Personal Viewpoint 

TRAINING SAFETY 


By Lieutenant ColonelRobert J. Greenwalt, Jr. 

The Army has built an enormous safety edifice to ensure 

that we train safely, but we have 

missed the essential point -we must 

design our procedures and train our 

soldiers to be safe. The following 

conversation, a true story, illustrates 

what I mean: 

The Commander asks, "Why 

can't we draw M-173 projected line 

charges for training at Hohenfels?" 

The S-3 replies, "They have been 

designated restricted, war reserve 

only, because they are unreliable 

and unsafe for training." 

Unreliable and unsafe? Use for 

war only? Why is it acceptable to 

use a munition when conducting a 

breach in combat that is too unreliable to use in training? 

Every so often, an accident occurs in training. In response to 

tragedy, the Army examines itself to 

ensure that 'safety' is adequately emphasized. We give briefmgs, write 

safety into LO1 and OPORDS, appoint safety officers and safety 

NCOs, restrict training to avoid 

known dangers, and investigate, investigate accidents. If too many accidents are associated with some training (such as swimming M113s), we 

stop the trainimg. With aU this, we 

haven't done anything to improve 

the safety of the force! 

Many of today's safety programs 

promote peacetime risk avoidance, 

not safety. They either prohibit critical training or add an artificial step 

(such as rodding weapons on live 

fue ranges) that doesn't make sense 

for combat. We must change this. 

Safety is as important in combat as 

it is in training. Losing a soldier to 

an accident in combat is just as intolerable as losing one in peacetime, 

and the lost soldier may be critical 

to mission success. Combat is not 

an excuse to discard overly restrictive rules. We should fvr the rules 

long before combat. A few areas 

that need fixing follow. 

Weapons. Army weapon safety 

procedures are designed to avoid accidents on highly controlled ranges. 

They are not designed to teach safe 

use of weapons. Where does a soldier develop the proper reflexes 

with his weapon to ensure others 

are not endangered? 

Units in Vietnam developed a 

fairly standard set of procedures for 

weapon safety within perimeters. 

We need to rediscover and add to 

them. Specific procedures for 

mounting and dismounting vehicles, 

crossing fences, moving in dismounted formations, and entering 

secured areas are essential. We owe 

it to our soldiers to teach them 

when they should load, chamber a 

round, unload, and clear their weapons. We must develop rules and 

drill our soldiers repeatedly if they 

are to carry weapons safely. 

Soldiers must be trained to realize they carry lethal instruments 

when they carry rifles. Each soldier 

should receive blank rounds every 

time he is issued a weapon. He 

should be required to treat blanks 

as live ammunition and follow correct handling procedures, so they 

become habits. Any unauthorized 

discharge of a tire arm, whether 

with live or blank ammunition, is a 

serious problem that should be followed by an investigation and appropriate disciplinary action. 

Weapon safety is an individual 

responsibility. If we take this responsibity away from the soldier during 

training and give it to a safety NCO 

or officer, our training has generated a less safe environment. Supervision is only the fmal check, not 

the entire program. 

Demolitions. "Never carry blasting caps and explosives on the same 

vehicle." Then how does a squad execute a target? Why do we teach 

this? If caps and explosives are so 

dangerous, how can primers and 

main-gun rounds, or projectiles and 

fuses, share the same carriers? 

What happens if the detonator on a 

TOW missile, Dragon, AT4, or 40 

mm grenade is hit? Why do we 

prescribe rules for high explosives 

that we don't follow for other 

military munitions? 

Blasting caps will detonate if subjected to heat or shock. The sensitive explosive is slightly larger than 

a kitchen match head. The loose 

cap is hazardous because it can be 

dropped, bumped, or stepped on. 

When the cap is used to prime a 

block of C4, however, it is protected 

(plastic explosive cushions the cap). 

It is no more sensitive than the 

primers in the cartridges carried by 

the soldier, or the detonator in a 

fragmentation grenade. The probability of a bullet striking it is small. 

The great hazard is a soldier on 

the battlefield hastily crimping caps 

and priming charges. He may drop 

them, step on them, bang them into 

things, or inadequately fit them to 

fuses, thereby risking misfues. 

There is little hazard of accidental 

detonation of a prepared charge carried by the soldier. We must adopt 

the safe procedure of carefully 

preparing and inspecting charges in 

the assembly area. These prepared 

charges can then be carried on the 

(Continued on page 33) 
UNITED STATES ARMY 

ENGINEER CENTER AND FEATURES 

FORT LEONARD WOOD 

4 Engineer Operations Short of War 

by Lieutenant Colonel Philip M. Jones 

COMMANDER/COMMANDANT 12 The Engineer Officer as Battalion S-2 

Major General Daniel R. Schroeder by Major Charles L. Toomey 

16 Leadership and Quality Construction 

by Major Edward Hayes and First Lieutenant Terry Wendt 

20 Rese~eAdvanced Course Restructured for Flexibility MANAGING EDITOR by Lieutenant Colonel Charles A. Doll 

Catherine Eubanks 

22 Rocks Over Troubled Waters: A Floating Road for Tanks 

FEATURES EDITOR by Captain Gary D. Pease 

Phillip R. Howell, Jr. 

26 The Cold, Hard Facts on Classifying Ice 

DESIGNERS by Captain Chris Sultemeier 

Beatrice McDonald 30 Dust Initiators: Getting a Charge out of Flour Jennifer C. Boiyard by First Lieutenant David N.Flint 

35 Su~i~ability and the Tank Platoon Defense 

by First Lieutenant Kevin Keaveny 

By Order of the Secretary of the Army: 

CARL E. VUONO 

General, United States Army 

Chief of Staff 

Official: DEPARTMENTS 

WiLLlAM J. MEEHAN II Inside Front Cover: Personal Viewpoint 

Brigadier General, United States Army 2 Clear the Way 34 Engineer Problem 

3 Bridge the Gap 44 Engineer Solution 

21 Engineer Safety 49 Past in Review 

Cover drawing by Tom Conway 

ENGINEER PSSN 024518893) k pnpared quano* by the U.S. Army Enginwr sxpanrs. exp& am those of the auhot and do nd n-ly nu& mom-

&h-I. Am: ATSE-TDKP. Fon LamWood. MO 85473885C. Sssond Clar. cid /\rmy w TRm pxnlona, nor doe. the contern charge or au-e Infowtqs Is paid d FO~hmrd ~md.MO. and addBond mailing offices. Uon In olhw o(RcW Army publlutionr. ENGINEER r-m the dght to edR maf.rlal. 

POSTMASTER. Ssnd addm changa to ENGINEER, the Profassland Bulintn for CONTENT is not copyrighted. Matsdd may be npdnted n ~Rdnis gwn lo 

h y Engineam. ATM ATSE-TOM+, Fon LlPnsld Wmd. MO 654736850. ENGINEER& me author. 

CORRESPONDENCE, lottam to tha edltor, manuud~, photqlraphr, omsld unn OFFICIAL DISrr(1BUnON k lqdgdsd to dl enginnr and enginwr-related unnp mussto to rscsim mplw, and unit address changes ohould be ssnt M ENGINEER, PERSONAl SUBSCRIPWNS m amitable by mntading the Supodntendent d 

ai the precsding addre*. Telephone: (314) 3Bk1212, AV 581-1212. Documants. Am Chief. WI Ult Branch, Bop SSOM. Warhington. DC 20402. AdDISCLIUMER: ENGINEER PlOSOM8 pl0fe~~tO"ai lnlonndion dnlgned to keep d,- Chmga. for pamd sukd~ttonshould dso be sent 10 the Supsrintsndenf d 

Anny engineen ldormed of currant and emerging dWlopmDn1S wllhln their amsp of Documents. 

Comblned Issue PB 5-89-314 is the final bulletin for 1989. 

We expect to return to a quanerly schedule lor 1990. 

Engineer I 
By Major General Daniel R. Schroeder, 

Commandant, U.S. Army Engineer School 

The history of Army engineers demonstrates a clear 

tradition of excellence and high standards. In the coming years, the Engineer Center and School will continue its momentum of being a leader among military 

training instiiutions. 

Our business Is to prepare for war and be the architects of future engineer forces. The areas we address are doctrine, equipment, structure, trainlng, and 

leader development. 

Doctrine is the pacesetter for what we do. The Engineer Center is the proponent for the development of 

engineer doctrine that supports the Army's AirLand 

Battle operations. 

Our approach to doctrine development must be integrated vertically and horizontally. It must consider 

the threat as it exists today, as well as the emerging 

technologies of both our own forces and those of 

potential adversaries. 

Our perspective must be that of the combined arms 

team. As we develop doctrinal literature, we are ensuring that it is well integrated with that of the other combat arms-and represents the appropriate role of engineers within the combined arms team. 

The combat developments process, based on that 

doctrine, must be long range and attuned to technology. And it must be holistic in terms of the role our 

developments wili play on the AirLand Battlefield. 

Force design flows from our doctrine. Our force 

design efforts include manpower and personnel information (MANPRINT) to enhance our warfighting 

capabilities. We will equip the soldier-not man the 

equipment. Our design process is forward-looking, 

That is, looking well into the next century for the 

needs of our soidiers. 

So, from the Engineer Center's first three areasdoctrine, combat developments, and force designflows the fourth and real-time mlssion: training. 

Training is chain-of-command buslness. It must be 

consistent with our doctrine and Incorporated into the 

life cycle development of equipment and structure. At 

the Engineer Center, we will provide the full spectrum 

of training for soldiers of ail grades-from basic 

trainees through pre-command instruction for 

colonels. 

Our objective is to prepare individuals to be technically proficient and tactically competent. In all cases, 

we will provide tough and challenging training-to 

standards. And more training wili take place in the 

field under operational conditions. 

One of the outstanding features of our training 

program Is the integration of training activiiies among 

engineer students. An example is having officer, NCO, 

and initial entry students all training on the same 

event or task. We are now working to integrate 

BNCOC and AIT events, and we are plannlng the integration of officers, NCOs and new soldiers. That will 

be the foundation for leader development. 

To paraphrase an old axiom, "the more sweat we 

lose in training, the less blood we lose in battle." A 

quality force comes from solid, tough training-supported by the three tiers doctrine, combat developments, and force design. 

The engineer's central role on the battlefield is well 

recognized by our colleagues in arms. As we enter 

the last decade of the 20th century, we must maintain 

our focus on tough, realistic training to standards. 

And we must train on those tasks derived from the 

Mission Essential Task List of the supported command. The quality of engineer soidiers is high and will 

continue at those unprecedented levels if we provide 

the motivation and inspiration of good training. FM 25-

100 is there: it is being institutionalized throughout the 

force and provides the needed principles and 

doctrine. 

2 Engineer 
BRIDGE THE GAP 

By Command Sergeant Major W. E.Woodall, 

Commandant. Libby Noncommissioned Officer Academy 

One of the most important things you can do for 

your military career is to attend every school and 

course that you can. 

Civilian and military schooling both provide the 

promotion points needed for career advancement. 

Technical and college courses and degrees add 

points and expand your personal and professional 

knowledge. The Army's correspondence program allows you to take courses in most military subjects 

without having to attend school. These courses make 

it easy to add promotion points or a completion certificate to your file, and the work can be completed at 

your leisure. 

Today, with promotion tied to attendance at certain 

schools, you must make the system work. No longer 

can you sit back and assume the best soldiers from 

your branch will be selected to attend a school or that 

your name will be on the list. Your records must be 

competitive with those of the next soldier's. Otherwise, he will get the schools and stripes, not you. 

Army leadership designated this the "Year of the 

NCO," and everything dealing with noncommissioned 

officers-schooling, promotion system, and leadership responsibilities-have come under scrutiny. On 1 

August, as part of this year's activities, we dedicated 

the NCO Academy to SGT George Libby, an outstanding engineer soldier who gave his life in Korea. 

We have looked at the way we train soldiers at the 

NCO Academy, from basic and MOS-producing courses to the drill sergeant and leadership courses. We 

have tried to determine if there are some things we 

can do better, more efficiently, or to Improve the 

quality of our training. 

We have tightened entrance standards to ensure 

that only individuals who meet prescribed criteria attend classes. This will help reduce attrition rates because only those soldiers with the necessary 

knowledge, technical skills, and drive to succeed will 

be enrolled. 

There are still some individuals who do not make it 

through a prescribed course because of ,academic, 

physical fitness, or personal reasons. Usually a drop 

from a course means a soldier failed in his responsibility to himself. He or she did not keep physically fit 

or keep up with required technical skills. 

I believe that our Noncommissioned Officers 

Academy is one of the best in the Army. Our Instructors are motivated, and each has a thorough understanding of the subject matter and the ability to instruct technical material. 

Fort Leonard Wood's physical environment is 

another reason why our school has an excellent 

reputation. The 63.000 acres of land that make up the 

installation provide an opportunity to give students 

more hands-on time and actual field experience than 

most other schools can. Soldiers practice leadership 

skills in a tactical setting Instead of "leading" in a garrison or class setting. 

The school's reputation for excellence began In 

1964, when it was established by the Fifth Army. 

Staffed by officers and NCOs, the first courses taught 

at the Fort Leonard Wood Noncommissioned Officers 

Academy were the Basic Corilbat Training, Leaders 

Orientation Course, Leader Preparation Course, and 

the Drill Sergeant Course. A Basic Leaders Course 

was added 7 years later. 

As the Army changed during the 1960s and 1970s, 

the school kept pace; in 1973, it was renamed the 

U.S. Army Noncommissioned Officers Academy and 

Drill Sergeant School. Courses were changed, and an 

Instructor Training Course, Drill Corporal Program, 

and Primary Leadership Course were added. 

The most important change, however, was the 

move to an all NCO staff with a command sergeant 

major as the commandant. In 1986, a change by then 

TRADOC commander GEN Carl E. Vuono, put the 

NCO academies directly under the command and control of the post commanding general and sergeant 

major. 

When Fort Leonard Wood officially became the 

U.S. Army Engineer Center in 1987, we added training 

for several NCO courses, including the Advanced 

NCO Course (ANCOC). 

Today we conduct three ANCOC, 14 BNCOC, and 

courses In Primary Leadership Development, Instructor Training, Initial Entry Training Cadre Training, and 

Drill Sergeant Training. 

Our future is bright and promising, but we must 

continue to progress. We must constantly update our 

programs of Instruction to ensure that we provide the 

best training possible and to keep pace with today's 

rapidly evolving Army. What works today is obsolete 

tomorrow. We must all look for new ways to accomplish the job. 

Engineer 3 
ENGINEER OPERATIONS 


By Lieutenant Colonel Philip M.Jones 

"When we are talking about insurgency at this end 

of the spectrum (low intensity conflict), the engineer 

is no longer a combat support entity. He becomes, in 

effect, a maneuver element ...the engineer is a 

fundamental element of the strategy ..." 

General Fred Woerner 

Former CINCSOUTH 

4 Engineer 
SHORT OF WAR 


ow intensity conflict (LIC) 

demands the application 

of unconventional force options by military commanders. And 

the formula for success is not an 

easy one. 

In today's complex world, military 

resources must be closely coordinated with the political, economic, 

psychological and social instruments 

of national power? 

The employment of Army engineers in "operations short of war" 

is an excellent force option for the 

military wmmander fighting in the 

low-intensity, high-probability quadrant of the conflict spectrum, as 

shown in Figure 1. Engineers can 

give the wmmander a distinct advantage by providing a non-threatening force presence which contributes to the economic and social 

well-being of the host nation. In 

turn, this provides psychological 

benefits for both the U.S. and its 

allies. 

In order for short-of-war engineer operations to have the 

desired impact, they must be wellplanned, coordinated, and executed. 

Unfortunately, no written doctrine exists for the employment of 

engineers in operations short of 

war. However, sig&cant experience has been gained in this 

decade through our deployments to 

Central and South America. We 

need only to capitalize on that experience to develop consistently 

sound operating standards for the 

future. This article is intended to 

provide some fundamentals on how Mission Selection Criteria 

to employ engineers in operations 

short of war. It addresses mission Political considerations have a sigselection and type, organization for nificant impact on short-of-war misshort-of-war operations, and the sions, and mission viability should 

employment of engineer task forces. be judged by four selection criteria. 

It also highlights some existing force Fist, the mission should support 

structure problems. the long-range strategy for a region 

The principles included here ap- or country. Such strategies are norply to small unit deployments for mally developed at the unif~ed corntraining, major engineer exercises mand level. 

for training, military construction Next, the mission must be 

projects, and security assistance synchronized with "country team" 

actions. objectives. Such teams, staffed by 

FORCE OPTIONS 

I

I SECURITY ASSISTANCE 


MEDICAL 


ENGINEER 


COMBINED EXERCISE 


MILITARY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS 


INS FORCE 

A+' 

IEUVER 

IE SUPPORT 

OMBAT SUPPORT/ 

COMBAT SERVICE SUPPORT 

LOW INTE MID INI ~NSIIY NUCI

-

LEAR WAR 

CONFLICT SPEC1'RUM 

"WAR FOR MORAL LEGITIMACY" 

Engineers in LIC: 

Reinforce link 

between government 

and people 

PEOPLE 

GOVERNMENT 

Democratic Institutions 

professlonal military 

U.S.embassy personnel in the host 

nation, formulate and direct American strategies and programs within 

the country. For instance, if one of 

the country team's goals is to improve the host nation's engineering 

capabilities, any mission for U.S. engineers should include the participation of host nation military engineer 

elements. 

Thirdly, missions must support a 

host nation development plan, or national internal defense needs. Ideally, missions should be able to do 

both, i.e., the construction of a road 

that opens new markets to rural 

farmers also links key military 

regions. 

Finally, any mission should reinforce government-to-people programs. In this context, engineer missions are used as a tool to help win 

the "war for moral ~egitimac~."~ By 

their very nature, almost all engineer projects do this to one degree or another because they show 

the government's concern with raising the standard of living for its 

people (Figure 2). 

economic situation 

INSURGENTS 

r

I 

Infrastructure 

communications 

Prevents lnsurgents lrom establishing 

popular support base I 

Provide combat multipller to defeat 

insurgents in armed combat 

Figure 2 

Mission Types 

Missions that meet the criteria 

described above generally fall into 

three categories-nation building 

(or infrastructure development), 

civic action, and disaster relief. 

Nation-building missions include 

construction and upgrading of roads 

and bridges, airfields, and port facilities. These have also been termed 

"developmental civic a~tions."~ 

A second mission category is engineer civic action (also called 

"mitigating civic action"). NormaUy 

these missions are vertical construction projects such as construction 

and upgrade of community centers, 

schools, or health clinics. These 

civic action missions should be 

selected based on their benefit to 

the community as a whole. Care 

must be taken to ensure that 

projects do not benefit one group 

or geographical area at the expense 

of another, i.e., repairiig a Catholic 

church but not a Protestant church. 

WeU drilling and construction of 

potable water systems fit the civic 

action category and have tremendous value in underdeveloped 

regions. Knowledgeable medical 

authorities indicate that one-half to 

three-quarters of all chronic health 

problems in these areas are caused 

by a lack of clean water supplies? 

Such beneficial civic action missions 

support the government-to-people 

concept, and they can be conducted 

to compliment nation-building ao 

tivities or as stand-alone projects. 

A third category of engineer missions for short-of-war operations is 

disaster relief. Clearly, one of the 

most highly visible indicators of 

government competence is the 

abiity to respond effectively to &isaster or crisis. Accordingly, this 

ability to respond becomes an important aspect of "moral legitimacy." Equally clear is the need 

for engineers to respond quickly in 

a natural disaster. Since these operations are somewhat unique and 

situation-dependent, this article 

does not address them. We will 

focus only on the nation-building 

and civic action categories. 
Organization 

Once a mission is selected, a task 

force must be specifically designed 

to meet the mission requirements. 

Engineer units will provide the 

nucleus of that task force, with a 

mix of horizontal and vertical elements based on the projected tasks. 

The horizontal element is normally formed from a combat heavy battalion or combat support equipment 

company, with specialized ski 

drawn from construction support 

companies or engineer detachments 

(well drillers or divers). 

Vertical elements can be either 

general construction platoons or 

companies of Career Management 

Field (CMF) 51 soldiers or combat 

units. While the skills of the CMF 51 

soldiers are extremely valuable, experience has shown that combat engineers can hold their own in the nation-building and civic action arenas. 

The basic task force must also 

contain a combat service support 

(CSS) element and a force protection element. Engineer battalions 

possess limited CSS capability for 

"...experience has 

shown that combat 

engineers ..- can hold

their own in the 

nation-building 

and civic action 

arenas." 

short-of-war operations. Task forces 

are normally deployed independently to underdeveloped areas that 

may lack the military infrastructure 

expected during wartime deployment of engineer units. To further 

complicate logistical problems, nation-building missions are often undertaken in locales of greatest need. 

These areas are usually far from 

population centers that have a 

potentially supporting civilian infrastructure. 

Thus, the task force requires augmentation with CSS elements to 

provide water purification and 

storage, showers, direct support 

maintenance (ordnance), repair 

parts resupply, authorized stockage 

list support, material handling and 

storage, contracting support, and 

transportation. Specialized support 

may also be required in the form of 

movement control elements 

(MCCIADAG). These units must 

come from corps support command 

or EAC support and be task organized to fit the mission. 

Force protection is another required element of any short-of-war 

task force. While this is normally a 

unit responsibility, the efficiency of 

the engineer force can be maximized by employing other-than-engineer forces in the protection role. 

Military police can provide basic 

security in a low-threat environment. Host nation infantry and 

paramilitary or civil guard forces 

have been used effectively in this 

role in Honduras and Costa Rica. 

Use of a separate force protection element in the task force does 

not negate the need for develop 

ment and rehearsal of a reaction 

Soldiers from the 110th Engineer Battalion of the Missouri National Guard work on a 

roadway construction project in Honduras. At left is German Rivera, a Honduras Highway 

Department Engineer, who is assisting the Army unit with the nation-building exercise. 
HOLOG 

PHASE l PHASE Ill 

Analysis of Area of Operations Conduct engineerlmed, ical civic inctions 

Identify key communicators 

4SE IV ldentify best methods of communication 


(radio,, word of mouth, newsprint, poster) ,clop informanon network 


m ,Advertise 8 oood worl 


PHASE ll Solicit few 

, forces 

Set Iup one-on-one discussions with mayors, 

Target key commur ., 

regirmal'representatives 

ISet UF group mt eeting at t 

IDistriblute leaflet slposters 

plan that incorporates all soldiers in 

a total unit defense. Chapter 12 of 

FM 5-100 contains an excellent discussion of engineer force protection 

in the LIC environment. 

Horizontal and vertical engineer 

elements, force protection elements, 

and a combat service support element comprise the basic building 

blocks of any engineer task force 

for short-of-war operations. The effectiveness of the task force can be 

greatly enhanced by the attachment 

of specialty elements such as longrange communications, aviation assets, psychological operationslcivil 

affairs teams, and medical units. 

Long-range satellite communications should always be included in 

task force planning. Such equipment provides a critical link to the 

logistical support structure at the 

port, to the host nation capital 

(which may be hundreds of miles 

away), and back to the unit's home 

station. Without this link, downtime 

on mission-essential equipment can 

stretch into weeks or months. The 

home station link is also an important morale factor for both soldiers 

and their families. 

Aviation assets provide the 

capability to quickly move critical 

repair parts over long distances. 

They also provide important command, control, communications, and 

intelligence (C3I) and operational 

capabilities. 

The Psychological Operations 

(PSYOPS) teams capitalize on the 

good works being done by the engineers and the attached elements 

of a nation-building task force. 

PSYOPS units are trained to communicate with the local population, 

providing a positive information 

flow on task force activities. Negative reaction to US. operations is 

often instigated by anti-American 

elements, who wage an organized 

media campaign against a task force 

presence. A proactive PSYOPS 

campaign can help neutralize such 

activities and prevent undue apprehension and misunderstanding 

among the hod nation population. 

An example of such a campaign is 

shown in Figure 3. 

Civil affairs teams provide the 

task force commander with an enhanced capability to establish and 

maintain good working relationship 

with local government officials. The 

good will and cooperation of such 

officials are indispensable to a fully 

successful task force opera 

)n opposition 

An embassy liaison team is also 

essential for operations in countries 

where no U.S.military structure exists. This team provides timely information to the U.S. embassy's 

country team and the ambassador - who is ultimately responsible for all 

American activities in the country. 

The liaison team conducts the essential and often daily coordination 

with host nation officials. Such a 

liaison group should include an 

OIC/NCOIC, contracting officer's 

representative, public affairs officer, 

protocol element, and communications personnel. In countries with 

an existing U.S. military presence, a 

smaller liaison team may suffice. 

The liaison team's activities include coordination with the US. Information Service and news media 

personnel, arranging payment to 

contractors and businesses providing se~ces to the task force, handling important visitors, and conducting emergency contracting. 

Fundamentals of 


Employment 


The short-of-war engineer task 

torce (Figure 4) is capable 

of functioning independently for 
expanded periods of time (60-180 

days) in a low-intensity environment. Experience with engineer task 

forces in the 1980s has provided a 

reasonably sound set of fundamentals which should govern the 

employment of these forces. While 

not yet doctrinal imperatives, three 

fundamentals have been found to be 

critical in short-of-warscenarios. 

Unity of Command 

The engineer task force commander must have operational control of all forces employed in the 

area of operation. Violation of this 

principle can have devastating effects. Problems occur most often 

when a medical or combat service 

support element is "stove-piped" 

from their parent organization. 

Also, unnecessary confusion can 

occur when the embassy liaison element is not under the direct control 

ll 

HOR 

of the task force commander. Attempts to operate these elements independently from the task force 

create competition for scarce resources and a scrambling of 

priorities. 

The Abriendo Rutas exercise in 

Ecuador serves as a case in point. 

In that exercise, U.S. Army South 

created a forward headquarters, 

which handled the embassy liaison 

function. But because this team did 

not work directly for the task force 

commander, its priorities did not 

mesh with those of the task force. 

The absence of a sense of urgency 

in such situations, particularly in the 

area of contracting, can be debiitating to the task force mission. Afteraction reports from both active and 

reserve task forces continually identify the need for a contracting officer or a contracting officer's representative who answers directly to 

the task force commander. 

The task force commander must 

have as much authority as he needs 

to accomplish the mission. The command of an engineer task force in 

an underdeveloped region that has 

little or no infrastructure carries 

considerable and often unique 

responsibilities. Aside from straightforward engineer tasks, he serves as 

a quasi-ambassador for the US., 

deals directly with the host-nation 

business community for the procurement of needed goods and services, 

allocates desperately needed medical care and civic action projects for 

local populations, and is often the 

focus of much national and international political and media attention. 

The commander should also have 

Uniform Code of Military Justice 

authority over all members of the 

task force. Short-of-war operations 

are typically conducted in politically 

sensitive areas where soldier 

behavior largely determines host 

PA0 

CONTRACTING 

HEADQUARTERS. 

HEADQUARTERS 

COMPANY 

gure 4 
nation impressions of the United 

States. Too many incidents of misconduct by American soldiers can 

overshadow all the civic action projects left behind by engineer units. 

Synchronization 

This tenet of AirLand Battle 

doctrine is equally important in 

short-of-war operations. The importance of strategic synchronization of 

mission selection with country team 

objectives has been discussed, but 

synchronization must also occur at 

the tactical level. This involves integrating PSYOPS, engineer and 

medical civic actions, force protection, combat operations (either in 

an actual insurgency or in a training 

scenario), and nation building. 

U.S. relations with the host nation may be damaged if units do not 

synchronize at the tactical level. For 

example, a PSYOPS or civil affairs 

team may promise engineer or medical help to a local host nation 

population without fust coordinating the commitment with the task 

force. If this promise cannot be 

kept due to lack of resources, U.S. 

credibility will be damaged. 

Such situations can be avoided if 

all operations are coordinated and 

directed by the task force S-3. 

While the S-5 plans for civic actions 

and has staff supervision, the S-3 

must allocate resources for civic action missions and monitor their 

execution. 

Integration of all elements during 

short-of-war operations is a dficult 

task that requires experience and 

training. Experience gained through 

deployment exercises must be supplemented and reinforced with instruction in service schools and unit 

professional development classes. 

We should offer instruction on 

synchronization of short-of-war operations in advanced and precommand courses and in senior senice 

colleges. 

"The host nation 

expects ...q uality 

products from the 

engineer task force. 

Providing that 

quality requires 

time for planning 

and design." 

Mission Planning 

The third and perhaps most critical fundamental for successful shortof-war engineer operations is mission planning. The keys to success 

are early mission identification and 

definition, quality design and strict 

design review, up-front commitment 

of resources (for surveys, soil analyses, soil borings, and leader reconnaissance), and workable quality 

control plans. Last-minute changes 

in mission usually spell trouble in 

short-of-war operations-particularly in project durability. "Route 

selection with a bulldozer" always 

yields substandard results. The host 

nation expects-and has a right to 

expect-quality products from the 

engineer task force. Providing that 

quality requires time for planning 

and design. 

The mission planning fundamental has been the discriminating factor in successful exercises throughout Central and South America. 

Today's short-of-war environment 

makes it essential that engineers 

convince non-engineer decision 

makers of the virtues of deliberate 

planning. Many of our task forces 

operate in politically sensitive 

arenas where the backlash from "lifting and shifting" engineer assets 

may exact a high price in U.S. 

credibility. 

Force Structure Problems 

The best organization and employment doctrine will fail without 

the necessary force structure. Recent force realignments and cuts 

have left engineers with a force that 

must do a lot of stretching to conduct successful short-of-war operations. For instance, quarry sections 

have been cut from combat support 

equipment companies and combat 

heavy battalions. This means we 

lose the equipment and experienced 

quarrymen from the force. Wile 

host nation support can fill this 

need in Europe, needed infrastruo 

ture does not usually exist in the 

remote areas where the U.S. has 

recently undertaken short-of-war operations. Also, our quarry and rockdrilling equipment is past its useful 

life and is difficult to maintain. At 

least five major engineer exercises 

in Central and South America have 

proven this to he the case. 

Snrveyors are being deleted from 

engineer brigades and combat engineer groups, and our survey equip 

ment is technologically obsolete. 

Quality control and design capability is handicapped by shortages of 

qualif~ed material quality specialists 

(soil analysts), and a reduction in 

the amount of instruction devoted 

to road and airfield design during 

officer basic and advanced courses. 

Other needs become apparent 

when conducting short-of-war operations in remote regions. These include mobile water distribution 

capability (the airborne water 

scraper versus the 6,000 gallon 

tanker), C-130-transportable welldrilling equipment (vital for civic action missions), and specialized 

equipment for problem soil conditions (low ground pressure dozers, 

tracked backhoes, soil-stabition 

equipment, and pole truckslaugers). 

These shortcomings have been 

overcome by leasing and by some extraordinary efforts on the part of 

our soldiers. For example, prior to 
FUNDAMENTALS 

UNITY OF COMMAND SYNCHRONIZATION 

All forces attached or OPCON to Task Force Medical civic action 


Commander PSYOPS 


Maximum authority delegated to Task Force Engineer civic action 


Commander Infantry operationslrear area protection 

Nation-building operations 

EARLY MISSION PLANNING 

Quality deslgn and deslgn review 

9 Adequate planning time/allocation of resources 

Quality ControlIQuality Assurance plan 

the Ahuas Tara 88 deployment to 

Honduras, soldiers from Task Force 

Tiger pulled a rock crusher out of 

the property disposal yard and got 

it running again just in time for 

deployment. Shortages of trained 

personnel have been overcome by 

pooling resources from several 

units. But that solution will 

lose its effectiveness as spaces are 

phased out, and fewer soldiers are 

trained in critical construction 

MOSS. 

To maintain effectiveness and 

flexibility in short of-war operations, 

the engineer community must strike 

the right balance between combat engineer and construction 

capabilities. 

Short-of-war' engineer operations 

are an excellent force option for 

commanders in a LIC or pre-conflict setting. These operations provide tremendous challenges for engineer soldiers and units, and as 

a result, superior training opportunities. 

At the same time, short-of-war 

operations are highly visible and 

politically sensitive. They require 

not only excellence in military enFigure 5 

gineering, but a deft hand in wqrking with the host nation and U.S. 

embassy personnel. 

Adherence to three basic fundamentals will help ensure the success of engineer task force operations: (1)unity of command under a 

single engineer task force commander; (2) excellence in planning, 

design and quality control-with sufficient lead time, and (3) synchronization of all task force elements to support the commander's 

intent (Figure 5). 

It is clear that these types of 

operations are here to stay. In fact, 

it is a safe prediction that short-ofwar engineer exercises will increase 

in the future as more commanders 

begin to appreciate them as a valuable force option. 

Now is the time for the engineer 

community to take a systemic look 

at our short-of-war operational requirements and attempt to balance 

them against wartime requirements. 

Failure to structure for these 

politically-sensitive, high-probabiity 

missions may result in the loss of engineer capabiities that are critical 

to our national interests. 

LTC Jones is the Senior Engineer 

Representative, Department of 

Military Instruction, United States 

Military Academy. He previously 

sewed as Chief; Military Engineering 

US. Army South, and Erecutive Officer, 536th Engineer Baftalion, 

Panama. He has served as an insbuctor in Roads and Ai@elds at the U.S. 

Army Engineer School, and as commander of a corps combat company 

in Germany. Y 

Notes ' Morellis and Ferguson, "Low Intensity Contlict and Operational 

Perspective," Military Review, Nov. 

1984, p 9. 

'Fiishel and Cowan, "Civil 

Military Operations and the War 

for Moral Legitimacy in Latin 

America," Military Review, Jan. 

1988, p 39. 

Ibid. 

Author's discussions with Command Surgeon, USSOUTHCOM, 

Apr. 1988. 

Engineer 11 
By Major Charles L. Toomey 

_ he lack of solid engineer reconnaissance 

has the potential of 

turning battlefield success into sudden defeat. At the very 

least, it will result in the unnecessary loss of lives, equipment, andlor 

time. 

Engineer intelligence is a critical 

part of Intelligence Preparation of 

the Battlefield (IPB). This article is 

directed toward officers sening as 

S-2s in combat engineer battalions 

that provide direct or general support for maneuver divisions. It advocates an expanded intelligence role 

for these officers. 

Too often, junior officers assigned as S-2s are limited in their effectiveness because they lack a full 

understanding of their special role 

in the combined arms arena. 

The engineer battalion S-2 often 

fmds himself torn between two distinct duties. On one hand, he is the 

engineer battalion's security officer, 

primariiy responsible for security 

matters within the unit. On occasion, when a field exercise requires 

it, he may be called upon to do 

some engineer reconnaissance planning for short-term missions. On the 

other hand, he serves as the intelligence officer for the division engineer. In this role, the S-2 collects 

and forwards data that may be 

relevant to both engineer and maneuver elements in the division's 

area of operations. 

Being the intelligence officer for 

the division engineer is the more difficult of the two duties. The job 

demands experience, a passion for 

detail, and a broad vision that goes 

beyond the limits of the battalion's 

garrison activities or field exercises. 

And it is a duty that, unfulfilled, 

can contribute to diminished combat effectiveness for the division. 

A good example of the consequences resulting from an inadequate engineer intelligence network 

was the 24th Infantry Division's 

breakout from Korea's Pusan Perimeter in September 1950. The 

operation required crossing the Naktong River, a formidable obstacle 

ranging from 300 to 600 feet wide 

and three to 18 feet deep. The Naktong was not a particularly difficult 

crossing for the engineers, provided 

that they could obtain the necessary 

bridging equipment. 

But there was a serious problem 

with the engineers' estimate for the 

operation. Engineer planners had 

concentrated their attention almost 

entirely on the Naktong River, and 

had overlooked the Kumho River, 

which had to be crossed before the 

division's assault crossing of the 

Naktong. 

Heavy rains had swamped the 

area just prior to the scheduled assault, and fording sites on the 

Kumho had turned into raging, nearly impassable torrents. The engineers fmally succeeded in crossing 

elements of the division, but only 

after the operations order had been 

drastically changed and the unit had 

been simcantly delayed. 

Today, the majority of the S-2's 

time should be spent preparing the 

battalion (and thus the division) for 

war. Of course, some S-2s are now 

muttering to themselves "...the 

peace-time requirements for physical security, personnel clearances, 

key control, and other areas will be 

the things that eat my lunch if I 

don't do them well." 

True, those things are withm the 

S-2's area of staff responsibility. 

But, it must be remembered that 

company executive officers, first sergeants, platoon leaders, and company commanders (preferably in 

that order) should worry about 

those matters on a daily basis and 

work the fixes for problem areas. 

S-2s should teach those leaders 

what they need to know about 

security matters, monitor the battalion's security status, and help the 

unit leaders when they really need it. 

Two types of engineer battalions 

drive my thinking for S-2 responsibilities: Units that are forward 

deployed, and units that have contingency missions (usually CONUSbased). 

Forward-Deployed Battalions 

Forward-deployed battalions generally have well defmed missions in 

an assigned sector. Although they 

may be close to the ground on 

which they would fight, their 
engineer intelligence needs are not 

diminished. Regular adjustments to 

the unit's mission, aggravated by the 

usual personnel turnovers, require 

constant training, rewnnaissance, 

and planning updates. 

Each S-2 should prepare detailed 

handbooks for specific engineerrelated areas of interest, including: 

Processed construction materials. Note locations for sized lumber, large steel members, crushed 

gravel, precast concrete, geo-textile 

sheeting, wire, and cut timber. 

Make notes as to their general 

availabiity during a yearly cyclesome inventories may experience 

cyclical shortages based on the local 

economy and supply and demand. 

Locations of forests and other 

expedient engineering materials. Locate potential sources for field engineering and construction materids. Identify mes of wood, average 

diameter of trees, average spacing, 

and degree of accessibiity (i.e.: 

near major highway or good internal trail network). Note both active 

and closed quarries. Include equipment that could be used to 

improvise float bridging or rafts, including existing commercial facilities. Identify locations of heavyload railroad flatcars for possible 

expedient Class 60 bridging. 

Construction equipment. Identify possible sources of locally 

owned equipment, from hand 

shovels to cranes. Work through the 

division staff for approved host nation support. If indigenous construction equipment differs greatly from 

ours, prepare English-language instructions andlor labeling decals to 

install on control panels. 

Highways and roads. Standard 

route reconnaissance information 

applies, but critical points along 

routes susceptible to interdiction 

should have, as a minimum, planned 

bypasses and estimates of the 

materials and time required to 

place the primary route back into 

operation. Include railroad data and 

ground lines of communication in 

this category. 

Bridges. Examine in detail every 

bridge along primary and alternate 

routes within the area of operations. 

Information for each bridge should 

include its dimensions and load classification. In the event those bridges 

are destroyed, prepare sketches of 

bypass routes to replacement bridge 

sites. Tabulate estimates of 

materials and time required to 

reopen main bridges, including 

figures for each method of repair 

(from field expedient construction 

to standard fured or float bridging). 

Also, estimate the materials and 

time required to reinforce lowstrength bridges and increase their 

load classifcations. 

Airfields. Include data on airfield 

width, usable length, runway orientation, pavement (thickness, type, soil, 

asphalt, concrete, matting), taxiways, parking and loading areas, 

and on-site material-handling equip 

ment, Estimate the number of 

aircraft operations per day (takeoffs 

and landings) and capability for handlmg personnel and equipment. 

Sketch land-use areas around the 

airfield, including traffic flow into 

"Being the S-2 of an. engineer 

battalion is not an easy job 

when the duty is properly 

executed... (It) requires careful ,. -.,,a . a 

thought, considerable effort, 

persistence and patience. " 
and out ~-of loadine -~~~~~~~ -
sun~ort areas.

The battalion S-2 can assist in 

unit deployment training by producing video tapes of planned routes. 

Videos can be either a complete 

route, from garrison through a start 

point to a release point, or be 

through expected trouble areas only; 

To fhthe. route, travel during 

daylight at wheeled-convoy speed 

and keep the volume turned off. 

Later, dub over the tape with information regarding constrictions, gradients, place-names, grid locations, 

and critical tactical information 

about the surrounding terrain, i.e. 

"Vehicles at this point can be 

engaged by duect fire from HiU 233 

at 2 o'clock". 

Route videos can be used as training aids for newly assigned drivers 

and leaders. You may even make 

points by sharing the film with the 

maneuver unit supported by your 

battalion. 

Finally, forward-deployed divisions may be ordered out of their assigned sector. The engineer S-2 

should expect such a possibility and 

begin collecting and preparing axisof-advance intelligence (versus 

route intelligence) to assist in the 

planning and movement of the 

division. Knowledge of friendly engineer capabilities along any given 

axis of advance is especially critical. 

Minute detail is not important until 

a general direction is provided, but 

initial data and a recommendation 

by the division engineer may influence that decision. 

Contingency Battalions 

The S-2 of a contingency battalion can use the preceding ideas 

to help prepare the unit-and the 

division-for action upon arrival in 

the mission area. The major &ifference is the number of possible 

missions and, thus, the number of 

workbooks needed. The best method for organization seems to be 

either by country or objective area. 

Let's take another look at some 

of the major preparation areas already mentioned. We will add 

details for the specific needs of the 

contingency battalion: 

Processed construction materials. In addition to the items already 

mentioned, determine electrical voltage in the objective area (110 or 220 

volts.) Do soil conditions require 

special types of cement? Is there 

water for dust control and construction, and water for consumption by 

friendly forces? These are just a few 

questions that need to be answered 

before deployment. 

Construction equipment. Insufftcient construction equipment in the 

objective area can be a real warstopper. Conservative estimates for 

engineer equipment needs should 

drive the force structure, but there 

is no guarantee that all of the organic equipment will make it in. 

Find out the types of in-country construction equipment that exist in the 

contingency area. It takes real inteltigence work to keep this type ~ - of infckation updated. -

Each contingency engineer battalion S-2 should subscribe to 

professional engineer journals that 

keep the civilian construction industry appraised of what is going on 

throughout the world. Engineering 

News Record is an excellent example. You may find that some indigenous equipment in the objective 

area may also be distributed by 

local commercial fums near your 

stateside base. Plan to use local 

equipment dealers for emergency 

training and briefmgs and as possible sources for resupply of parts 

and accessories. You may be able to 

plan regular familiarization training 

sessions for your equipment 

operators with local firms that are 

sustaining members of the Society 

of American Military Engineers. 

With all of the possible missions 

that a contingency engineer battalion may have, it is obvious that 

the S-2 will have a difficult time 

keeping up with tbe latest engineerrelated developments in each mission area. He needs help. 

Other officers in the battalion can 

provide assistance. The battalion 

commander may appoint unit ofticers as foreign area project ofticers. 

These lieutenants and captains (or 

majors, if they have experience in a 

specific area) may be assigned a 

specific mission area to monitor. 

That officer would keep the S-2 informed of all developments in the 

region that could affect the battalion's ability to meet its contingency mission. Selected officers would, 

for example, scan commercial publications for news of the opening of 

new airports, desalinization plants, 

or the status of highway construction in other countries. 

A side benefit of such research is 

the expanded professional develop 

ment of the officers involved. Officers who are trained to observe 

and track such engineer-related 

developments in the world will be 

better leaders for it somewhere 

down the road. 

Common Ground 

Several points on engineer intelligence responsibilities have common ground for both forwarddeployed and contingency battalions: 

Learn to work with your own hattalion sta& The S-4 needs to be involved in the indigenous Class IV issues; the maintenance officer in the 

equipment issues, and both the S-3 

and the ADE in problems and issues involving terrain, operations, 

and training. 

Find out who to talk to on the 

division staff in addition to the 6-2. 

For instance, the G-5 can help you 

prepare indigenous labor workforce 

estimates. Use the ADE and his 

staff to run interference for you at 

division and corps levels on engineer intelligence issues that may 

be outside the G-2's area of interest. 

Develop close working relationships with the S-2s of other 

maneuver battalions and brigades. 

It's important that all engineer S-2s 

support each other and develop an 

engineer intelligence network. 
S-2s of fornarddeployed engineer battalions should prepare detailed 

handbooks for their assigned sector and axis of advance to include all 

bridges along primary and alternate routes. 

Maintain an engineer intelligence collection plan as part of 

your "battle book," or individual 

contingency OPLAN. Identify what 

needs to be know by what time it 

needs to be known, and how it will 

be collected. Consider every intelligence and collection asset available 

to the division (from intelligence 

battalion equipment to infantry hattalion scout platoons, to engineer 

reconnaissance patrols). Continually 

coordinate your engineer intelligence collection plan with the 

G-2's collection plan for the division; they should support and complement each other. 

Become an expert in the request 

procedures for aerial imagery. 

Learn how to read, in detail, aerial 

photographs for pure engineer 

intelligence. 

Develop programs for reconnaissance training in coordination with 

the S-3. Although our engineer sergeants' primary recon tasks remain 

sapper-related (bridges, highways, 

rivers, etc.), we must emphasize that 

all reconnaissance performed within 

a division's area of operations is tactical in nature. 

For example, when a squad 

checks out a road, they should ask 

such questions as: "...can friendly 

movement be observed along this 

road from that hill...," or "...could 

this be a possible anti-tank ambush 

site?" The 19D soldiers' manuals 

provide a good foundation on tactical reconnaissance. 

Coordinate training programs 

on bow to identify types of enemy 

formations by noting specific 

vehicle types and their function. Engineer platoons operating in front 

of, or among, friendly maneuver 

units automatically become intelligence collectors. They should he 

trained to distinguish between a 

regimental advance guard and the 

main body of a regiment by virtue 

of equipment, tactics, and time of 

arrival on the battlefield. This difficult task requires a high level of 

professional dedication. As the S-2, 

you need to work with the S-3 to ensure that appropriate training is 

available. 

Being the S-2 of an engineer hattalion is not an easy job when the 

duty is properly executed. In particular, the position's inherent 

responsibility to serve as the 

division engineer's intelligence officer is a complex business that requires careful thought, considerable 

effort, persistence, and patience. 

The collection and assessment of 

raw data that later becomes usable 

engineer intelligence is a process 

that cannot he accomplished by one 

S-2 during a single period in a battalion's history. It is the product of 

a continuing process of dedication 

and vigilance whose merits may not 

be immediately apparent. 

But someday, the payback in critical engineer intelligence may prove 

invaluable. 

Just ask the soldiers who had to 

wait by the banks of the Kumho 

River in 1950. Y 

Major Toomey is currently a student 

at the Command and General Staff 

College. His previous assignments include G-3 Training Officer for the 

3rd Armored Division; S-3 of the 

23rd En*neer Battalion, and Assistant Area Engineer for the Riyadh 

District, Saudi Arabia. He holds a 

masters degree in civil engineering 

from North Carolina State Universig, 

and is a registered professional engineer in North Carolina. 

Engineer 15 
LEADERSHIP AND QUALITY 


CONSTRk7CTION 


By Major Edward Hayes and 

First Lieutenant Teny Wendt 

Everyone likes quality. From 

the clothes we wear, to the 

cars we drive, to the food 

we eat. If that's so, then why is 

quality such an elusive thing? How 

many times have you heard your 

friends, neighbors, or family complain about the shoddy materials or 

workmanship that they've had to endure at one time or another? 

The same idea applies to troop 

construction projects. Everyone involved wants a quality product -but 

it doesn't always happen. Quality 

does not magically appear in anything, much less in an engineering 

project. What must leaders do to ensure that quality is an integral part 

of their construction product-and 

not just an exercise in lip senice? 

Quality is a leadership challenge 

that can be met using a three-step 

approach: 

b Identify the standards 

b Evaluate and conduct necessary training 

b Establish and enforce quality 

control 

All three steps share a common 

denominator of leadership. Making 

quality happen is up to the chain of 

command. A close look at each 

step, and how they fit together, will 

show how the diligent pursuit of 

quality can pay big dividends for 

both the project and the soldiers 

who work on it. 

Standards 

What standards do you use to 

measure the quality of your construction? How can your soldiers 

tell if their work is satisfactory? 

In the theater of operations 

(TIO), Army construction standards 

are detailed in the Army Facilities 

Components System (AFCS), TM 

5-300-series manuals. The AFCS 

identifies two TI0 standards-initial and temporary. Initial construction is intended to have a useful life 

of six months or less. Temporary 

construction uses more durable materials and has a theater life of up 

to 24 months. 

The AFCS also uses the four 

climatic zones of temperate, frigid, 

tropical, and desert to determine 

the construction standards. Simplicity, ease of construction, and 

function take precedence over aesthetics in TI0 construction. 

On the other hand, structures 

built to last beyond 24 months are 

called troop construction projects. 

There is no consolidated reference 

manual detailing troop construction 

standards. Workmanship requirements vary regionally, especially 

overseas where host nation safety 

standards, construction methods, 

and materials may be totally different. Normally, these projects sup 

port the installation's Directorate of 

Engineering and Housing (DEH), 

which establishes the general construction quality expectations. 

Troop wnstruction, therefore, re 

quires a balance between function 

and appearance. 

Leaders must set the standard for 

workmanship by first analyzing the 

purpose of the project. Permanent 

or highly visible structnres require a 

higher level of craftsmanship than 

temporary or utilitarian ones. For 

example, if you're renovating a child 

care facility, even the smallest imperfection may detract from the project's appearance and safety. Conversely, if you're constructing gravel 

storage bins, there's little need to 

sand the lumber or to patch stray 

nail holes. The level of craftsmanship, therefore, must be in tune with 

the intended character of the 

finished ~roduct. 

workmanship standards are 

found in local, state and national 

building codes. Their purpose is to 

ensure the public safety by describing, often in minute detail, the minimum acceptable performance criteria of the f~shed product. Codes 

are legally biding, and they are 

written in precise language in order 

to define exactly what constitutes 

compliance and what does not. 

Simply put, codes establish tests 

which the project must pass. 
Building code compliance is normally addressed during the design 

phase. Designs are carefully reviewed prior to their approval to 

make sure they comply with applicable codes. A basic knowledge 

of code requirements enables leaders on the jobsite to identify code 

violations before they become dificult to correct. A current and easily accessible library of building 

codes is an absolute necessity in 

your unit. If you do not have them 

on hand, your DEH can provide the 

appropriate code requirements. 

Specifications complete the def~- 

tion of acceptable workmanship by 

conveying the intentions of the 

client. For example, a specific set of 

plans may call for a door in a certain location. Codes only specify the 

safety aspects the door must have in 

certain situations. They don't indicate what kind of door, the type of 

f&h that should be applied, or 

what grade of hardware to use. 

Specifications, which accompany 

the drawings, answer these questions. They range from simple notes 

appearing directly on the drawings 

to separate volumes hundreds of 

pages long. Specifications most 

often describe the grade or quality 

of materials to be used in a project. 

They can also describe construction 

techniques, defioe the acceptable 

margin of error, and set the performance standards for the project. 

Specifications may change during 

the course of a project due to 

material availability or budget constraints. Before construction begins, 

leaders must ensure that they are 

provided with adequate specifications. However, they also owe it to 

the client to recommend changes 

that will improve the function, 

safety, or appearance of the fmished 

product. Once specifications are 

clarified, adherance to them will go 

a long way toward achieving quality 

construction. 

Training 

Because of normal perio~el 

turnover and project complexity, 

(i.e., TI0 construction versus troop 

construction), leaders must continually evaluate the individual and 

GENERAL ENGINEERING 


SUPERVISOR 


EWOIIIEERIIIO EOUlPMENT 


SUPERVlSOR SUPERVISOR 


@ 0 


collective levels of craftsmanship in 

their units. Several methods exist to 

help leaders evaluate soldier expertise levels and training require 

ments. The most common are individual counseling, supervisor 

recommendations, review of workmanship on prior projects, and performance testing. This information 

should be analyzed to determine 

why the unit has these strengths and 

weaknesses and what steps can be 

taken to improve the weaker skills. 

Young soldiers new to your unit 

have an "experience gap"-the difference between the skill level 

achieved through formal instruction 

and the skill level achieved through 

hands-on construction project experience. Upon graduation from 

Advanced Individual Training 

(AIT), soldiers in Career Management Field (CMF) 51 (Figure 1) 

have received introductory training 

in many areas. 

The NCO Education System 

(NCOES) provides formal instruction for NCOs as they advance in 

rank and responsibility. In the Basic 

NCO Course (BNCOC), sergeants 

CRANE OENERIL 

CARPENTRY3 PLUMBER INTERIOR 

YASOWERI ELECTRlClAN %&UCTION EQUIPMENT OPERhTOR CONSTRUCTION EOUlPUENT 

SPECIALIST OPERATOR OPERATOR 

I I I I I I 

51810 62E1D 62F10 6WlO 

E3-E4 E5E4 E3.E. E5E4 

t t t 1 1 t 

LINE OF NORMAL PROGRESSION . EXCERPT FROM CAREER MANAGEMENT FIELD 51 (AR 011-101) 

Figure 1 

Engineer 17 
As part of a troop construction project, soldiers from the 1249th 

Engineer Battalion work on a rest facility at Paulina Peak in the 

Deschutes National Forest in Oregon. 

learn the supervisory skills and complex construction techniques 

needed for their new MOSs. In the 

Advanced NCO Course (ANCOC), 

staff sergeants are taught advanced 

construction management techniques that they will use as platoon 

sergeants and project NCOICs. 

Lieutenants in the Engineer Officer Basic Course (EOBC) are 

taught Army construction techniques and construction management. 

This gives them a basic knowledge 

of troop construction, which they 

will use later as project OICs. 

The intent of formal instruction is 

to teach soldiers the basic concepts 

behind each task. There is not sufficient "hands-on" training included 

to make them skilled construction 

troops or supervisors. Soldiers must 

practice their newly acquired skills 

to make them proficient enough to 

produce quality results. 

To support the hands-on training, 

your battalion S-4 should stockpile 

appropriate materials for carpentry, 

masonry, electrical, and plumbing 

MOSs. Hoiizontal construction 

skills can be enhanced through 

range and road maintenance projects that are not time-sensitive. 

Similarly, union tradesmen such 

as carpenters, masons, and plumbers, receive hundreds of hours of 

formal instruction and are apprenticed in their respective fields for 

several years before they are certified. During this apprenticeship 

they practice what they learned in 

the classroom. Formal and informal 

instruction, supplemented with practical experience and supervised by 

personnel proficient in the trade, 

closes the experience gap and 

enables troops to construct any 

project with superior results. 

Once the standards are identified 

by codes, specifications and knowledge of construction practices, leaders must communicate them to their 

soldiers. Depending on the unit's experience, this sharing of ideas can 

range from simple to complicated. 

If the unit has performed similar 

work before, an effective approach 

is to compare past results with 

those expected from the project at 

hand. This allows troops to recall 

mental images of past work, which 

they can then use to judge their current workmanship. 

Inexperienced troops facing new 

construction techniques lack the 

data base from which to draw images. They require a detailed description of what is expected of 

them. In this case, a picture is worth 

a thousand words. Drawing a sketch 

of what the leader defmes as "good 

construction" helps transfer the 

idea from one person to another. It 

also serves as a means to determine 

whether the standards were met. 

Another effective way of training 

to standards is to have the troops 

build a small portion of each 

project phase for use both as a 

model and the craftsmanship standard. For example, prior to beginning the electrical rough-in phase, 

troops assemble a sample of each 

type of connection and wiring sequence used in the project. 

This approach has two benefits. 

Fist, it results in a three-diiensional portrayal of acceptable 

workmanship that soldiers can use 

as a reference. Second, it serves as 

a vehicle for hands-on training. 

Experienced soldiers can train inexperienced soldiers on the construction quality standards, code requirements, safety, and craftsmanship 

required for each task. 

The time, effort, and materials 

spent on test sections and models 

are well worth it, and inevitably 

result in improved productivity and 

product quality. 

Quality Control 

Once the standards are identified 

and soldiers are trained and certified, leaders must ensure their 

troops apply the training to produce 

quality results. This is best done by 

formulating and implementing an effective quality control (QC) and 

quality assurance (QA) plan. 
Q 
 OCCUPANT

DEH 

db 


Figure 2 

The QCIQA plan outlines a systematic quality enforcement program, just as a training schedule outlines a systematic training program. 

And it should be adhered to just as 

religiously. Initiating and enforcing 

the QCIQA plan is the key to 

quality troop construction because 

it identifies the accountable and 

responsible chain of command. 

Quality control is the construct. 

ing unit's responsibility. The project 

OIC and NCOIC plan how ta 

monitor the level of craftsmanship 

on the jobsite. The QC plan should 

identify the tasks to be checked, 

who checks them, how often they 

are checked, and briefly describe 

how each task is inspected. 

For example, the QC plan calls 

for the NCOIC to check the 

formwork prior to concrete placement to ensure the forms are the 

correct size, are properly braced, 

and are level and plumb. This is accomplished by consulting the plans 

to verify that form components are 

in their proper place, checking 

dimensions with a tape measure, 

and using a level to check for 

horizontal and vertical alignment. 

Thus, the QC plan needn't be complicated or technically overwhelming. Common sense will usually give 

you the most mileage when it comes 

to troop construction. 

The soldier doing the work must 

be the first level of inspection of any 

QC plan. Mistakes are quickly discovered and best corrected when 

soldiers inspect their own work. Soldiers should expect consequences 

for second-rate workmanship. "Do 

it right or do it over" makes quality 

workmanship a habit. 

The second level of QC responsibility is the soldier's immediate 

supe~sor. He must continually inspect the project to convince soldiers their work will be inspected 

and construction standards will be 

enforced. 

Quality assurance is the responsibility of the battalion S-3, who 

focuses on QA to ensure compliance with plans and specifications. The S-3 must be the focal 

point of the project, coordinating 

the actions of everyone involved 

(Figure 2). 

From this central position, the 

S-3 and his section can control 

everything that may influence the 

project, including design changes, 

material shortages, and construction 

errors. He can then quickly resolve 

any diffculties that may arise. QA 

inspectors must be readily available 

and accessible for the QCiQA plan 

to work. If they are not, the S-3 bewmes a bottleneck, rather than a 

focal point. 

The feedback provided to the 

constructing unit tells them if they 

are on target, and what they must 

do if they are not. In essence, 

the S-3's QA program ensures the 

quality of the constructing unit's QC. 

Since most projects are troop construction, leaders must continually 

conduct hands-on training to raise 

their soldiers' level of construction 

expertise beyond theater of operations standards. Leadership must 

also clearly define the standards of 

quality and hold the project chain 

of command accountable. 

As the habit of craftsmanship 

grows stronger, troops spend less 

time correcting mistakes and more 

time producing results. Enthusiastic, 

confident, and self-motivated soldiers require less supervision and 

few reminders that quality counts. 

Good workmanship becomes a personal goal. It becomes something 

they expect and demand of themselves because they enjoy the pride 

and sense of accomplishment that 

goes with a job well done. 

And when that happens, that 

elusive thing called quality becomes 

a natural part of troop construction. 

Y 


Major Hayes is assigned as Director 

of the DEH in Pimasens, West Germany. He holds a B.S. degree from 

Norwich University, an M.S. in civil 

engineering from Purdue University, 

and an M.S. in systems management 

from the University of Southem 

California. Major Hayes is a 

graduate of the Command and 

General Staff College. 

Lieutenant Wendt is currently assigned as a facility planner and building inspector, Directorate of Engineering and Housing, Fort Belvoir, 

Virginia. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University 

of Minnesota. 
Reserve Advanced Course 


Restructured for Flexibility 


By Lieutenant Colonel Charles A. Doll 

Reserve Component (RC) of- cludes a new Company Com- requirements within the authorized 

ficers will have several meth- mander's Course, as shown in the period forfeit credit for course work 

ods for completing the newly table. All RC officers must com- that is more the 3 years old 

restructured Engineer Officer Ad- plete phases I, IIA and IIB, and (FORSCOiWTRADOC Regulation 

vanced Course (EOAC-RC). Im- either phase IIIA or IIIB of EOAC- 135-3, paragraph 6-3). 

plementation of the restructured RC for qualification. Phase IIIA is Additional information is availwurse begins in October 1989. for officers in combat engineering able from the U.S. Army Engineer 

Under the new guides, officers organizations, and phase IIIB is for School, A'I"l'N: ATSE-DAC-NG, 

may attend the 20- or 14-week officers in sustainment engineering Fort Leonard Wood, MO 65473-

counterparts. 

course with 

Or, 

their 

they 

active 

may comduty organizations. 

The length of time allowed for 

6650. Y 

plete course requirements using a soldiers to complete EOAC-RC 

combination of methods, including course work has also changed. The Lieutenant Colonel Charles A. DON 

resident modules, resident U.S. course must be completed in 2 is the Senior Amy ResemelNational 

Army Reserve Forces (USARF) years, beginning with the initial en- Guard Advisor to the Engineer 

phases, correspondence courses, rollment date. A l-year extension Center and the Military Deputy for 

and inactive duty training (IDT) may be granted by the Engineer the Directorale of Training and 

with a USARF School. School with written justification. Dochine, US. Amy Engineer 

The reconfigured EOAC-RC in- Soldiers who do not fulfdl all course School, Fort Leonard Wood. 

EOAC-RC PHASE CONVERSION CHART 

EOAC-RC Phases FY 90 

Active Duty Modules EOAC-RC Phases 


(2 weeks ADT per Module) (FY 85 - FY 89) 


.-, Leadership & 

(1/ Communication ~ ~~~~ Skills - Phase 1 Phase IIA

Combined Arms (IDT/Correspondencel (IDTICorrespondence) @ Doctrinal Foundations 

Combined Arms Phase 4 Phase lllA @ Defense (Combat Engineer) 

Combined Arms (USARF School1 @ Offense (ATIADTI Phase Ill6 

Engineering Phase 2 (Sustainment Engineer) @) Foundations 

8 E:r'%'iication Phase 3 Phase llB 

Basecamps and (Correspondence) (Correspondence) 9Contingencies 

TOTAL - TOTAL . TOTAL - 14 weeks ADT 4 weeks AT/AOT 4 weeks AT/ADT 

2 correspondence phases 2 correspondence phases 

AT: Annuai training ADT: Active duly lor training IDT: lna~liveduly training 

20 Engineer 
M916 TRACTOR ACCIDENTS 


By Tom Moran 

Several serious accidents have 

occurred recently in which 

the M916-M17 hactor-trailer 

rig has crashed while hauling a D7 

buudozer. Three soldiers have died 

while using this rig in the past 10 

months. Accidents have occurred at 

units in Germany, Korea, and the 

United States; they were not confined to a single geographic area. 

We know from analyses of these 

accidents that the drivers lost control of their equipment on long 

downhill grades. Problems encountered include: 

. Fm The crash of thls Excessive speed when entering . . 

steep grades ; M916M17-D7 rig 

,. , occured on a steep 

.Excessive use of brakes, which : i 

I 

grade in Germany. 

.

caused overheating The soldierldriver 

Improper use of the engine --. 2

. was killed, and a 

retarder -. soldierlpassenger 

8 Transmission disengagement due ..: ,.i was seriously injured. 

to engine racing 

The wide scope of engineer J 

projects often requires hauling 

loads that approach or exceed the 

rated capacity of the equipment. 

The M916-M17-D7 combination 

puts great demands on even the .Train heavy equipment operators hear from you. The oEce symbol at 

most skilled drivers. Extreme cau- in the proper use of the braking Fort Leonard Wood is ATZT-S, 

tion is required when operating this systems. They must drive the rig and the telephone number is AV 

rig on downhill grades. when MOS-trained drivers are 581-7174. 

The Tank and Automotive Com- not available. 

mand (TACOM) is preparing some .Perform regular and thorough Torn Moran is Director of Engineer 

materiel change actions to improve maintenance inspections of the Bmnch Safely at Fort Leonard 

equipment safety, which will help braking system on the M916 trac- Wood. He has a masters degree in 

when they are implemented. In the tor-trailer. business administration from St. 

meantime, the fouowing suggested Louis U~tiversify. 

actions will help ensure the safe Your safety team at the Engineer 

operation of the M916 rig: Center cares about yon! We want to 
R? Cc~loinGary 3.Pensc 

22 Engineer 
Adequate space for military training has become 

an increasingly "nip and 

tuck" issue in Europe 

over thc last several years. While 

most recognize the need for military 

maneuvers and live-fue ranges, increased land use by the private sector has put a squeeze on expansion 

of existing training areas. 

The need for maneuver battalions 

stationed in Germany to maintain 

their live-fue proficiency has put 

great demands on those training 

areas, particularly the tank gunnery 

ranges at Grafenwoehr. 

Grafenwoehr Training Area, under the direction of 7th Army Training Command, is one of the few 

places in Europe where MI Abrams 

tank crews can fue their main gun. 

And Range 132 is usually the first 

range a tank crew will fue before 

moving on to other tank crew qualification ranges. It is on this initial 

range that tank crews confii their 

%battle sight zero." 

To complete the Range 132 fuing 

table, tank crews move along a 

single road during the course of 

sine.- Defdade fvine- .~ositions. 

protected positions from which 

tanks can simulate tactical firing, 

are situated at various points along 

the road. 

Because of the size of the lane 

and the nature of the required tank 

gun firing, tanks must follow each 

other single-fde down the road. 

This results in a continuous bottleneck on Range 132, with a long line 

of tanks waiting their turn to fue. 

To increase the ability of Grafenwoehr to handle zeroing of tanks on 

Range 132-without having to expand the land area-the 7th Army 

Training Command decided to 

build a second, parallel road from 

which tanks could complete their initial fuing. 

The project, which began in May 

1988 and will be completed later 

this year, is being administered by 

the European District of the Army 

Corps of Engineers. Nearly four million dollars were allocated for conNew 

range 

Defilade \b. 

firing 

oosition 

struction of the new road. 

One of the early stipulations of 

the project was minimum interference with on-going fuing on the 

range. It was decided that missionessential fving would determine the 

daily time periods available for construction work. Because of the 

unusual work schedule and the possibity of workers encountering unexploded ordnance during construction, the decision was made to use a 

troop construction unit to build the 

new road. 

The Corps of Engineers then contacted the 18th Engineer Brigade in 

Karkruhe for design and construction assistance. 

he brigade gave the job of 

designing the project to the 6970th 

Civilian Support Group, a German 

labor unit assigned to the 18th. 

They were given the job because of 

their long-standing familiarity with 

conditions at Grafenwoehr, and 

their extensive background in 

design and construction of facilities 

all over Germany. 

Responsibility for construction of 

the road was given to Bravo Company, 79th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy), also from the 

brigade. About 100 soldiers and 50 

pieces of construction support 

equipment were deployed to 

Grafenwoehr from their home station in Karlsmhe. 

An overview of the project 

(Figure 1) shows the new road, 

1,500 meters long, which parallels 

the existing range road, two defilade 

firing positions, two concrete turn 

pads, and three concrete culverts. 

This configuration allows maximum 

use of existing target systems in the 

downrange area. 

Engineer 23 
The primary challenge facing the 

design engineers was the extremely 

swampy conditions over which the 

road had to be built. The entire 

area is underlaid by a massive peat 

bog, with a small lake located in the 

southern portion. To complicate 

matters, the peat was so saturated 

with water that soil explorations 

could not be made because the 

ground was too soft to support a 

man's weight. 

Another challenge was limited access to the range. Because the range 

was critical to tank crew qualif~cation firing, it couldn't be shut down 

entirely. To allow mission-essential 

use, a temporary firing schedule 

closed the range for construction 

from 0530 until 1100each day. 

The new road was constructed in 

accordance with the embankment 

profile design (Figure 2).First, quarry rock ranging from 200 millimeters (mm) to 500mm in diameter 

was placed directly into the peat, 

or, in the southern end of the range, 

into the small lake. The rock, 

loaded into 5- and 20-ton dump 

-
-

EX~NG1 

-SWAMP / -

-

/ -

trucks with 2 V2 and 5 cubic yard 

loaders, was hauled out to the construction site along the existing 

range and service roads. The trucks 

dumped the rock, which was then 

pushed into the lake or swamp with 

a D7 bulldozer. 

Enough rock was dumped until a 

platform strong enough to support 

the bulldozer was built. 

In portions of the road, the depth 

of the quarry rock was estimated to 

be 3 meters. The width of the quarry rock layer was 19 meters. While 

this could support a bulldozer, it 

could not stand up to extensive 

wheeled vehicle traffic. Also, the 

depth of the quarry rock was not 

sufficient to reach competent strata, 

and deflections of up to 25 centimeters (cm)could be observed as 

equipment worked on the layer. 

This resulted in the nickname "floating road," because the quarry rock 

"floated" in the peat. 

As the quarry rock was placed, 

the existing peat Xdtrated the rock, 

saturating it to the elevation of the 

swamp. When enough quarry rock 

was placed to bring the grade above 

that of the swamp, a leveling course 

of 80-150mm stone was emplaced. 

Again, this was hauled in dump 

trucks and spread with bulldozers. 

On top of this was placed a 5 to 

lOcm layer of fines and overburdens, taken from a nearby borrow 

pit using a 621B scraper. 

The fmes and overburdens were 

graded and smoothed out, and a 

geotextile filter fabric was placed on 

the emerging road. This material is 

a woven fabric designed to allow 

water to pass through it but to 

prevent fmes from the existing sub 

grade from working up into the 

overlying layers of aggregate. 

The fabric was rolled out, cut 

into sections, and hand placed 

length-wise across the road. A Mcm 

lift of 0-32mm rock was placed on 

top of the fdter fabric. This was 

hauled in by dump truck and 

pushed out onto the fabric with a 

Fiat AUis FD-5 landscaping bulldozer. On top of this was placed a 

woven geotextile mesh fabric that 

provided additional strength and 

80-150mm 

(LEVELING) 

(BLAST ROCK) 


ALL OIMENSIONS IN METERS 

Figure 2 

24 Engineer 
Engineers from Bravo Company, 79th Enginer Combat Battalion (Heavy), 

place geotextile on the 'floating road" at Grafenwoehr Training Area, 

West Germany. 

stability. Another 30cm lift of 

0-32- rock was then placed on 

top of the geotextile fabric. 

This entire depth of rock sewed 

as a working platform of improved 

subgrade on which the sub-base, 

base course, and wearing wurse 

would be placed. The function of 

the improved subgrade was to support the construction traffic needed 

to build the sub-base wurse and 

wearing surface layers. 

The "floating" nature of the road 

was readily observable, and deflections of up to lOcm could be seen 

as the 621B scrapers and 20-ton 

-dump trucks traveled on the improved subgrade. 

The effectiveness of the design 

was sound, however, because the 

deflection occurred over a wide 

area. Rutting of the subgrade was almost nonexistent because the load 

was transferred over a wide area 

and a large section of the road 

deflected in an elastic manner. 

On top of the "working platform," or improved subgrade, a 

base course was placed consisting 

of a 60cm lift of 60-120mm aggregate. This rock was hauled and 

spread by 621B scrapers in 15-20cm 

lifts. The aggregate was smoothed 

by graders and compacted with 

vibratory rollers. 

The final phase of the floating 

road project, currently underway, includes placement of base and wearing courses that consist of a 50cm 

lift of 0-56mm rock. This will be 

placed in 15-20cm lifts and compacted. Construction of concrete 

turn pads, culverts, and defilade 

fuing positions is included in the 

final phase. 

The use of a troop construction 

unit to complete the project proved 

to be a good decision. The unit 

adapted well to difficult conditions 

and a short on-site work schedule, 

and built a quality project at the 

lowest possible cost. 

This project vastly improves 

scarce tank gunnery facilities for 

U.S. combat forces in Europe and 

avoids expansion of existing training 

areas. Y 

Captain Pease is Commander of 

Bravo Company, 79th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy), 18th Engineer 

Brigade. His previous assignments include Civil Engineer, 79th Engineer 

Combat Battalion (Heavy); Maintenance Officer, 18th Engineer 

Brigade; MCA Project Manager, 

DEH, Fofl Drum, New York, and 

Platoon Leader and Executive Officer, 76th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy), Fofl Drum. He holds 

a B.S. in Geological Engineering 

from the Colomdo School of Mines. 
THE COLD, HARD FACTS 


CLASSIFYING ICE 


By Captain Chris Sultemeier 

As any military leader will 

tell you, time can be your 

best friend-or your worst 

enemy. 

In an age of increasingly advanced and mobile military vehicles, 

the pace of any future conventional 

war will likely be fast and furious. 

Units halted by natural obstaelesnot to mention those placed by the 

enemy-will become quick target 

opportunities. 

The European theater has been 

the winter graveyard of many an 

otherwise capable army. It would 

provide perhaps the likeliest location for cold weather combat in any 

future conflict that may involve the' 

U.S. Army. And for the inevitable 

cold weather river crossing operations, it would pose an uncommon 

challenge for field commanders. 

While all maneuver and combat 

support commanders are familiar 

with standard bridging operations, 

few have experience or training in 

ice bridging. 

A similar lack of experience with 

ice bridging may have foretold the 

winter disasters that lay ahead of 

the German Army as it pursued the 

retreating Russians in the early days 

of World War 11. Generaloberst 

Halder, Chief of the German Army 

General Staff, wrote: 

"The supply and railway situation 

east of the Dnieper was extremely 

critical during the winter of 1941-1942, 

since the withdrawing Russian lroops 

had destroyed ail bridges across the 

river. At that time, only makeshift 

bridges could be constmcte4 because 

many months would be required ro 

build bridges strong enough to resist 

the pressure of high water. ...In order 

to obtain a railway bridge in the brief 

time available, it was decided to 

build an ice bridge....The complete 

lack of any erperience on the part of 

all competent German agencies was 

a characteristic of its construction." 

While the German railway ice 

bridge over the Dnieper was completed in only 12 days, it took three 

weeks of computations and planning before construction actually 

began. Because the Germans had little knowledge and no experience of 

ice bridging operations, they lost 

precious time-and suffered an unnecessary delay in their bid to 

destroy the rebeating Russians. 

In today's U.S. Army, we face a 

similar lack of training. With the exception of the 6th Infantry Division 

(Light) in Alaska, the Army has negligible ice bridging training or 

experience. 

And as our mechanized forces 

get faster, the vehicles are getting 

heavier. In a cold weather environment, ice bridging is a very real possibiity for both forward combat 

units and the support trains. Because of this, every engineer officer 

and NCO should have a working 

knowledge of determining the capacity of ice to support river crossing operations. 

Perhaps the most diff~eult question faced by engineers in determining the feasibility of ice bridging is 

how to determine whether the ice at 

a potential river crossing site is 

strong enough to support the expected vehicle traftic. Many competing factors, including temperature, 

velocity of the underlying stream, 

foreign matter and air voids in the 

ice, have a direct impact on the 

strength of the supporting ice. 
Fortunately, there has been some research-both scientific and through 

the "school of hard knocks"-and 

formulas for computing the loadbearing capacity of ice are available. 

For crossings where the temperature has been consistently below -10 

degrees Celsius (14 degrdes Fahrenheit), the Cold Regions Research 

and Engineering Laboratory 

(CRREL) formula should be used 

as the engineer's standard computation method: 

h = thickness of ice in centimeters 

Pt = weight of track vehicles in 

tons (2000 ibs) 

Pw = weight of wheeled vehicles 

in tons (2000 lbs) 

Other formulas have also been 

used for this extreme cold weather 

condition. During their construction 

of the Dnieper %ver ice bridge, the 

Germans developed their own 

capacityldesign equation: 

Current Soviet doctrine uses the 

following equations for ice bridging: 

h= 10-

h = thickness of ice in centimeters 

Pt = weight of track vehicles in 

tons (2000 ibs) 

Pw = weight of wheeled vehicles 

intons (2000 lbs) 

An engineer offtcer at the U.S. AU of these equations apply to 

Army Engineer School, CPT James ideal conditions where there is no 

Langan, used the Plate Theory ap- debris or large air pockets in the 

proach to develop an independent ice, and the temperature has 

equation. The results of his analysis remained below -10 Celsius for a 

were very similar to the formulas al- long period of time (10 to 14 days). 

ready in use, and thus reinforce cur- Often these conditions are not 

rent doctrine: present and reduction factors must 

be applied to determine the 

capacity of the ice. 

The U.S. Army's most experienced ice bridging unit, the 6th Infantry Division (Light), uses the following specific reduction factors for 

both strength and color. 

Strenigth fad 

9 Ice n solla, temperatures nave remanea at or Delow 

freezing for the previous week; s = 1.0 

rn Ice is s;olid, ter ? been above f reezing . . ., . 9 , . ., . a .

aurlng me aay, our arop oelow rreezlng aurtng me nlgnr; 

- Ice is solid, water 1s running on me ice surface rrom 

runoff o r overflow; s = 0.7 

- I^^ :^ ^ 

= IGW IS IIULSUIIU. wawr UI airpock-.-15 art?luur~uut?~wt?t?i~ 

layers o 

There is;an air pocket I ~nder th e ice, SI2 the icc ? is not 

floating on thew later und lerneath;; s = 0.6 

Golor laclor 

Ice is clear ftransaarent or black color): c 

rn Ice is sl emi-clear (conta -

ins both i transpsrent bla ,ck and . .. . .. - wnlte layers or ice; c = ti 

Ice is di: (stainec1 brown I2r yellow 
~~~~4f~.~~~~~~~,7~~m,~z~~>7~7""~-r~-,~ 7.--*.--v=-. :-~~:,.-, ~ :--,~--
 .v,->!v," w-sr..,. You are the platoon leaderhack 

I qrst hole 

n

I second holl 

I 

I 


I 


I 

I 

I / 

I 

Current- I 

I 

I 

1 

I 

I 

Approa r shore 

The 6th then applies these factors Because all equations begin with 

to their capacity equation, which is ice thickness, the above chart shows 

very similar to the ones already the locations for measurement. It is 

discussed: important that the proposed centerline be no closer than 100 meters 

from the edge of open water. Open 

water is defined as the location 

where the ice is 50 percent as thick 

as the ice near the centerline. 

We must increase safety margins 

if a high volume of traffic is expected. Also, vehicle spacing must 

be no less than 100 times the thickc = &or factor ness of the ice. 

Let's take a hypothetical situation 

s = strength factor as example of how to apply one 

of these formulas: 

28 Engineer 

force engineer in a combat engineer 

battalion. An armor battalion commander has requested that you determine thefeasibiliy of crossing a nearby river. The heaviest vehicles within 

the maneuver battalion are MI tanks. 

From your reconnaissance, you determine that the ice is white and up 

pears to be solid The temperature 

has been above fiezing during the 

day. How thick must the ice be to 

support the maneuver battalion's 

mssing? 

From FM 5-36, Route Reconnaissance and Classification,an MI tank 

weighs 60 tons. 

Because of the color of the ice 

and the varying temperahue conditions, the reduction factor formula 

from the 6th Infantry Division 

(Light) provides the most reliable 

answer: 

h = 47.5 inches 

Commanders and S-3s should include simulated ice classification exercises when planning field training-even during the hottest 

weather. While most units may not 

have the opportunity to conduct 

such training under realistic cold 

weather conditions, all engineer 

leaders should practice the application of these ice classification 

formulas. 

Because on the modem battlefield, if you do not know how to 

ensure a safe ice crossing for 

maneuver elements, time may be 

your worst enemy. Y 
r pi.'. 

.. , 

(Above) Armored personnel carriers from the 172nd Infantry Brigade 

prepare to cross an ice bridge over Alaska's Tanana River during 

Exercise Brim Frost. (Below) Soldiers from the 47th Enginer Company 

work on a water pump being used in an ice bridging operation. 

Suggested Readings: 

1. "CCREL Notes for the Winter 

Battlefield," U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Cold Regions Research and 

Engineer Laboratory, Hanover, 

New Hampshire, April 1985. 

2. "Ice Railwoy Bridge Over the 

Dnieper," Hauptman Ludwig 

SchmeUer, Foreign Military Studies, 

F-3431, Historic Division, U.S. 

Army Europe, 1953. 

3. "Floating Bridges, and Ice 

Crossings," Telov and Kanokov, 

published by the Soviet Department 

of Transport, Moscow, translated by 

the Defense Technical Information 

Center (DTIC), Cameron Station, 

Alexandria, Virginia, August 22, 

1978. 


4. "Evaluation of Ice-Covered 

Water Crossings," Arnold M. Dean, 

U.S. Army Cold Regions Research 

and Engineering Laboratory, 

Hanover, New Hampshire, June 

1980. 


5. "Ice Bridging The Plate Theory 

Approach," Captain James E. Langan, U.S. Army Engineer School, 

Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, January 2.0, 

1981. 


6. "River Crossings, Soviet Style," 

Lieutenant Colonel Wiam P. Baxter (Retired), ARMY, July 1980,pp 

39-41. 

7. "Squad Leaders Guide for the 

Construction of Ice Bridges," 172nd 

Infantry Brigade, PAM 350-11, 

Headquarters, 172nd Infantry 

Brigade, Ft. Richardson, Alaska, 

November 8,1985. 

Captain Sultemeier most recently 

served as the Non-Standard Bridging 

Insbuctor for the Engineer Offier Advanced Course at Fort Belvoir. 

Previously he served in engineer assignments with the 1st Infanhy 

Division at Fort Riley. He received a 

B.S. degree from the United States 

Military Academy. 
By First Lieutenant David N. Flint 

hile your mother may 


"The explosion have used flour for cakes 


and cookies. combat en-


lifted the roof gineers use it in a recipe for destruction. 

approximately 5 "DUS~ initiator" charges, which 

combine small quantities of exfeet and the plosives with common powdered 

materials like flour, are specialized walls collapsed demolitions particularly suitable for 

destroying thin-walled, wooden inward." buildings or railroad boxcars. 

The 19th Engineer Battalion at 

Fort Knox, Kentucky, was recently 

given the job of demolishing a 

World War I1 era movie theater. 

The 300,000 cubic foot building was 

one of several aging buildings designated by Fort Knox officials for 

removal. Because of the large size 

of the theater and the close 

proximity of nearby buildings, the 

more traditional methods of demolition, such as dismantling or burning, 

were deemed inappropriate. 

Dust initiator charges are 

described in FM 5-25, Explosives 

and Demolitions, as a "...concentrated charge equal to one-quarter 

to 1pound of explosives per cubic 

yard of volume." The charges are 

constructed by mixing crushed TNT 

with thermite, which consists of two 

parts aluminum powder and three 

parts ferric oxide (rust). The 

crushed TNT and thenkte are 

mixed together in a bag at a 1:l 

ratio, and then primed with an Uti 

knot. 

The bag is then placed on the 

ground floor of the building, and a 

wver material such as flour is 

poured on top of the charge. A 1-

pound dust initiator charge (onehalf pound of TNT and one-half 

pound of thermite) is capable of igniting up to 40 pounds of "finely 

divided organic material," such as 

flour. Other suitable materials include coal dust, cocoa powder, powdered coffee, tapioca, and powdered soap. The charge can be 

detonated either electrically or nonelectrically. 

These charges are most effective 

in an enclosed area with relatively 

few windows. The simultaneous explosion of the TNTand thermite distributes the "cover" (in this case 

flour) throughout the building and 

then ignites it. This causes the roof 

of the structure to raise 3 to 5 feet, 

the walls to collapse inward and 

the roof to fall back down on the 

30 Engineer 

now-collapsed building. Debris 

from such an explosion typically is 

discharged only 30-50 feet from the 

demolished building. 

The demolition of the movie 

theater using dust initiator charges 

was unusual becaud the structure 

was so large. The wood-framed 

walls were reinforced with large timber columns, l3 inches by 13 inches, 

spaced 15 feet apart along the two 

side walls. On either side of the 

building, a number of interior walls 

formed small rooms which had once. 

been used for rest rooms, ticket 

booths and storage rooms. In order 

to allow the cover material from the 

charges to disperse evenly throughout the building, the sheet rock 

from most interior walls was 

removed prior to the demolition. 

The 2-inch by Cinch studs were left 

in place. 

As a test measure, the interior 

walls of three small rooms were not 

removed. The doors to these rooms 

were closed and no charges were 

40 pounds 

of flour . 

TN' 


placed inside. The rest of the building was prepared for the demolition 

by placing 318-inch plywood over 

glass doors and the windows to help 

make the building airtight. 

The size and number of charges 

needed to destroy a building 

depend on the amount of cover 

material needed, which is calculated 

using the volume of the structure. 

The calculation formula is 3 to 5 

pounds of cover for each 1,000 

cubic feet, using 3 pounds for 

enclosed buildings and 5 pounds for 

partially enclosed buildings. The 

movie theater was enclosed, so 900 

pounds of cover was required. A 

1-pound dust initiator charge will 

detonate up to 40 pounds of cover 

material, so the theater demolition 

required 22 l/Z 1-pound charges. 

For convenience, 23 charges were 

used. 

The charges were constructed by 

fust cutting a 1-pound block of 

TNT in half. The soldiers placed a 

one-half block of TNT into an 

MRE bag and crushed it with a face 

hammer (a non-sparking hammer is 

required for safety). The cardboard 

container holding the TNT was 

used as a measure to pour an equal 

amount of thermite into the MRE 

bag. The TNT and thermite were 

thoroughly mixed together to form a 

1-pound charge. Another MRE bag, 

which would hold the final charge, 

was prepared by cutting off the two 

bottom corners to provide holes just 

large enough to slide detonating 

cord through. Rather than use a 

standard Uli knot, which would only 

allow the charge to be single fired, 

the Uli knot was tied in the center 

of a 10-foot branch line, as shown 

below. Each end of the detonating 

cord was placed through the holes 

in the MRE bag, and the Uli knot 

was centered inside the bag. Tape 

used to close the holes in the bag 

was then wrapped around the 

detonating cord. The TNTJthermite 

mix prepared earlier was then 

poured into the bag. 
Soldiers placed the bag on the 

floor of the building, and poured 40 

pounds of flour onto each charge. 

This procedure was repeated 23 

times so the charges were evenly 

spaced throughout the building. 

Each charge was connected to two 

separate Cuing ,systems. Non-electric 

caps were then connected to each 

of the fig systems. 

The demolition of the theater 

went as planned. The soldiers 

pulled the fuze igniters, and walked 

to a covered position U)O feet away. 

The explosion lifted the roof approximately 5 feet and the walls wllapsed inward. Debris from the 

building was scattered 30-50 feet 

away from the building. Several of 

the U-inch by l3-inch wooden 

columns were still upright, but they 

leaned inward at a @-degree angle. 

A small fie started approximately 

three minutes after the explosion, 

and it was allowed, under the supervision of the fire department, to consume the debris. 

The three small rooms which had 

no charges placed inside them were 

still intact, although they burned 

rapidly. The buildii adjacent to 

the explosion suffered no damage. 

The well-controlled nature of the explosion was shown by a street lamp 

which, although only 25 feet from 

the building, remained unbroken. 

The theater demolition project at 

Fort Knox demonstrated the effectiveness of the dust initiator technique and its specialized military 

applications. The engineers who carried out the job proved their skill in 

explosive techniques, while learning 

that flour can indeed be an important ingredient in the recipe for 

destruction. Y 

Lieutenant Flint is currently a 

platoon leader in the 522nd Engineer 

Company, 19th Engineer Banalion, 

194th Armored Brigade, Folt Knox, 

Kentucky. He previously served with 

C Company, 19th Engineer Battalion. He is a graduate of the Engineer Oficer Basic Course. 

(Personal Kewpoint continued) 

soldier like other munitions. 

The mandated 30-minute wait 

before inspecting a misfie is not 

possible in combat. What factors 

went into specifying this time delay? 

How long can a defective fuse sputter and smolder and still burn to the 

cap? What confidence level must 

we achieve and how long must we 

wait to achieve it? What is the probability of both fuses in a dual 

primed system being defective? 

We must establish a waiting time 

for dual-primed charges with 2-

minute fuses. I have never had a 

dual-mimed charee -
 fail to detonate 

on schedule. I1I analysis indicates 

that (iual priming is not reliable 

enough, triple priming should be .. . the rule. 

Our minimum allowable safe distance from one-half pound of explosive is 300 meters. 1000 feet! 

This safe-distance rule is designed 

to eliminate missile hazard over a 

smooth plane. It is not designed for 

combat or realistic training environments where soldiers use folds in 

the ground or APC armor for cover. 

If we applied this number to all explosives, we could not fie a LAW, 

throw a hand grenade, or detonate 

a Claymore. 

Dupont's Blaster's Handbook 

states that a conservative blast 

safety distance'from one-half pound 

of explosive is 22 feet. We use a distance 50 times larger! Excessive 

safety distances lead to unsafe situations because soldiers ignore them. 

Accident risks rise because soldiers 

don't know the true hazard distance. 

Over-Water Procedures. Current 

over-water safety procedures are 

band-aids that cover real safety 

problems. AU 12C bridge crewman 

and 12B combat engineers should 

be swimmers. We should incorporate swimming into their PT 

programs and make it an MOSqualification requirement,, A high 

percentage of 12Cs sllould be 

lifeguard-certifies. > ..~~,.~ lvlealu supporting bridging should have resuscitation equipment. AU bridge-erection 

boats should have permanently installed life preservers with attached 

ropes and boathooks in ready-use 

racks. We should practice man-overboard drills every time a boat is put 

in the water. 

Why not assign buddy-team 

responsibilities for troops working 

over water, so that nobody could 

fall in the water without being 

missed? The Boy Swuts figured this 

one out long ago. 

We must consider the total threat 

to troops working over water, including threats caused by the 

enemy. Raft and boat crews must 

have their individual weapons available amd wear combat equipment. 

If we purchase proper life jackets * .. ror me force (class 5), soldiers 

could wear web gear and carry a 

slung weapon. Addiig a grenade 

pull ring to the helmet chinstrap 

would give it a quick release. Because rafts and bridges are priority 

artillery and air attack targets, we 

should routinely protect bridge 

boats against fragments with 

sandbags around the crew positions. 

Training. The most important 

safety procedure is to build a well 

trained force. Nothing is more unsafe than allowing a force of 

amateurs to undertake complex, 

potentially hazardous tasks, especially when everyone's safety depends 

on each person knowing their job. 

We must not avoid training a critical combat task in peacetime because of potential hazards. Training 

to standard in a controlled environment is the only way to surmount 

the hazards. If the task is unsafe, 

change it. Don't prohibit it, fix it! 

We must develop safe combat 

safety procedures, drill those procedures into habit, and set responsibiities at the correct level-not 

for safe training, but for true safety. 

LTC (;reenwait, a combat engineer, 

is ass(gned as Chief;Tactics, Train- . mns wd Doctrine Division, Directorate of Combined Arms, US.Army 

Engineer School. 
- Engineer Probl~

You are tasked to design a concrete mix for aircraft runway 

pavement. The following specificationsand conditions apply: 

Required28day compressive strength (f'c): 4,000 pounds per 

square inch (psi) 

Exposure conditions: Extremefreeze-thawand air-water exposure 

Cement (C): Type 1A (air-entralned) 

Specific gravity.of portlandcement (SGc): 3.15 

Slump range: 1-2 inches 

Maximumsize aggregate (CA): 2 inches 

Specific gravity of coarse aggregate (SGca): 2.7 

Dry-roddedunit weight of coarse aggregate: 110 pounds per cubic 

foot (Iblcf) 

Specific gravity of fine aggregate (SGfa): 2.6 

Dry-rodded unit weight of fine aggregate: 105 Iblcf 

Fineness modulus of fine aggregate (FM): 3.0 

Assumptions: 

Specific gravity of water: 1.OO 

Weight of water: 8.33 pounds per gallon (Iblgal) 

Weight of one sack of portland cement: 94 lbs 

Reference Manual: FM 5-742 

Engineer Solution on page 44. 

34 Engineer 
MS PERSPECTIVE 


Survivability Editor's Note: Wth this issue, ENGINEER begins a 

new sight feature into combat designed branch to provideperations, readers especially with qanded those per- intnining to engineer missions. Re following anicle And the Tank Platoon Defense originah appeared in the Janu"y1Pebm~ 1989 issue of 

ARMOR Professional Bulletin. Original m'cles by other 

combo1 annsperronnel are welcome. 

by First Lieutenant Kevin Keaveny 

Many tank pli~toons do not know 

11ow to prep;lre a tlelensive battle 

pcisition. While the "book states 

every tank platoon must correctly 

construct del'ensive l(irtilications, to 

find out just how to do this heconies 

a chsllcnge. Worse, platoon lcadcrs 

have difliculty understanding and integrating cngi~irers into the dclense. 

In the year and a hall I served as 

an armor platoon obscrvcr controller at the National Training Center, 

not one platoon in thirty-three cver 

did all defensive tasks correctly. It 

always seemed a platoon' was good 

at one point or another, hut not ;it 

everything. This article discusses 

ways to overcome these deficiencies 

by methods employed successfully 

using tank platoons at the NTC. 

Poinrs contained here adtlress engineer organization, engineer equipment, fighting positions, listening 

and observation posts, and prkstock 

ammunition sites. 

Engineer Equipment 

Platoon lcadcrs scldon~ grasp 

wherc the engineers come from, or 

what ;I monumental task it is to dig 

in a battalion task l~rce.~ Tlie

hrigade ~iormally goes to tl~e lield 

with an attached engineer company 

ol the divisional engineer battalion, 

with subordinate engineer platoons 

undcr the operation;~l control of battalion task l'orces.' In all cases, the 

engineers receive spcci;~lizecl logistic support I'rom their parent unit, 

wliile the task rorce provides comnion class support. Additional engineers can wme lrom division or 

corps on a direct or genernl, support basis. Many of thcse L$11b' 'Inecrs 

do not normally dig in tanks, so 

platoon supervision must he exact. 

D7s, D8s, ACES, and CEVs are 

the four engineer vehicles associated with building su~vivability 

positions." At the time ol' this article, D7s and D8s are the most 

numerous and provide most oT the 

ear-tli-moving power ol the coml~at 

lorces. The CEVs, lound in the two 

C:EV seclions or the engineer cornpany, are excellent for building posiEngineer 35 
36 Engineer 

Meetthe Movers and Scrapers... 

is the ability to tilt the blade to focus earthbreaking power, as seen here. 

The CEVs blade is wider than its 

~LIII, hence it can excavate a fullwidth tank position, suitable for both 

M60s and M1 tanks, in a single pass. 

~h~ ~g ~~~~~~d combat ~ ~ f(ACE) l h ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The M9's blade, like that on the D7,is narrower than a tank, so leaders have to ensure 

that the positions it excavates are wide 

enough for the tanks being emplaced. Each 

engineer platoon has only two of 

-

these.

lions hut are used is its dozer blade.5 Tliis point is 

nicjre for mol~ility m~oluntil one considers th;~t I>oth 

and counter- the MO(l and M1 tank ]lulls arc 

~nohilityt;~sks. wider than the D7 hl;~de! This puts 

;nLlcd pressure on subordin;~te 

Tllc l>l;~clcs on ic;~dcrsto cnsure positicins arc wide 

the tr;lclors arc enough for tanks to enter and exit 

11y d r ;I11 Iic a II y without throwing track. The si~mc 

opcri~ted, and on bl;~de size pmblem exists will1 the 

D8s, and c ACE, which mounts ;Ihladc sin;illcr 

niodcl D7s, are ;ld- th;in tllc D7. Thcrc is no prol7lcm 

,justahle in the lor tlie CEV to dig positions, heIlorizontal as well cituse its blade is widcr than its own 

as tlic vertical hull, providing a snug Sit for li<ith 

plane. The ahility the MOO and M1. 

lo tilt the blade 

1iorizc1nl;tlly allows The pli~toonlcaclcr necds lo undcrthe operator to ill- stand tii:~t a l?attali~nt:~sk force ~iiity 

crease the surface only have 1iout.s to prcperc a 

pressure on citlicr dclense, and such ti~iicwill not be 

end, giving the sullicicnt to coniplctc its engi~iecr 7 Lraclor Srealer work. As a casc in point. an :~rmor 

earth-break ing ba~t;tlion t;~sk I'nrcc, with nn enpowcr. Sup- ginccr plaloon 0PC:ON and ;~llottccl 

plenicnting the twenty-four hours to dclcnd, laces 

hl;~de on some many sobering facts: 

tractors are ripl~ccs, locarctl at * The engineer platoon h;ls only 

llic rcsr 01' the t\vo ACES. l'or :I maxi~numof 48 

~cl~icles,tlli~t :ICI COIIS~~UCL~U~hours (Sce figur. 011 

much like 21 h;~ck- fi~ci~~gpf~gc). 

y;~rdspi~di~igfork. 

Forty-six cornhat \,eliicles reIn an unviro~i- quire survivability pr~sitions. 

~nctitwill1 exlre~iicly hart1 soil, :I typi- Position construction lime will 

c;~l sccne would lake from 46 hours for all-hull 

show the tractor defilade to 119 liours [or turret 

operator preparing defilade positions. 

llie ground hy 

d171gging the rip- Mo1)ility and coun~cr~ni~l>iIity 

pcrs across lirst. tractor t:~sks, tractor down-lime, 

Thcn, il rcquil-cd, operator a\>ail:~hility,anrl trnvcl lime 

hc would tilt the hctween positions will ;dl suhlr;~ct 

1)l;tde to r11r11ic1- from surviwhility construction time. 

hreak ~licsoil. As 

a Iz~st step, the Ei~chol [lie 12 plaloons can 

operator levels the onlv expect to see the tr;ictors f<)r 

blade and removes up lo four hours. 

the remaining soil 

from the hole. The The pl:~toon lcatlcr needs to 

D7, thou~li it dccidc bcf~~rclii~nd wlii~t work the 

looks likc :I D8, is c~lgincers will accomplish onsite. 

actually smallcr, as The pl;~toon lci~dcrc:~lcul;~~cshow 
much time will be required to dig 

each fighting position, adds that 

time up, and compares the t(it;~I to 

rile lilnc the engineer5 are under his 

contl-ol. 

Il the time reqoired to dig in excccds the ensinccr tinic available, 

one ol three courses ol'action is possible: 

Select new fighting posilions requiring ICSS construcLioll time. 

Have morc construction time idIottcd by the c~inip;~nycummandcr 

or 11alt;llion headqua~tcrs. 

Request the assignment or additional engineer asscls. 

II extra time exists, IISC it 10 in>-

prove positions, dig in prestock amn~uniti<~n, or loosen soil lor listcni~~g 

and observation posls. As ;I hackup 

to the. lirst plan. Ic:~dersslloold alsn 

prepare a contingency plan, so il 

the engineers are hie I reluro, 

1hcy call improve the positions. 

Routinely, platoon leaders lut(lere,~-

rirtznre what the engineers can do 

the lirsl time 011the hatllc positiotl. 

By not preparing kir them the 

second time. plato~inI t';I< I .CI s CBIIIIOL 

achieve ihc bcsl possiblc dcScnsc. 

Fighting Positions 

Doclrin:~lly, dclihcrnte fighting 

positions consist oS lour cle~nents 

ccinstructed in this order: bull 

dclilade, co~iccaled access routc, 

hide location, and turret dcfiln~le. 8. 

In the lield. rnilny plalnnns instead 

I to huild llle positions in Illis 

nrdcr: hull, lurl.et, itccess ramp 

(route), and hide. Expurience shows 

that eneinccrs seldo~nhave cnouph 

time to improve hidc positions. 

Also, contrary to doctrine, many 

units dig positions Srom hack lo 

Jrortr, Icnvins spoil piled into berms. 

HULL DEFILADE Basic,TWO-Tier 

UJD LEVEL 

Tank Fighting ..--- .- .... 

-,*' J--^Position 

/--' 

TURRET DEFILADE 

GROUND LEVEL ..,, -- ..,.. - .. GROUND LEVEL 

7. -7 '. 

'.< -.

-.... ,/ 

/" 

-.., *-._-.*--_-..- ".&."..^.. ,.' 

Engineer 37 
STEP 1. Establish hull defilade ... 

Two-Tier Tank Fighting Position 


On a Hill - -. . 


.'---.-.-I---. '-.-. _-+-_-

STEP 2. If time permits, d 

ENEMY LINE OF SIGHT ~ -- -- - -.-

STEP 3. Then prepare turret defilade by improving ramp 

from hide area to hull defilade position. 

Tlle unfoulunnle side effcct of this .... ..... 

38 Engineer 
ev;~lu:~tewh;~t the spnili~gereveals. 

;~ndthen adjust his defensive plan 

;~ccordingly. 

Desert operations prcsenl unique 

prohlcnls lor position construction. 

Tlie earth is usually eillicr too soft 

or loo hard to pcrnlil conventional 

positions, so tlle platoon leatler 

niusr seek a hal;~nce hctween the 

use of natural tcrrain and engineerprcp;~rcd positions.'" R;~vincs, 

wadis, and dunes can ;III provide a 

certain i~~noont of l~;~llislicprotection if ioci~tedefrcctivclv within !lie 

ht~ttleposilion. Whcn using natural 

Iigliling positions. thc relatcd prolcclion is grcatcst a1 or near lhc ~iiirin 

gun's el'fectivc rilnge, hut diminislies 

as tlie enemy closes and is able to 

nianeuvcr agitinsl specilic targets. 

Individual Fighting Positions 

Listening and ohserv;tlion posls 

need witIist:~nd indirect lirc. 

Tank pl;~toons tend la viol;~te this 

principle and send <,ut soldiers to 

m;ln posts that have no protection 

;I{ all. As doctrine now st;tnds, the 

only ligliti~igpositi~napplicable is 

the onc-soldier delibcrnre. with 

eighteen inches of overhead cover - not ;I good choice because niost 

tankers dislike digging. 

An alternalive is to modify 

another position, the one-man hasly 

prone. into a dcliherate with tlie 

same eighteen inches of overhead 

cover. Such a positioa lends itselr to 

prcfabrication. 

To store the structure, a hrackel 

mounted on the lank's hustle rack 

holds thc loltlcd roof.". Displaced 

lactical signs. hrnierly on the hustle 

rack, can cithcr attach to the outside 01 the rool or appear directly 

on it. The design concept of the 

"deliberale" prone position has four 

key features: 

It is hldahle for storage. 

A pop-up sand box on (op holds 

the eighteen inches 01overlirad lill. 

One- or Two-Soldier Positionwith Overhead Cover 

While providing ideal protection for soldiers in listening posts and OPs. 

there is seldom enough time to prepare such a complex position. Prefabricated version on the following page protects as well with less digging. 

Four-by-lour construction lcnds *The posilion reqoires tlie 

sturdiness. removal of 12 cubic Feet less ol dirt. 

Spikes lirrnly anchor the roof The maiorily of the dirt is cominto the ground. posed of loosely co~npactcdtop soil. 

01 the two positions, the A tractor can take a swipe of 

"deliberate" prone has three prin- soil lo eliniicrate n1uch ol' the necescipal advantages: sary digging." 

Engineer 39 
-

1 8 sa~pu! 40 peaq~a~o 'JOOIO~J~AO~ u! .suosuods 

palqwas pue pall!$ ql!~ 'wa xoq sppe saloas uo PJJ~I alasnq !saay3eJq saylds ale palois 

pi04 dn pue a~ols uo yue] 'aal~nl uaqM -s.e leuo!l 3!as!l(eq ~~o!pa~odd ,,xoqpueS,, splo4 pue 

,,'xoqpueS,, 4004 'stueaq pue ap!s stueaq passall yl!~ 'quea qaoq 104 aDel4nowe3 pue -!ppe 

alqe~od peaqlaho Jan03 s! palqtuasse pue -1nq 

1~ do1 pue 'alroqe sBu!~e~p a~e~~snll! ~04 -!was 

. .-. -...----

A"Z"308"fiOL 

~I!M peayJaA0 laAo3 

usyy-auo 6!4 6u!ly uo!l!so,j 

\I 'alqevod-!uas pa!j!poyy Ajse~
, _._. 
 1

Excavators can loosen soil, even if tiiere's not enough time lo finish the job by machine. 

A~iotlier survivability project is the 

task ol fortilling prestock ammunition against indirect lire. More than 

:111y ~thcr task, somc tankers view 

the job ol hi~rdening prcstock sites 

as a distraction from other responsibilities. Two methods are av;~ilable 

to cut down the ti~iie dctlicated to 

hardening thc sites. The lirst is to 

carry 011 the tanks - or in the 

trains - enough Class 1V to support tlie required eighteen inches of 

overlicad cover. 

The second method, shown by 

lield experience to he the best. is to 

use tlie wootlen ammunition packaping cratcs fillet1 with sand and soil. 

The cratcs arc easy to stack. 

provide a Iiantly method [or building, and come with liandlcs fur easy 

access to the ron~ids beneath. 

Again, lhc enpinecrs call assist hy 

dipging a slit trcncli. wliicli placcs 

thc rou~ids helow ground lcvcl and 

provides loose soil lor lilling thc 

crates. 

Usalde fishting positions, listening 

and observation posts, and prcstock 

ammtinition sites are critical to an 

armor pl;~toon's delensc. Platoon 

Icaders must use engineers lo help 

makc tiic hcst possible dcfcnsive 

b;~ttle position. To do that, the 

platoon leader must define what 

tasks tlie pl~rtoo~i can do itsell' and 

what tasks the engineers can help 

with. As a minimum, the pl;itoon 

leader is responsible Tor ;!!I site 

selection and post-construction 

evalu~tio~i. Suhordinntc 1e:ttlers :Ire 

nccountahle for supervision ;~nd 

ilr)ctrinal soundness of construction. 

With lhe right supervision from the 

tankers, and productive work from 

the engineers, the platoon will gnin 

stcadv firing platforms, and a 

chalice to domuiate [lie battle. 

Notes 

1. FM 71-1, Final Draft, Section Four. 

June 1983. 

2. 
Divisional Engineer Company TOE 5- 

145J, Divisional Engineer Battalion TOE 5- 

145J, Command Relationships FM 5-103, 

2-29. 

3' Vehicular composition of a TOE 5-

145J Divisional Engineer Company is six 

tractors, two combat engineer vehicles, 

and two small emplacement excavators. 

4'D8s are not common to divisional engineer battalions, but are used by other 

engineer elements which may appear in 

the forward battle areas. 

5. The D7 blade is 11 feet wide: the D8 

is 13 feet. 1.5 inches; and the width of 

the M9 ACE blade Is 10 feet. 6 inches. 

''The M60 is 11.91 feet wide. the M1 

11.98 feet wide. 

'' FM 71-1. Final Draft. Section Four. 

June 1983. and FM 5-100. May 1984. 

~o matter what any manual states as 

construction times, such numbers are 

only estimates. In many cases, there are 

diflerences between manuals. 

Hasty positions are often referred to 

as MILES berms, parapets, or berms. FM 

5-103, 4-13, states such positions are 
Hardened Prestock Ammunition Site 

Constructed 01 ammo cmtes Biied with sand, this ammunition sheller holds 54 tank 

rounds. A lew dozer swipes prepare the hole. Spoii 1s used to liii crates. 

The 10 overhead boxes END VIEW 

MUST be liiied with sand 

or soil 10 stop lragmentalion Side crates MAY be 

lilted, at user's option. 

depending on terrain. 

The structure requires 

31 ammo boxes 

GROUND LEVEL 

. . . . . . ..... . .. . . b. . 

.. . 'b. ' , . ,, 

b " . A . 4 .. 

. . d ' A' 

;,;; 

, 

Increased Survivability 

For Prestocked Ammo 

This field-expedient 

method protects main 

gun ammunition from 

indirect fire. The basic 

building block is the 

empty ammo crate, 

tilled with soil taken 

from the slit trench excavation that allows 

the rounds to be 

stored below ground 

level. 

At left, schematic 

shows how rounds 

should be stacked in 

the enclosure. 
One-Soldier Position (Deliberate) 

i I I 

GRENADE SUMP \-~.--- DIG TO WIDTH AND DEPTH I 

OF ENTRENCHING TOOL 

AT 30-DEGREEANGLE One-Soldier Position (Hasty Prone) 

"usually for APCs and CEVs and are not two meters deep in the center and three 12. The one-soldier deliberate fighting 

recommended for tanks because of their times the vehicle width. position requires removal of 30 cubic feet 

false sense of security." The mount would be similar, but of soil (3 ft, x 2 ft. x 5 ft.). compared with 

FM 90-3, 4-6, elaborates on desert not as complicated as the mounting 18 cubic feet for the hasty prone position 

fighting positions, which consist of ir- developed in the late 1970s for the tank. (6 ft. x 2 fl. x 1.5 ft.) 

regularly-shaped scoops approximately mounted reconnaissance motorcycle. 

Battalion Task Force 


Emplacement Time 


First Lieutenant Kevin 

Chart illustrates how to calculate the time needed to emplace a heavy division Keaveney was commisbattalion task force with a mix of MI and M2 vehicles. (In an M6OIM113-equipped sioned in Armor under the 

force. there would be more dozer time available per tank because many units do ROTC Early Commissionnot dig in hasty fighhting positions for the APCs in the hide. But in either case, ing Program in 1981. He is 

estimates do not include scout or mortar vehicles.) a graduate of the University of Arizona and has 

TF HULL TURRET TOTAL served as assistant $3, 

ELEMENT POSlTiON POSITION TIME platoon leader, assistant 

Per Total Per Total S1, observer-controller at 

Co. A (MI) .9 12.6 1.5 21.0 33.6 NTC; Armor training officer 

Co. B (MI) .Q 12.6 1.5 21.0 33.6 (range control), Ft. Pickett. 

co. c (MZ) .8 10.4 1.2 15.6 26.0 VA: and as an assistant S3 

CO. D (~2) .8 10.4 1.2 15.6 26.0 at division level. He is a 

TOTALS 46.0 73.2 119.2 graduate of AOBC and 

Note: Total time would be greater if the TF had more infantry and Co. E (i.e., AOAC, Ft. Knox, KY. 

more vehicles). Chart assumes emplacement of 12 platoons and availability of 


two ACES for 48 hours. 


Engineer 43 
~n~ineer Solu 

Step 1: Estimateair content. (Table 3-3, FM 5-742) 

a. Aggregatesize: 2 inches 

b. Air-entrained concrete 

c. extreme exposure 


Air Content: 5 percent 


Step 2: Estimate mixingwater content. (Table 3-3, FM 5-742) 

a. Slump: 1-2 inches 

b.Aggregate size: 2 inches 

c. Air-entrained concrete 


Mixing Water: 240 pounds per cubic yard (Iblcy) 


Step 3: Determine water-to-cement (w/c) ratio. (Check wlc ratios for strength, 

durability, and watertightness.) 

a. Strength (Table 3-2, FM5742) 

1. Specifiedcompressive strength: 4,000 psi 

2.Air-entrained concrete 


Water-to-cement ratio: 0.35 


b. Durability(Table 3-1, FM5742) 

1. Frost-resistant concrete 

2. All other structures 


Water-to-cement ratio: 0.50 


c. Watertightness (Table 3-1, FM5742) 

1. Fresh water exposure 


Water-to-cement ratio: 0.50 


d. Selectlowest water-to-cement ratio from above: 0.35 

Step 4: Calculate cement content (C). 

C = 

Miingwater content lb/cy - 240 Iblcy = 686 lblcy w/c ratio 0.35 

Step 5: Calculate coarseaggregatecontent (CA). (Table 3-6,FM 5-742). 

a. CA size: 2 inches 

b. Finenessmodulus of tine aggregate: 3.0 

c. Volume of CA: 19.4 cubic feetper cubic yard (cflcy) 

d. CA weight = volume of CA x dry-rodded weight of CA = 

19.4 cflcy x 110 Iblcf = 2,134 Iblcy 


CA content: 2,134 Iblcy 


Step 6: Calculate fine-aggregate content by absolute volume method. (A 1-CY 

mixture). 

weight of material Absolute volume = (specific gravity of material) x (62.4 Iblcf) 

44 Engineer 
a. Absolute volume of cement: I 

b. Absolute volume of water: (See table 3-3,FM5-742for wt for water.) I 

c. Absolute volume of coarseaggregate: I 

2.134 Iblcy 

(2.7)x (62.4Iblcf) = 12.67 cf/Cy 

d. Volume of air: 

(% Air x 27cflcy) = 

0.05x 27cflcy = 1.35 cflcy 

e. Summing: 


Cement: 3.49dlcy 


Water: 3.85cflcy 


CA: 12.67cflcy 


Air: 1.35cflcy 


Partial Volume (PV) = 21.36 cflcy 


f. Absolute volume of fine-aggregate: 

27 cf/cy - (PV) = 27cflcy - 21.36cflcy = 5.64 C~/CY 

g. Weight of fineaggregate: 

Ib vol of FA x SGfa x 62.4Iblcf = 

5.64 cflcy x (2.6)x 62.4Iblcf = 915 Iblcy 

Step 7: Determine proportions for first trial batch (for I cy) by converting absolute 

volumes to dryvolumes. d. Fine-aggregate: a. Cement type 1A: 

686Iblcy 915IbICY = 8.7 ,.f 
 = 7.3 sacks 105Iblcf
 94 I blsac k 

b. Water: e. Air content: 5 percent 

240 lblcy = 28.8 gal 8.33Iblgal 

This Engineer Problem/Solution was submitted by Captain Mlchael E. Slavin, who is 

currently a student at the Combined Arms and Services Staff School. He previously 

Sewed as executive officer of the 35th Engineer Battalion at Fofl Leonard Wood, 

Missouri. He is a registered professional engineer in Virginia. 

Engineer 45 
-mENGINEER UPDATE 


Organizations may find it difficult to contact Engineer School 

personnel by telephone between October and December 1989. 

Telephone numbers will change as units move into Hoge Hall, the 

new schoolhouse, during this period. You may have befter luck 

reaching people by mail. As new telephone numbers are assigned, 

the Engineer School will try to disperse them through the Reserve 

Component Training Net (through DA Forum) and DIALCOM corn 

purer systems. Please bear with us! 

Directorate of Combat Rock Crushing Equipment and Training. Delivery of two new ~ ~ - - ~ ~ -

rock crushers is expected in 1990. The first, to be delivered to Fort Developments (DCD) Leonard Wood In January, will be under the operational control of 

the 577th Engineer Battalion, 1st Engineer Brigade. The 13th Engineer Company, 19th Engineer Battalion, at Fort Knox, Kentucky, 

will receive the second in February. The crushers have a minimum 

capacity of 150 tons per hour and will be equipped with a primary 

unit (jaw) and a secondary unit (cone). They wiil be trailer-mounted 

and diesel and electric motor driven. 

Equipment training for the rock crushers will occur in January at 

Fort Leonard Wood. The 2-week course will include operations and 

organizationslinterim and general support maintenance. 

Armored Vehicle Launched MlCLlC (AVLM) Concept Tested. 

Tests to evaluate the concept of mounting MlCLlCs on top of an armored vehicle launch bridge (AVLB) were conducted at Fort Knox, 

Kentucky, in September. Areas evaluated included driving the AVLM 

over rough terrain, mounting the MlCLlCs using organic engineer 

AVLM equipment, and the need for additional training. Initial test results 

were favorable for the AVLM concept. The Engineer School will 

receive tentative test results from the Testing Experiment Command's Armor and Engineer Board in October, and final results are 

scheduled for the first quarter of PI 1990. 

Combat Developments Newsgram. The latest actions in combat developments are reported in DCD's monthly "Newsgram." If 

you wish to be on the distribution list, write to Commandant, U.S. 

Army Engineer School, ATTN: ATSE-CDP (CPT Ohmann), Fort 

Leonard Wood, MO 65473-6620. 

De~artrnent of 	 New Terrain Analysis Manual. FM 5-33, Terrain Analysis, will 

Topographic Engineering 	 supersede the present manual, FM 21-33, when it is published in 

the spring of 1990. Field comments on the coordinating draft of FM 

5-33 are being incorporated into the final text. 

Directorate of Military Transition Update. DME welcomed LTC Robert N. Martin as its 

Engineering (DME) new director in July. He recently completed the U.S. Army War College and has se~ed in various command and staff assignments. 

- We are in full swing to make the transition to Fort Leonard 

Wood a success. Continuity is a concern as instructors and trainers 

move to the Engineer School. LTC Quesenberry and his staff are 

conducting the last few EOBC and EOAC courses at Fort Belvoir. 

The last EOAC class wiil graduate in December. New instructors, 

team leaders, branch chiefs, and division chiefs are balancing their 

time between becoming better acquainted with the EOAC programs 

46 Engineer 
Directorate of Training 


and Doctrine (DOTD) 


of instruction at Fort Belvoir and the challenging task of bringing the 

courses on line at Fort Leonard Wood. 

The first EOAC course at Fort Leonard Wood will begin 5 

February 1990. Questions and comments may be addressed to U.S. 

Army Engineer School, AlTN: ATSE-DME, Fort Leonard Wood, MO 

654736650, 

DOTD welcomed COL John W. Pierce, our new director, in 

August. COL Pierce came to us from the Directorate of Combat 

Developments. 

Tracked Skill Qualification Tests (SQT). With the advent of 

"Battle Focus," some MOSS that are duty position or equipment 

specific will have tracked SQTs. The tracked tests will Include only 

the tasks for which the soldiers are responsible. For example, 62810 

will first have tests for tasks that are performed by all heavy equipment operators in that skill level. The remaining tasks will be divided 

into tracked tests according to the equipment the soldiers operate. 

The MOSS to be tracked in PI 1990 include 128, 12C, 12F, 52E, 

628, 62E, and 62J. 

Fiscal Year 1990 SQT Notices. All SQT Notices In FY 1990will 

Include information and instructions to help soldiers prepare for their 

tests. Every task listed by skill level, track, and task will be tested. 

The references used to develop the test questions, with publication 

dates, will be listed at the end of each task list so that soldiers will 

know which references to use when preparing for the test. 

Engineer Officers Advance Course-Reserve Component 

Records. Academic records for ReSe~e officers taking EOAC 

through residence courses, Army Correspondence Course Program 

(ACCP), inactive duty training (IDT), and active duty training (ADT) 

are now maintained by the Senior ReSelve Component Advisors' Office at the Engineer School. For information, write to U.S. Army Engineer School, AiTN: ATSE-DAC-NGIAR, Fort Leonard Wood, MO 

654736650. 

Computer Mail. Have a question? Like to provide input on current issues at the Engineer Center? Contact the Senior Resewe 

Component Advisors Office or the Reserve Training Office on either 

or both of the following networks: DIALCOM or RC Training Net. 

U.S. Army Engineer School's Pre-Command Course. Leadership, resourcefulness, and competence are key elements in Fort 

Leonard Wood's Pre-Command Course. Active duty, ReSelve, and 

National Guard soldiers who attend gain an understanding of current doctrine and refresher training in selected functions and duties 

related to the Engineer Branch and Total Force concept. 

Starting with the first Pre-Command Course in PI 1990, the 2- 

week engineer phase will precede the Fort Leavenworth phase. Thls 

will allow students to become familiar with current engineer doctrine 

and combat tactics used in the Total Force concept before they go 

to Fort Leavenworth. Topics include Training in the Army System, 

Combat Engineering Tactics, Supply Management, Maintenance 

Management, and Professional Development. For information, write 

U.S. Army Engineer School, AlTN: ATSE-TDS, Fort Leonard Wood, 

MO 65473-6650. 
First Brigade Fort Leonard Wood Holds All the ACEs. Fort Leonard Wood 

became the first Army post to receive the M9 Armored Combat 

Earthmover (M9 ACE), when 19 vehicles were delivered on 15 September. Selected combat engineer units Army-wide will receive their 

M9 ACEs sometime between 1990 and 1993. 

The M9 ACE provides combat engineers wRh a vehicle capable 

of performing its mission and staying with armored and infantry 

units. The vehicle is air-transportable, amphibious, fully tracked, and 

armored. It can prepare fighting positions, river crossings, and 

obstacles, and it has earth-moving capability. Primary uses include 

bulldozing, rough grading, excavating, hauling, and scraping. 

The 87th Engineer Battalion at Fort Leonard Wood will include 

M9 ACE training in the Engineer Tracked Vehicle Crewman (12F) 

M9 ACE and Engineer Construction Equipment Repairer (628) Advanced Individual Training courses beginning in October 1989. Plans are underway to include hands-on training in the EOBC and EOAC courses that begin in January 1990. 

Engineer Personnel French Army Chief of Staff Awarded Medal. In a history- - making ceremony on 15 September, the U.S. Army Engineer proponent office (EPPO) Regimental Association presented the regimental de Fleury medal 

to General d9Armee Gilbert Forray, ~rench Army Chief of Siaff. The 

medal was awarded to commemorate the bicentennial of the 

French Revolution and to recognize the French Army's contribution 

to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the American Revolution. 

The original medal, awarded by the Continental Congress in 

1780, was struck in France. It commemorated the heroic actions of 

Francois de Fleury, a French engineer and one of the first officers in 

the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His actions in leading the assault 

on Stony Point, NY, in 1779 exemplify the spirit of the Corps of Engineers and the heritage that the Corps owes to the French Army. 

Detachment II, U.S. Army Prime Power Unit Moves to Fort Leonard Wood. On 1 SepEngineering and tember, Fort Leonard Wood became the new home of Detachment 

It, U.S. Army Engineering and Housing Support Center (USAEHSC). Housing Support Center The detachment headquarters and one subordinate prime power 

team relocated to the ~n~ineer Center from Fort ~illem,~eor~ia. 

Detachment II, USAEHSC, is comprised of three prime power 

teams, which are located at Fort Leonard Wood, Fort Benning, and 

Fort Sill. The teams are manned by elite, highly specialized noncommissioned officers of MOS 52E. Their mission is to provide 

utility grade electrical power in support of combat operations during 

wartime; utility grade electrical power in support of major military exercises and civil initiatives, such as nation building and emergency 

disaster relief during peacetime: prime power related support to the 

Directorates of Engineering and Housing in 10 southeastern states. 

Detachment Ii recently completed a 9-month deployment to 

Honduras in support of Joint Task Force-Bravo. Teams from Fort 

Leonard Wood and Fort Sill were deployed on 21 September to assist with emergency disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Hugo. 
Past in Review 


The role of engineers in 1916 


By Dr. Lany Roberts 

Throughout 1915 and 1916, pointed out that the field enan anxious America (Engineers must) "...facilitate -

eineer had to oractice ewnomv 

watched the nations of Europe 

hurl great armies at each other 

on the battlefields of France and 

Belgium. Many Americans 

wanted to stay out of the "Old 

World's problems." Some, however, recognized that the U.S. 

would ultimately become involved 

in the first great conflict of the 20th 

century. 

A military preparedness movement began in this country, and well 

known individuals, such as General 

Leonard Wood, urged their fellow 

citizens to get ready for war. Major 

Paul S. Bond, Corps of Engineers, 

wrote a small book for citizens and 

soldiers that explained ,the roles of 

engineers in modern warfare. Although out of print, the book is now 

part of the Engineer Archives at 

Fort Leonard Wood. 

Bond described three main functions for field engineers. The fust 

was to "facilitate the rapid movement of combatant forces." He 

devoted two chapters to discussions 

of stream crossing operations, equipment, and the construction and improvement of military roads. 

The second mission was to "increase the offensive or defensive 

powers of the combatant forces and 

to hit or decrease those of the 

enemy.)' The chapter on field fortifications and siege operations 

talked about building trenches and 

other field fortifications and various 

obstacles that wuld limit the 

enemy's advance. He also described 

methods of reducing the enemy's 

t%e rapid movement of 

combatant forces." 

defensive works. Part of the engineers' duties in this area included 

terrain reconnaissance, mapping, 

and surveying. 

Finally, Bond said that the field 

engineer was responsible for works 

that maintained the troops' health 

and promoted their comfort. These 

works included water supplies, 

sanitation facilities, hospitals, and 

buildings for housing troops and 

headquarters. He concluded the list 

of functions by adding that "Engineer troops must also be trained 

to take their place on the fuing line 

in battle, the same as infantry.)' 

In describing the human dimension of engineers, Bond believed 

that the engineer officer had to be 

able to withstand the hardships of 

campaigns and have the professional qualifications of both a soldier and an engineer. The engineer 

leader had to be resourceful, interested in his work, and a student of 

human nature. He must know 

how to handle men under trying 

circumstances. 

Bond cautioned against overspecialization for engineer troops. 

He believed that the ideal engineer 

was an "all-around man" who wuld 

supervise the operations of specialists, who were part of the national 

army. For this individual, broad engineering training and high tactical 

efficiency were essential. Bond 

of efforts and resources. Hi objective was to get the job done 

sufficiently to support the tactical commander. Too much time 

spent on making "the best 

bridge possible" could cause delays 

and keep commanders from seizing 

opportunities that arise on the 

battlefield. 

Major Bond's book was a short 

work (187 pages) that explained to 

citizens and soldiers what engineers 

must do in battle. He described 

operations that characterized both a 

war of movement and a war of position caused by the trenches in 

France. There is very little in it that 

does not parallel the duties and 

responsibilities of wmbat engineers 

today. The equipment has changed, 

as bas some of the techniques, but 

the basic functions and missions 

have remained the same. 

Bond, P.S, The Engineer in War: 

Wth Special Reference to the Training of the Engineer to Meet the 

Military Obligations of Cifitenship, 

McGraw-Hi Book Company, Inc., 

New York, 1916,187 p. 

Dr. Lany Roberts is historian for the 

LI.S. Amy Engineer School and 

Center, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He previously joined the Histoy Office of the Strategic Command, and laler was the School 

Program Manager for the TRADOC 

Militmy Histoy Education Program 

ai the Combat Studies Institule, Fort 

Leavenworih, Kansas.