This sickens me. Now, 1 want to -changes. As I write this article; the change-s are being 

devote the rest of-this article to what we have done and implemented to hone and fine-tune our post to better 

plan to do to improve our great Army and the Engineer serve our Army. In future articles I wilt address some 

Regiment. of the specific changes-we are making and highlight 

The Army has defined what constitutes sexual our successes. 

harrassment. A simple test for appropriate behavior is I will close on an up-note and express a friendly 

to treat every soldier as if you are in public in front of .challenge to our fellow -combatTarms NCOs. It is a 

your mother andfather. Woutd your parents be proud of pleasure to recognize the unique accomplishment of an 

you? The best policy is €0 make certain they always are. - outstanding engineer, CSM Harold Montgomery, who 

Treat every soldier with the respect the uniform was recently chosen to-be command sergeant major for 

demands; and all forms of harassment and -dis- the 1st ID. Hooah! He is the first Bngineer NCO I can 

crimination will vanish. Those guilty of misconduct have recall to receivesuch an honor and vote ofconfidence. 

been punished, and now we must heal ourselves and So, to all other combat-arms branches, be warned. 

get on with the inission. . Engineers are leading the way.. 

- - 

Your Engineer Center Army 10-Miier Masters' Team was first again-three years in a row. Hooah!