Par!T=7 Enaineer 


THE PROFESSIONAL BULLETIN FOR ARMY ENGINEERS PB 5-87-4(TEST) 


BUILDING STABILITY IN TROUBLED REGIONS 

Across the Andes With Task Force 1169 

Lessons Learned - New In Issue 
Personal Viewpoint 


RESERVECOMPONENTDUTY 


by C:PT William G . Snider 

I have just completed a threeyear ;lssignmenI as engineer advisor 

11) a Reserve Component Advisory 

roup. The rewards, challcngesand frustrations-taught me some 

important lessons. Total Army bccomes more than R vague concept 

whcn reserve and active componcnts meet. It is in this arena that 

the re;llities of readiness and coordination are teslcd. 

It's good to learn the structure 

and command relationships that 

link the Active Army and the 

Rcscrve Component- that knowlcdgc makes a whole army emerge 

from the shadows, and wipes out 

the stcrcotype of the 'weekend wsrrior' in the process. I also learned a 

great deal about the problems that 

race the reserve component and active personnel who work with 

them-prol)lems of time, resources, 

and recognition. 

Tlle engineer advisor's job 

Reserve components make up 

more than 50 percent of the total 

Army. More imporbant to engineers 

is the fact that 70 percent or the engineer units are in the reserve componcnts. Thc chilncc that you, as an 

engineer orficer, will he assigned to 

rcscrve component duly are great 

and increasing all of the time. 

As an engineer advisor to Seneca 

Rcarlincss roup, I provided instruction, training assist;~ncc, and 

doctrinal advice. My work meant 

daily interaction with the reserve 

c<~niponcnls' full-lime personnel. I 

liclpcd them draw up training plan5 

and dutcrminc their resource requirements for weekend and annual 

training. 

I also gave instruction in subjects 

that ranged from AirLand Battle 

doctrine to common skills, including 

the enlire spectrum of combat engineer skills. Many limes, training in 

a specialized area-like mine warfare-would require me to teach 

doctrine, all the leader tasks, soldier 

tasks, and common skills required 

to complete the tasks. I worked with 

officers, NCOs and some soldiers 

during weekend training. 

Rcscrve units rcqued training, 

outlining their reqoirements, proposed schedule, and audience. 

Branch teams (Infantry, Armor, Artillery, Engineers, Combat Support 

and Admin Support) provide the 

training. 

Tactical training is available in 

the form of CPXs and battle simulation hoard games such as Pegasus 

and Dunn Kempf. The training is 

directed to the NCO and higher 

level, and is based on the Army 

Training Management System's 

"train the trainer" concept. This 

method of instruction increases the 

confidence of the unit in itsell and 

its leaders. 

When 1 and othcr rcadiness 

group personnel visited units, we 

took every opportunity to give Lraining. If we saw a unit leader having 

trouble with a mission, we ofrcrcd 

suggestions on more emcicnt 

methods. As atl\,isors, we stood 

ready to help rcscrvc units think 

creatively ahout opportunities for 

local training-constructio~i projects, civic action projects, cooper;<- 

tion with local agcncics thitt could 

offer in-service training on MOS 

skills-these arc some ol the howtos that make the dirrcrcncc between an active, involved unit and 

one that drifts. 

Learning the structure 

Service in reserve component 

duty soon teaches you the basic 

command structure of the reserves. 

The reserve component is made up 

of both the United States Army 

Reserve and the Army National 

Guard. Both have similar missions, 

strengths, and weaknesses; however, 

they also have many differences. 

The Army Reserve is made up 

mostly of comhat support units, and 

has only a rederal mission of mobilizing in wartime to augment Llic 

active force structure. 

The National Guard is nlostly 

combat units, and has a dual mission. One mission is to be the governor's militi;t, ready to mect the 

military needs or the state in an 

emergency. The federal mission is, 

upon mobilization, to augment the 

active force. 

The differences also extend to the 

command structure. The Army 

Reserve units are normally organized in an Army Command 

(ARCOM), Major Army Command 

(MACOM), or Major Subordinate 

Reserve Command (MUSARC). 

The National Guard units are undcr 

the commantl of the governors. 

The state adjulant gcncr;ll is their 

state military comm;~nder. 

The five C:ontincntal Uniled 

Slates Armies (C:ONUSAs) provide 

pcacctime liason channels lo the Nitlional Guard, a)~nm;lnd thc Army 

Reserve, and scrve as the l~ighcr 

headrjuartcrs for the readiness 

group. Forces Command 
March 1988 

UNITED STATES ARMY 

ENGINEER CENTER 

AND FORT BELVOIR, VA 

COMMANDERICOMMANDANT 

MG William Henry Reno 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Katherine Moylan 

FEATURES EDITOR 

Penelope Schmitt 

NEWS EDITOR 

SP4 Richard M. Sanborn 

DESIGNER 

Jennifer C. Bolyard 

By Order of the Secretary of the Army: 

CARL E. VUONO 

General, United States Army 

Chief of Staff 

Official: 

R. L. DILWORTH 

Brigadier General, United States Army 

The Adjutant General 

About the cover 

Soldiers of the 145th Engineers, 

Alabama National Guard, muscle 

ACROW girders into place as they 

prepare to bridge the Rio Hollin in 

Ecuador. 

Photo by Penelope Schmitt 

Volume 17 PB 5-87-4 (TEST) 

I 

FEATURES 

8 Engineers Build Stability in Troubled Regions 


by COL John E. Schaufelberger 


10 	Redstone: A Readiness Group Helps the Guard Prepare 

to Blaze Trails 

by MAJ Robert W. White 

13 Across the Andes with Task Force 1169 

by Penelope Schmin 

19 Palizada -Road Building the Ecuadorian Way 

by MAJ Pat Balcazar and Dr. Jack Fowler 

21 AFCS: A Flexible Template for Base Camp Design 

by MAJ Edward A. Hayes and CPT David C. Wilson 

25 The 229th Lightens Up 

by SP4 Richard M. Sanborn 

27 From Craters to Concrete in 48 Hours 

by CPT Thomas Round 

29 Conducting a Command Post Exercise 

by LTC Daniel T. Haakenson 

31 Army Career Counselors Keep Total Force Strong 

by SP4 Richard M. Sanborn 

32 Engineers for the El Salvadoran Armed Forces 

by LTC Mike Turner, L TC Clint Wiiler, and MAJ Chris O'Reilly 

35 Zeroing in on Mines 

by MAJ James K. Waters 

38 Countermobility Materials for the Light Infantry Division 

by CPT Kevin J. Wilson 

40 Ahuas Tara 87 Honduras 

by LTC George L. Cajigal 

42 So You're Converting to Light? 

by SFC Glen Baxter 

DEPARTMENTS 

Inside Front Cover: Personal Viewpoint 


2 Clear the Way 18 Engineer Solution 


3 Bridge the Gap 43 Lessons Learned 


4 Engineer Update 49 Hotline 


12 	Engineer Problem 50 Past In Review 

EhrGINEER tlSSN 0041;-ll(XHtl1 is prrlyared quarterly by the U. S. 	 ~.raphs.~ifi~iai ~nitrequcalst,~recrivccapit:s.andunitvddr~ssrhnng~s

Army Engineer Schncll. For1 Hclroir. VA 2201iIl. This gubli<:ation pres~ should 1,. icnt O, E!\'(;I.k~i;'fi:lt. AITN: IZ~'LA~TI)~P. Stop 29111, I'oit 

ants professional information, it does not nece~snrily reflect the oifi~ial lieluulr. VA 22060.i291. 'Telcphc~ne: til1:l) 664-XIX2. AV :154~30%2. 

Army positic,o. and it does not change or mzpcrst.de n,,y information PEHSONAI. SUBSCRIYrIONS are s\,nilehle hy rontirrtinp the 

prrcentd in otherofficial Amly publieatinns ilnlcss other\\ise stated. Superintendent of 1)nrurncnts. ATTN: Chief. Mnil list Hmnch, Stop 

whenever the masculine gender is used. both mer, and women are SSOM, l\'ashington. I). C. 20402. Address rhnn~es for personal aub~ 

included. sc~piionsshouidalso hesent ul iheSupe"nlendrnt ~uf 11orurnents. 

CONTENT is not copyrighted. Matennl may he reprinted if cl.edit is 

piven to fi:h7GINEEBmd to thc author. POSTIIIASTER:SecondClsssposla~~isi,nidilt Fort Helvolr.VA. and 

OFFIC~ALDISTRIRTJTION is targeted u, all cnKineer and ensinerr additional rnuilinxoffices.Sendaddrexsrhnnge to ENGIJVEKR.A'rZA~ 

related units. ~11~~. stop 231~. port~~1\,0i~. VA 22060-i~~l. 

CORRESPONDENCE, letters to the editor, manuscripts, photo- 
LEAR THE WAY 

by MG William Henry Reno, Commandant, U.S. Army Engineer School 

The most recent Joint Chiefs of Staff Publication 2, 

Unified Action Armed Forces, charges the sewices to 

prepare for "milltary operations short of war." While 

thls terminology may be unfamiliar to many in the 

Army, the Corps of Engineers has successfully executed these operations for years. 

Operations short of war range from military actions 

undertaken in times of peaceful competition among nations to low intensity conflict now receiving increased 

attention throughout the Army and DOD. Engineers 

play a major role in operations across this spectrum. 

Successive SOUTHCOM CiNC's have said repeatedly 

that engineers form the foundation of their strategy 

and will continue to carry a major load in LATAM. Construction and nation building are fundamental to such 

a strategy. As conflicts intensify, so do missions for engineers. Construction tasks continue but may give way 

to classical combat engineering missions. increasingly 

complex topographic support is required in all phases 

of operations from low to high intensity conflict. 

The benefit versus cost ratio is a primary reason engineers are so vital to Army commanders and planners 

in this environment. This Iustification for construction 

projects plays an important role in deterring war. To 

the planner, the range of engineer options is wide 

without large-scale risk. Our flexibility and ability to 

deliver meaningful products, such as roads, bridges, 

schools, clinics, and water wells, to other nations at 

relatively low cost attract attention from those responsible for America's. strategic planning. In his article, "Engineers Build Stability in Troubled Regions," COL John 

Schaufelberger explains the non-threatening role engineers play in assisting a nation's progress and the 

benefits to the host nation. The cost to the United 

States is minimal compared to the enriched quality of 

life and goodwill created. 

Ail Engineers, whether active duty, National Guard 

or Reserve, are united in their execution of worldwide 

short of war missions. The majority of our efforts today 

are focused on Latin America. This issue of ENGINEER highlights the total commitment we have displayed In furthering the strategies of ClNC SOUTHCOM. 

Engineer actions In the short of war environment 

range from staff assistance visits to group - size. 

6-month exercises. The article "Engineers for the El Salvadoran Armed Forces" describes the effect that wdlplanned staff assistance visits can have in forging 

friendly ties with our Latin American neighbors.Mobile 

training teams (MTTs) provide needed training to improve our allies' engineering capabilities. Progress in 

countermine and booby trap training is discussed in 

the article, "Zeroing in on Mines." 

Engineer exercises range in size from company 

through group task forces. These exercises support 

host nation infrastructure development and U.S, contingency operational planning. "Across the Andes with 

Task Force 1169 covers group-level task force work 

on a penetration road in Ecuador. The combined exercise included active duty, National Guard, and Reserve 

units supported by Ecuadoran engineer, aviation, and 

infantry units. In his article, "Ahuas Tara 87 Honduras," 

LTC George Cajigal relates the successes of the 27th 

Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Airborne) in support of 

SOUTHCOM contingency operational planning. 

While the strategic dividends of these engineer 

operations have a priority in mission formulation, we 

must not overlook Inherent operational and tactical 

benefits. Units deployed on short of war missions experience the movement planning and execution they 

would otherwise attain only in wartime mobilization. 

They learn lessons in project planning, resourcing, and 

execution in a bare base theater. They effectively maintain long lines of communication and resupply to ensure mission success. They practice 'Total Army" coordination, not merely discuss it across conference 

tables. Both individual and collective training benefit. 

Soldiers perform critical MOS tasks in an atmosphere 

they could conceivably face during war. They execute 

technical engineering skills flawlessly, and practice soldier skills until they become second nature. No better 

opportunity exists for us to practice during peace what 
~~ .,..~- BRIDGE THE GA 

By CSM Matthew Lee, Jr., U.S. Army Engineer School 

Isn't It beautiful when a plan comes together? Those 

words call to my mind the "si ft... chunk of glass formIng patterns in a kaleidoscope-parts of the plan falling into place as if by magic and mirrors. Engineer soldiers can make a brldge seem to come together that 

way, or raise a building, or execute airfield damage 

repairs wlth clockwork precision. But mirrors aren't in 

our TOE-and our magic Is a thing called TRAINING. 

Two thirds of the Army's engineers are in the 

ReseNe and National Guard components. Today, the 

engineer mission-and these "part-time" soldiers-are 

some of the most visible U.S. troops in the world. 

More and more, we are charged wlth making plans 

come together for host nations who need and appreciate our help. 

Training is no longer a matter of pushing dirt around 

on a military reservation or "purifying" water already 

treated by a clty water system. Training means being 

ready to build roads where there are no roads, or to 

purify water so the troops can fill their canteens safely. 

Soldiers in both the Reserve and Active components 

need to take training seriously -readiness is for NOW. 

Throughout this issue of ENGINEER, the story behind the story is about training-and about how to 

train. NCOs in both the Active and ReSeNe components must stay up-to-date on techniques and iessons learned. 

And we must communicate with each other. 

Guardsmen and ReSeNists-Carry what you learn in 

annual training back home to your active counterparts. 

Often you will be the cutting edge on "how tos" for 

we must execute during war. CPT Wllllam Snider's 

"Personal Viewpoint - Resewe Component Duty" and 

MAJ Robert White's, "Redstone: A Readiness Group 

Helps the Guard Prepare to Blaze Trails" provide excellent commentary on training benefits gained in operations short of war. 

The number of engineer operations in the short of 

war environment will increase in the future. Planners 

working the rough terrain you've encountered in annual training overseas. 

We in the Active component must strive to get the 

best training opportunities lined up for our troops, then 

work them -hard-until their tasks become second nature. We have to impart our expertise to our Reselve 

component partners-they may be on the job before 

us, and if a mobilization occurs, they may be in charge. 

The Total Army is benefiting from increased opportunities for realistic training abroad, but we can1 do 

everything in those precious weeks. The basis for success is sustained efforts in painstaking practice of the 

elements of the task at home. it's tough.to squeeze 

complete training Into short hours-but with imagination, you can find a way: see "The 229th Lightens Up." 

on page 25. 

Plans don't crystallize by accident. The unl you'll 

read about in "From Craters to Concrete in 48 Hours," 

spent many hours honing and adjusting their techniques before they were able to inspire their CAPSTONE 

counterparts with dazzling performance. Whatever 

your unit's main mission, the same is true for yourehearse if you want the performance to be a success. 

Remember, engineer soldiers are on the "front lines" 

of the civic action mission. Whether we are buliding 

culverts or raising a new roof over a village school, we 

are the image of America and the U.S. Army for many 

in other nations. It Is our duty-and should be our 

honor-to train hard and well, so we can summon the 

magic that makes a blueprint into a bridge, a sketch 

into a schooihouse-a dream into a reality. 

with vision will prepare new mlsslons that provide lasting benefits for the United States and host nations. Engineers must be prepared to both plan and execute 

their mission. As the 'Warfighters" at the forefront in 

short of war operations, engineers must stand ready 

to act in a number of roles. Their efforts today could 

well prevent the Airland battles of tommorrow. 
Engineer I ]update 


-School News-


Department of Military Engineering 

Construction Guidelines Developed The Structures and Utilities branch has developed planning, 

design, and construction guidelines for theater of 

operations construction. This three-page reference 

provides rules of thumb for construction management, concrete, base camps, utilities, pipelines. and 

port construction with the associated FMrM references. To receive a copy, write or call: 

Department of Military Engineering 

AnN: ATZA-TE-SU 

Fort Belvoir, VA 22060 

(703) 664-380612797 

AV 354-380612797 

Reserve Combat Engineer BNCOC POI Completed The DME has completed development of the 

initial program of instruction (POI) for reserve component combat engineer (CMF 12) basic noncommissioned officers course (BNCOC). This POI contains 120 hours of instruction, which closely parallels 

active duty training and can be completed during 

two weeks of active duty training. The course will be 

taught at selected reserve component schoois and 

will be available for implementation 1 March 1988. 

Development of Pols for the reserve component 

CMF 12 and CMF 51 advanced noncommissioned 

officers course is underway. The projected implementation date for these courses is 1 March 1989. 

Defense Mapping School (DMS) 

DMS Reorganization The DMS recently reorganized. The driving factors behind the reorganization were new missions and the projected transfer of 

two courses to the U.S. Army Engineer School. 

To facilitate the transition of the Construction Survey and Construction Drafting courses to the Engineer School and relocation to Fort Leonard Wood. 

Missouri, the Department of Construction Engineering was established. The two courses will be offered 

at Fort Leonard Wood commencing with the FY 89 

course schedules. 

New missions necessitated the creation of two 

new divisions within the Department of Management 

and Technology. Joint Operations wiii provide mapping, charting, and geodesy (MC&G) courses to service schools and other DoD agencies. Instructors 

will present the courses in both resident environments and via mobile training teams. Component 

Training Division has a totally new mission of 

developing and coordinating courses for all DMS 

employees. 

It is the intent of the reorganization to improve the 

quality of instruction and to train a greater number 

of people in MC&G. 

Engineer School Transition Office 

(ESTO) 

School Move Underway ESTO has been extremely 

busy in the past quarter as we have already started 

to move the Engineer School. An in-process review 

was conducted at Fort Belvolr which included representatives from TRADOC, Department of the Army. 

Fort Leonard Wood, and the Engineer School. 

Participants reviewed transition Issues and events. 

The construction of the facilities is on schedule and 

the move will be completed by February 1990. 

Those interested in a civilian or military positions 

with the Engineer School at Fort Leonard Wood, 

should notlty their assignment officers or call the 

Deputy Assistant Commandant, AV 581 -2272, or 

ESTO, AV 354-6292. 

Directorate 01 Training and Doctrine 

(DOTD) 

Placed Training Mine Kit Developed The placed 

training mine (PTM) kit will contain inert replicas of 

the M14, M15, M16A2, M18A1. MI9 and M21 service 

mines and is intended to be used for individual and 

unit training of mine warfare skills. The PTM will 

provide an audible response to the soldier when procedural errors have been committed that would 

have caused accidental detonation. The PTM Kit 

also contains five antihandling devices to be used 

with the antitank mines. 

A contract has been awarded and fielding is expected to begin in the second quarter of FY 88. The 

first kits produced will be issued to the branch 

schoois. Three kits will then be issued to each engineer company, and two kits to each infantry, 

armor, and artillery battalion. 
Engineer I 

Army Occupational Survey Program The AOSP Department of Combined Arms (DCA) 

utilizes soldier questionnaires and surveys to determine the skills, knowledges, and tasks required to Engineer Combat Operations FM Rewritten Tacperform the duties of the MOSS being studied. The tics, Training, and Doctrine Division has rewritten 

primary uses of AOSP data include: FM 5-100, Engineer Combat Operations. The new 

Analysis of training needs draft emphasizes engineer planning and execution 

MOS structure revisions as part of the combined arms team to meet the chalSkills assessment lenge of the modern battlefield Field units will 

Personnel and manpower analyses receive the coordinating draft for comments in early 

1988. Also look for the recently published FC 90-13- DOTD personnel are developing questionnaire 1, Combined Arms Counterobstacle Operations: The items that will be used by the Soldier Support In-Stride Breach, which provides guidance for rapid Center-National Capital Region-in its upcoming breaching operations. We need comments from 

survey of five engineer proponent MOSs and Branch units with actual training experience on the empioy- Code 21. The projected schedule is as follows: ment of the MlCLlC for ongoing doctrine developProject Surveys Mailed Surveys Returned 

Branch Code 21 April 1988 October 1988 

MOS 83F June 1988 January 1988 

MOS 51G July 1988 February 1988 

MOS 82B August 1988 March 1988 

MOS 62F January 1988 July 1988 

MOS 62G February 1988 August 1988 

If you hold one of the above MOSs, you may be 

asked to participate. If so, you will receive your survey through your local MILPO. The Information you 

provide is one of the most important sources of information that the Engineer School uses in determining training requirements for your MOS. Your help 

and timely response is most appreciated. 

Equipment Repair MOSs Transferred to 

Ordnance School Proponency for MOSs 52C, 52D, 

and 52F changed from the Engineer School to the 

Ordnance School as of 1 October 1987. With the 

change of proponency went the responsibility for 

the Army Apprenticeship Program for the trade of 

refrigerationiair conditioning repaireriservicer, which 

serves MOS 52C. All inquiries about this program 

and request for evaluationsicompletion certificates 

should be sent to the following address: 

Commander 

U.S. Army Ordnance Center and School 

ATTN: ATSL-TD-CDR 

Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005 

Ail of the records of 52C apprenticeship participation were transferred from the Engineer School to 

the Ordnance School 3 October 1987. At present 

time there are no apprenticeship programs for 

MOSs 52D and 52F. 

. . 

ment. 

Course Revisions Ongoing revisions to the Engineer Officer Advanced Course (EOAC) emphasize 

more practical exercises in the employment of 

obstacles and in breach operations. We are developing sand table exercises for the additional hours of 

engineer tactics recently added to the POI. The 

focus for Engineer Officer Basic Course (EOBC) continues to be on the duties of the task force engineer, 

although troop leading procedures also receive emphasis. Additional hours of instruction in the recently 

revised POI allow more practical exercise time. The 

Advanced Noncommissioned Officers Course 

(ANCOC) will expand instruction in the future to include more engineer tactics at the platoon sergeant 

level. 

Engineer History Tapes Available DCA and the Historical Division, OCE, have jointly sponsored a 

series of oral histories now available on video tape. 

Titles include: 

Engineers in the Battle of the Bulge 

Engineers in the New Guinea Campaign (1942-

1944) 

Engineers in the Mountains of Italy 

Engineers in the Rhine River Crossings 

Engineers in the Vietnam Conflict 

Engineers in the Normandy Invasion 

These video tapes are available for loan through 

the Fort Beivoir Training Audiovisual Support Center 

(TASC), 664-2177i2893. Your local TASC may request the video tapes by writing to ATZA-PTS-AV, 

ATTN: TASC, U.S. Army Engineer School, Fort Belvoir. VA 22060-5058, or calling AV 354.217712893. 

EOBC Introduces Specialty Training The Engineer 

Officer Basic Course POI is currently being revised 

by the Engineer School. The new POI will consist of 
EngineerWUpdate 

a core curriculum for all students plus a specialized 

sequence of instruction depending on what type of 

unit the lieutenant will be first assigned. The specialized instruction-either close combat (heavy or light 

divisional) or combat heavy-is designed to make 

the lieutenants masters, rather than generalists, in 

their prospective assignments. 

Reserve Component Advisory Staff 

(RCAS) 

Reserve and Guard Queries Questions regarding 

Army Reserve and Army National Guard issues 

should be directed to the Reserve Component Advisory Staff. LTC Richard G. Dubuque is the post's 

Army National Guard advisor and COL Joseph M. 

Cuschieri is the Army Reserve advisor. Correspondence should be addressed to: 

Commandant 

U.S. Army Engineer School 

ATTN: ATZA-RCS 

BLDG 270, STOP 245 Engineer School Library 

Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-5245 

They may also be contacted by telephone at the 

following numbers: 

Commercial (703) 664-41661443415921, AV 354-

41661443415921, or toll free (800) 336-3095. 

-Regimental News- Guard Regimental Regulation Revised The Nation- gineer soldiers will affiliate with the Corp of Enal Guard bureau has revised and published NGR gineers. 

600-82, U.S. Army Regimental System- Army Nation- * Each enlisted soldier will be issued a regimental 

al Guard, with a 1 January 88 effective date. It insignia on a one-time basis. Officers will purprovides the following policy for engineer soldiers: chase theirs. 

Each office and soldier will affiliate with a regiment based on MOS and specialty code... En-

-Career Notes- Commissioned Officers Branch 

CAS~ Benefits Officers and Command Fort 

Leavenworth's Combined Arms and Services Staff 

School (CAS~)trains officers to function as members of a staff at brigade and battallon level. The 

course, a combination of a correspondence course 

and a 9-week resident phase, is currently required 

for officers of YG 79 and later (YG 80, 81. 82. ...). Officers normally attend the resident portion between 

the 7th and 9th year of active federal commissioned 

service. 

Phase I. the home study portion, consists of 142 

hours of programmed instruction divided into 15 

modules. Communicative arts, quantitative skills, introduction of threat forces, basic logistics, tactics 

overview, and organization of the Army division are 

some of the subjects covered in the modules. 

Upon completion of all Phase I modules. students 

must complete a comprehensive open book examination. Eligibility for attendance at Phase II resident portion depends on the successful completion 

of the exam. 

Engineer branch will schedule eligible officers for 

TDY enroute attendance, and local commanders 

can use available TDY and return quotas for officers 

not eligible to move on PCS orders. No training 

costs are incurred by the MACOMS for a TDY and 

return quota: all training is paid for by Department of 

the Army funds. Commanders are encouraged to 

send eligible officers to this course. The return is 

high in terms of first-rate training for the officer and 

enhanced capability on his return. 

Joint Duty Assignments Public Law 99-433, a law 

passed in October 1986, requiring a joint service assignment for promotion to the general officer 

grades, is greatly impacting the officer personnel 

management system. The major provisions of the 

law include: 

Requirement for a JDA as a prerequisite for 

promotion to brigadier general. 

Creation of the Joint Specialty Officer (JSO), a 

new officer classification. 
EngineerWlJpdate 

Equity in promotion rates. Promotion rates for 

JDA-qualified officers must be at least equal to 

that of staff officers. 

Assignment of Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) graduates to joint duty assignments 

upon graduation. 

Preparation of the joint duty list. 

Specified tour lengths for JDAs. 

Several new personnel management terms have 

evolved as a result of the law. They include: 

Joint duty assignment - an assignment In an activlty 

which is involved in the integrated employment of 

land, sea, and air forces of at least two of the four 

armed services. All assignments in the Office of the 

Secretary of Defense (OSD), the Offlce of the Joint 

Chlefs of Staff (OJCS), and the Unlfled Command 

positlons qualify as jolnt duty asslgnments. Fifty percent of the positlons In defense agencies (1.e. the 

Defense Mapping Agency, and Miiltary Traffic 

Management Command) are designated as Jointduty 

assignments. Asslgnments wlthln an officer's own 

miiltary servlce are excluded by law. In accordance 

with the law, the Secretary of Defensehas published a 

list of joint duty asslgnments. Those positions deslgnated as critical must be filled by a jolnt specialty officer (see deflnltion below).Englneer jolnt duty opportunnies Include: 

Joint Duty Type Grade 

COL LTC MAJ TOTAL 

Non-Critical 12 29 23 64 

Critical 6 5 0 11 

Total 18 34 23 *75 

These are engineer coded positions only. 

There are other joint positions open to engineer officers who have functional areas. Combat Arms Immaterial (02A) and Branch Immaterial (OlA) positions are also included on the joint duty list and can 

be filled by engineer officers. 

Critical Operational Specialty (COS) - The following branches are designated as critical operational 

specialties: infantry, field artillery, armor, air defense 

artillery, special forces, and combat engineers (218). 

This term is significant in determining the length of 

an assignment that will qualify as a full joint duty assignment. 

Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) - Initially, graduates of the Armed Forces Staff College, 

Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and National 

War College received credit fol- joint education. For 

academic year 88-89, this list will expand to include 

60 seats in the Army War College, and 104 seats at 

the Command and General Staff College. In addition, Army officers attending the Air or Naval War 

College or a military education level 4 producing 

school of another service will receive JPME credit. 

Joint Specialty Officer (JSO) - An officer who has 

completed JPME, has JDA credit and has been 

awarded the JSO classification by the Secretary of 

Defense. The initial pool of JSOs will be designated 

by a board that convened 5 January 1988. 

Enlisted Branch 

Authorizations for terrain analyst. MOS 81Q, will 

approximately double over the next two years. The 

personnel inventory increase will be accomplished 

by a concurrent increase in new accessions and 

reclassifications/reenlistments of soldiers from other 

overstrength MOS in the Army. Attempts are being 

made primarily to increase the inventory at skill level 

one (El-E4) to ensure continuing promotion potential for those currently holding the MOS and to maintain the high level of MOS experience when soldiers 

reach grade E6 and E7. Reclassification of E4(P) 

and E5(P) soldiers into 81Q will be considered on 

an exception basis and only with strong recommendations from the soldier's chain of command. 

The Army Special Operations Forces (SOF) are expanding over the next few years and there are increasing requirements for soldiers qualified as special operations engineer sergeant (MOS 18C). The 

primary source of past input has been from career 

management field (CMF) 12. 

The activation in August 1987 of the 37th Engineer 

Battalion (A) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, increased the need for engineer airborne soldiers. Airborne volunteers are needed in MOS 62E, 62J, 818, 

828. and 51G. Volunteers are also need in MOS 83E 

and 83F for assignment to the Special Operations 

Command (SOCOM) at Fort Bragg. Eligibility criteria 

for airborne training can be found in Chapter 6. Section 2, of AR 614-200 and application is made by 

procedure 3-19 of DA Pam 600-8. 

Volunteers are required from MOS 126 for Ranger 

School and assignment to engineer battalions 

(light). Assignment to these units is physically and 

professionally challenging. Application may be made 

via DA Form 4187 to Engineer Branch, DAPC-EPL-E. 

For more information on SOF, Ranger, or airborne 

training, contact SFC Abney at Engineer Branch (AV 

221-7710/7711/7712). 
Engineers build stability in troubled regions 

hy COL John E. Schauklberger 

l~ilernalionalterrorism, religious strife, drug traflicking, territorial disputes, 

communist expansion, and extreme 

economic conditions make instability-not peace-the unhappy 

wt~yof lile in many nations. Low intensity conflicts rising from unstable 

conditions arc often the way in 

which interest groups seek political 

change. In fact, low intensity conflict may well become the characteristic war ofthc 2lst century. 

What are sonic characteristics of 

stlsccptible nations? 

8 Their pr~pulations arc growing 

faster than their economies. 

8 Their rural areas arc cut off from 

the nation's politie;~llife. 

8 The powerful are few, thc powerless, many. 

The economy depends on one or 

two raw lnatcrial exports. 

8 The industrial and transporhtion 

inl'rastructure is weak. 

8 Undeveloped land-and rugged 

tcrrain-dominate the landscape. 

8 Per capita income is low. 

8 The people's expectations are 

rising- and they are frustrated. 

There are many other contrihuting factors, but ell result in a dissatislicd population that is a fertile 

I,rccding ground for conflict. 

The struggles betwccn governments and insurgents are prceminently wars for legitimacy. The 

dynaniics ol' such conflicts are 

roughly triangular. Each faction 

competes to win the apex of the triangle: the peoplc. ll governments 

are to stand, they must conduct war 

at [he expense or the insurgentsnot the people. The peoplc must be 

convinced of the government's 

moral superiority. If insurgencies 

can't ammand popular support, 

they will withcr and die. 

Insurgencies cannot be defeated 

hy military means alone. The goal 

cannot bc dead insorgents-they 

too, are the pcoplc. The goal must 

he reducing the number of insurgents- by eliminating popular support fr)r the insurgency. Only a 

coherent attack on the underlying 

causes of civil discontent can hring 

about this result. Social, political, 

and economic initiatives are oftcn 

more important than military ones. 

Early actions must focus on nation 

building-and nalion building is a 

prime role for L,nb'rlneers. 

The Engineer contribution 

Internal dcvelopmcnt - nation 

building-is a process liy which a 

government huilds viable institutions and infrastructure, improves 

the quality of life lor its pcoplc, and 

lherehy strengthens its ties with the 

population. The goal is to correct 

w~nditions insurgents can cxploit, 

and to integrate the people into a 

cohesive society. Engineer civic action operations can lie the practical 

musclc that builds a ni~tion,moving 

its people forward toward the goal 

of a stable socicty. 

In a sense, engineer civic action 

oper:~tionsaim to turn the destructivc trianglc of low intensity conflid 

into a two-way street of coopcration. The mission is to strengthen 

Civic Action Contribution 

the link between the government 

and the people, thus weakening or 

severing the link between the insurgents and thc people. This is a 

primary mission of national military 

engineer units in many lessdeveloped countries. In our own history, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assumed this r(de during thc 

westward expansion of the Unitcd 

Stales in the 1800s. 

U.S. military engineers are often 

dcploycd overseas I pcrfornl nation huilding niissions. It's a job we 

welcome. Engineers demonstrate 

our commitment lo aiding n:ttional 

development, yet pose no threat to 

local populations or lo the host 
nation'? nfiglihors. Engineer units 

arc perceived as a nnnthreatening 

prescnce because they are not olfensive in their organi7atinn or 

capahilities. 

A struteu for progress 

Bclore we airlilt a singlc dozer to 

the ,ju~igle,extensive planning and 

consultation niusr take place. Firstl 

the State ant1 Dclensc Departments 

must jointlv design a coherent overall rcgirrn;~lstrategy. Then wc must 

work with each host government to 

make a detailcd assessment of natiunal needs and capabilities. The 

partics can then draw up a cnmprchcnsi\.c, synchronized, civilmilitary plan for each nation. 

designed to address the shortfall hetwccn its needs and capahili~ie. 

The country team, headed hy the 

American ;~mlii~ss;~dnr, should serve 

as the local point for thc asscssmcnt 

in each nation. 

Engillerrs must pt~rticipatein the 

planning process. They must ensure 

hat prnjects chnsen lor construction hy host nation labor arc really 

suited to local capnhilitics, and that 

adequate resources are locally availithle. Engineers niust also ensure 

that adequate engineer forces are 

assigned to exccutc the more cum. 

plcx missions. 

(;nod candidates for civic action 

prnjecis include roads, schools and 

housing, medical and athletic facilitics, water supply and sanitation 

infrastrocture, and irrigation systems. Such prnjects directly ituprove 

thc quality ol life lor e local population. Engineers c:~oprovidc support 

in several lorms. 

a We can design proicccs lor construction hy the local lahir Lirce. 

We can design projects ti he 

huilt hy. hos~ nation or U.S. 

tnilititry engineers. 

a We can scnd cnginecr ;idvisors 

(<I help local agencies complete 

prniwts. 

a We can sel up and conduct training prngrams lor local units and 

agencies. 

U'c must always train local personnel: the real goal (?I civic action 

missions is to devclnp in-country expertise-\rhcthcr it's skill in opcralion and maintenance or skill in engineering and construction. 

Preparing the ground 

Adcquatc public arcairs prcpara-

[inn must prccccle (he arrival nf 

U.S. units. The local populi~tion 

must understand what our troops 

arc going 111 do in their nrighhnrbond. Public alfi~irsofliccrs must he 

ready to counter negative insurgent 

propag;lnd;l. They can also increase 

el[cctiveness ol any civic ;~ction 

project by selling the coming 

henclits, and getting peoplc ready 

to use the facility-whether it's a 

rnsd or a schoolhouse. We ortcn 

speak ill combat multipliers-wc 

should remember that puhlic allairs 

campaigns are civic actinn multipliers. 

On the U.S. sitlc, our en&' 711iecrs

must rcceivc pretlcploynient training on the history, customs, and culture ol the host natinn. Language 

training is alstl essenti;lI. We Amcricans oltcn arroga~itlyexpcct others 

to communicate with us in Enplish. 

We must break out of this mold and 

learn the host nation's language. 

The final test ol civic action planning is program execution. The 

country team must cstat)lish priorities lo ensiirc llic host n;rtinli'? requirenicnts and 0.S. contrihutions 

co~itinueto mesh. 

Our procedu1.c~call and should 

work consistently lo huild host tietioti strength. Sturdy. u\ahlc, \v<il-k-

;~hlelacilitics arc the goal. Specilicall!;. we IIIIIS~sti11idi1rdi7ed~si~~is 

to evpcdite co~istroctionand allow 

mass production of selccted building components. We must produce 

simple standard designs to make 

Irlcal rn;~inten:~nceprnctici~l. We 

should use iocal m;ltcrinls hi henelit 

the host nalinn economy and to ensu~.ca ready source 111mainten;~ncc 

m:~tcrials.The equipment we install 

niust hc unsophisticated, and operation and maintcn;tnce instructions 

must he provided in the local language. 

Ei~cllcivic action prqjecl mucl lhu 

analyrcd I ti~kc advantage (11 ;III 

training ~~ppc~rtunitiesthat it nflords. Projects mav hc ci~tiil~lctcdhy 

Inc;ll military units nr agencies. C1.S. 

military enginecr units, ct~ntraclor\. 

or a comhin;ltion I asscrs. The 

ilcsired resolt? Useful lacilitics and 

improved host nation cap;thilities. 

Every well pl;rnnctl ;1ni1esccuted 

mission a host nation curnpletcs 

with U.S. Army Engineer acsisti~~~cc 

strengthens re&ional ~titllility.SUCII 

projects make life better at the grass 

roots level, build the people's confidence in their government, weaken 

insurgent claims on popular loyalties, 

and create goodwill for the United 

States. 

COL Joltr! E. Srl~iirfJ?lhc'rp~~rix llrc 

Co~~rr~tu~t~lo. of rite Fori I(.brrh EllHr~cerDi.rrricr. HI, /,rri~iorrs!\ s(~i~crl 

0.7 /lte Director, D(.l)u~rnr~,r~rof 

Alililug, Ellhirtl~~lillg.U..% An!? Err-

~ir~cer Sclrooi. He ul.~~ (~or~rrl~iirriicd 

rlre 29Yll1 Errl(irrcu Burraliorr (OIIIIbar) or F(nl Sill. artd .so?'cal or1 litc 

V11 C~J~/J.YE I ~ I I I (;?Iirru!!\: HI, Itulrls a B.S. irt cic~cfricnl 

c ~ i I r iito I I ~ of I

I</fiilOflll~l1111 l\I..S. iilld P1r.D. ill <,il,il 

~,~r@rtcerir~g jior~~[IIL,L'II~I.C,I:S;I~ oj 11-

iir~ois.Hc is n rebisroccl ~~r~~fc~cri~~iral 

UI~~IIC'C'I ill l.'irfii!i,tii~. 
REDSTONE: a readiness group helps the 


GUARD 


prepare to blaze trails 


by MAJ Robert W. White 

Blazing Trails exercises 

have heen part of U.S. 

policy to promote stability in Central and South Amcrican countries since 1984. The exercises extend and improve road networks in Latin America, and at the 

same time train engineers in the 

Reserve and National Guard componcnts. 

The supporting activc component 

readiness group is a key player in 

the success crf Blazing Trails operations. The readiness group assists 

with planning and training to 

prepare the task lorce for its joh. It 

can also he a krcus for lessons 

learned, thus helping future excrcines produce better training results. 

Redstone Readiness Group, 

linked with reserve components in 

Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama, assisted the 1169th Engineer 

Group (Alahama National Guard) 

in its work on Blazing Trails from 

June 1986 through December 1987. 

The 1169th'~ last minute change 

of venue from a coastal road improvement pro,ject to a road and 

hridge-huilding assignment in the 

ru~ed trans-Andean interior of 

Ecuador confronted planners with 

every logistical nightmare in the 

hook. We learned the joh could he 

done-hut more planning time 

would have nradc everything easier. 

A m;~ssive plnnning tusk 

Advance planning is a must. Planning hegins when the engineer 

group receives a warning order and 

continues through deployment. Idcally, a warning order is issued a year 

in advance-less than 6 months 

notice can result in poor project executi(m. The main prohlcm with 

short lead times? Resupply and 

spare parts systems can't be firmly 

estahlished. 

Planners from the 1169th and 

Redstone set milestones early. They 

secured funds lor repair parts-and 

followed up to ensure parts were ordered. Project designers established 

their blueprints in time to draw up a 

hill of materials lor the original 

coastal project. Accounts for rations 

and other needed items were 

opened. Theye tasks had to be 

done-or materials could not bc 

rcady for deployment. 

A ganie wit11 nleny players 

Prcliminary coordination is vital. 

The task force commander and his 

representatives visited the host nation to define the project scope. 

Planning and coordination conlcrences included the Statc Department 

and extended down to units at the 

company level. Other agencies included the National Guard Bureau, 

the Oflice of the C:hief of the Army 

Reserve, and the pitrticipating Continental Army and Reserve Component units. 

Headquarters, Second United 

States Army played a crucial role in 

the 1169th'~ planning process. 

Second Armv conducted an inprogress review with each major 

subordinate command and appropriate state National Guard agency providing slatus reports on 

personnel and cquip~ncnt support 

requirements. 

Redstone scrvcd as a resource 

for units preparing for the inprogress review. The Second 

Army's Commander directed specific actions to ensure planning ohjectives were met. 

Big wuvk force, l~igl~ tarnover 

Thc Second Army and 

FORSCOM developed a troop list. 

Once the (ssk lcrrce commander 

received his mission statement, he 

reviewed the troop list and rccommended chimges. He looked at each 

unit's status report, MOS qnalilications, slrcngth, and equipment on 

hand. Redstone helped the trooplisted onits prepare for overseas 

deployment training. 

Most rcscrvc component soldicrs 

serve onlv 2 weeks on a Bla7.ing 

Trails operaticrn. Thus, lhc troop list 

is large, and the task force headquarters deals with live to ten times 

more units than are actually on the 

ground a1 any time. The 1160th 

made an intcnsive effort to tailor its 

organization and develop a provisional force structure to acconiplish the mission. The commander's effort in this urea was vital 

in making this logistically difficult 

mission a success. 

It is tough to develop a viahle 

plan for building a road using a 

series of 2-weck rotations. Yet 

limited niilitary leave from civilian 

jobs makes short stays the obvious 

approach for reserve c<rrnpuncnt soldicrs. Tbe task force composition 

for each rotation must he halanced 

to alford the best possible unit integrity. 

Eflective training depends on 

unit integrity. Platoon size and 

larger elements get effective training. This includes all engineer unils. 

laundry and hath sections. and MP 

elements. However, integrity is 
inipossihlc for somc combat scrvicc 

support elements. and as a result 

thcsc units, with supply and service 

comp;lnics and somc elcmcnts of 

m;lintcnancc support, do not get the 

right training. 

Preparing for soccrssful execution 

To hclp the engineer group do its 

I, readiness group assisters organize themsclvcs its a training task 

force. If several readiness groups 

arc helping the task kirce. one 

sh<)uld take the lcail role in dcveloping the assistancc plan [or the cxccution phase. 

The readiness group must recommend ways to resource the task 

force [or such factors as project dcsign. Though the engineer group is 

capable of producing a deign, it 

lacks lime. The task forcc only has 

enough full-time person~iel to handle day-to-day operations. Active 

duty training periods have to he 

devoted ti preparing and training 

for the exercise. 

Training leaden 

Construction management procedures and ARTEP task proficiency 

arc critical to mission success. Most 

platoc~n lcadcrs and company commilnders can develop a logical network using the critical path mcthod 

and 21 construction schcdulc. But 

they often don't know how lo use 

these tools lo menage their pro.iect. 

Suslainrncnl lraining is a must fur 

lcadcrs il they arc to deal with 

project control and resource conslraints. 

Engineer ollicers and NCOs from 

thc appropriate readiness group arc 

idcill lcadcr trainers. Redstone 

Rcadincss (iruup orchestrated relrcshcr training on construction 

management to enhance task force 

prolicicncy. 

Truining troops 

Units havc IO hc well prepared. 

The readiness group uffers a wide 

rangc of training assistance including planning, train-the-trainer instruction, and squad-level training. 

Redstone Icilrncd th;~t there has to 

be a constant effort to improvc and 

expand predcploymcnt training opporlunilies. 

We need to improve and 


expand predebloyment 


training. 


During the initial exccution 

phase, scrmc clerncnts simply did 

not knt~w what was expected of 

them. One clement deployed with 

lers than 40 percent MOS rlualificd 

personnel. IS units are not proficient 

in the needed ARTEP tasks, time 

can he lost. In a prcrsic?us Blazing 

Trails, somc culvcrts had to be 

rcins~allcd up to four limes beciruse 

squads were not traincd to do thc 

tasks properly. 

Taking care of etluipnient needs 

Preparing and deploying the 

equipment is critical. The (ask force 

delincs cquipmcnt requirements 

and tasks units to provide cquipmcnt aftcr the troop list is set. The 

task force also cstablislics cquipment standards. The consetlucnces 

of inadequate control arc scrious: in 

a recent exercise, inadequate followup rrsultcd in cquipmcnt dchi~rking 

at the seaporl in inoperable conditlon. 

With Rcdstonc's hclp, the 1160th 

worked out a plan to avoid this disaster. They sent a technical inspect team to each unit providing 

equipment. The team left a tcchnical inspection shccl to ensure the 

unit undcrstt)od exactly what dclicicncios to rcpair before the ccluipmen1 could he acccptcd at port. 

The task iorce als(~ cs~ablished a 

dummy propcrty hocik. They signed 

for the cqoipmcnl al the port only 

ah all thc opcralor. nr~i~nirationill. and dircct support standards 

were met. Thc result'? Nincty-nine 

percent of the equipment loi~dcd on 

the ship was missicin capable. 

Mainlenaocc and propcrty accountability also al'ltcts mission cxccution. Trained opcr;ltors and 

repair parts supply are inlegrkll 11) 

good maintenance. Since the li~st 

rotillion uses the sanic ccluipmcnl 

as the lirst, propcrty accou~itt~hility 

is impcrativc. If leadership is riot 

held i~ccountahle, there's nu gutvantcc of operational cr{uipmcnl near 

thc end of ~hc project. 

Redcploymcnt is yc~ another 

major task. To clear U.S. custunis, 

equipment must be cleilrcd of all organic slid vegelablc matter. Planners must ensurc ten lo lillccn 

simultaneously operating wash 

points equipped with li~~scs, stcam 

,jets, and other supplics, and plan 

lor manpower to do the joh. Mainten;incc checks niust be arranged to 

ensurc that equipment returns in asdeployed condition. 

What we know now 

We at Readiness Group Rodstone havc ahsorbcd several important lessons during our work with 

Task Force 1169. Five stand out as 

being particularly critical. 

Task force ccnnmand and control 

musl he better-resourced in the 

11l;inning phi~se. The task Force currently has two choices: they can try 

to do their job with limited personncl-and encounter prohlcms in the 

execution phase. Or they can circumvent Army stiifling regulations. 

For example, some guard units have 

put critical personnel on 41 series of 

179-day active duty training assignments with one-day hre;~ks hetween 

them. This bas hcen thc only means 

ol assuring the task forcc ctimma~id 

and control clement is adctluatcly 

rcsourced. 

The two-week ro~ittion is t(xl 

sliorl. Ncillicr tr;tining nor project 

productivity is well-served whcn the 
actual training period is shorter 

than I0 working days. 

Duration personnel must he carefully selected. They n~usthe properly prepared and motivated to do 

their jobs. The task force commander must be supported in pcrsonnel selection and replacement 

decisions. 

Vital supply and repair parts systems must be improved. Of all support for the 1169th'~mission, supply 

and resupply was the weakest. Training for maintenance supervisory and 

TAMMS personnel needs to be improved. 

Remember-the prime objective 

is training. Blazing Trails is a training exercise, nol an operation, Units 

participate to gct training; they are 

not already trained. Frequent rotations mcan a continuous learning 

curve. It is unrealistic to expccl muinium productivity. If the Army 

were making the project itself the 

first priority, we would send a 

single, trained-up unit to work from 

thc hcgirining to the end of the nrission. Since our goal is to tr.' din engineers and logistic personnel to 

deploy, perform a mission, and 

redeploy, we must set our standards 

for achievement in thcse areas. 

M,4J Rohefr A'. lWrite is aft Efrgifrcer 

Urtir Assisrrr a1 U.S. Anttp Rc~adiftess 

C;mtrl~ Rc~dstone, Hrrrtfst*iN~.,Alahanra. He has sen,ed as warplarrs officer. tvitlr llre IRIII Err@reer Bfiprfe 

irr G'crrita~!)!willt tlre 94th Efr@reer 

Bnf/ali<,rr, as a projecl efrgirrrer at 

IVES, n~ilhllte Jaciliries errRi,teer irt 

Korea, arrd as a cortrl~arry cortr-

~frarrrler.siiflr the 326Ilt Ert#frecr Battalioft. MAJ IWtile holdc BS artd MS 

derees br rhzil errgifzecrirtgfrvrit Tcrrrressee Techrtological Ufritersiry, is a 

gradt~ale of EOBC, EOAC artd 

CGSC, arrd is a rqirtered professiortal ertgirteer. 

~n~ineer Problem -

Your unit, a Combat Heavy Engineer Battalion (TOE 05415L000, 

700 personnel),has been tasked to construct a base camp at a classified location. You were directed to use wood frame buildings, 

temperate region designs, and temporary (0-24 months) theater of 

operations standards. Your base camp will also accommodate the 

equipment and personnel of an MP platoon (40 personnel)and 100 

logistical and support personnel. 

Using the Army FacilitiesComponents System (AFCS) answer the 

following questions sent you by the Battalion Commander. 

Questions 

1. Which AFCS installationdesign should you use? 

2. How much real estate will you need? 

3. What standard electrical, water, and sewage distribution systems 

should you use? 

4. What are the vertical and horizontal constructionefforts? 

5. What assumptions have been made in AFCS with regard to--

a. the skill and training level of your personnel? 

b. available MHImonth in your battalion? 

c. weather delays? 

d. aggregate location? 

6. What Isthe stateside purchase cost of the materials (CONUS)? 

7. How would you derive a bill of materials (BOM) for your base 

camp? 

Hotline (continuedfrom page 49) 

enemy territory where 0bse~edfire is unllkely and other mines cannot 

be emplaced. They are not best used at the key, decisivetime In battle. 

The engineer is responsible for calculating the mlnefleld safety zone. 

This requires firing data, which the englneer must know how to use to 

calculate minefields. 
ACROSS THE ANDES 

rH TASK FORCE 1169 

The new road peters out 

16 klicks above Archidona, 

Ecuador, a red scrihhle 

lclt on the jungle k)or as if by a 

giant's thumbnail. North of here the 

airport at Loreto waits-maybe will 

wait lor a long time-to see do~ers 

push their way out of the intractahle 

rain forest and connect Archidona 

to the northeast hy road. Task 

Force 1169,a muscular amalgam of 

Nationill Guard, Reserve, and 

regular U.S. Army components, has 

hegun the enormous joh of getting 

there. 

As recently i~sMarch 1987, the 

Task Force had set its sights on a 

coastal Blazing Trails pro,ject, 

within easy reach of the Ecuadorian 

seaport at Manta. Over 450 pieces 

or heavy construction equipment 

were cnroute iron1 the port ol 

Mohile, Alahama, when a massive 

earthquake hit Ecuador's .interior, 

destroying roads and a critical 

petroleum pipeline to the northeastern oil fields. 

Responding to the Ecuildorian 

governmcot's request [or hclp, the 

task force shifted to higher ground 

in the remote Oriente. The 1169th 

thus hccanie the first U.S. Army 

operiltioni~l task force to cross the 

Andcs-and a wcll-planned Blazing 

Trails project sudclcnly bccamc 

Abriendo Rutas (opening roads) a 

Total Army effort to conduct tactical operations in an undeveloped 

theater. 

A logisticnl proving ground 

"If you'rc asking n~ewould the 

Army choose this as a sitc li)r Blazing Trails," said COL Frank N. Sefton, Ill,Task Force Chmmandcr, 

"I'd have to say no. But I'or realistic 

training and lessons learned-well. 

you can't heat it." What lies hcliind 

the commander's words'? Long, 

tcnuous lines of communicetir~n. 

Air support, provided hy USARSO'S 210th Aviation Ballalion, coilnects Archidona to thc outside 

"I've never had training 

like this." 

world hy Chinook and Black Hawk 

helicoptcrs. Logbirds - USARSO 

and Air National Guard <:I30 

aircraft -can only fly as hr ;IS Puyc,, 

a small airlield 45 minutcs south 01 

Archidona. All construction equipment must be convoyed to the sitea three-and-a-half-day ,journey ovcr 

the Andes. Thcrc's no more chullenging tcrri~in on earth. and tlic 

sudden rains of tlic Oricnte rcguli~rly disrupt flight scheduling. 

The communici~tions dctitchmen& rotating in from LJSARSO in 

Panilma and Fort Bragg arc often 

the only link helwccn Archidona 

and the other side of thc Andean 

wall. 

Since supplies, mi~il, spare pilrls, 

and troops depend on a thin air 

LOC and slow ground transport, 
1SG Charles Smitherman and an Alabama Natlonal Guardsman consult over chess for the 300-foot ACROW bridge that stretches toward 

the far bank of the Rio Hollin. 

the task force immediately learned 

to show grace under pressure. "I've 

been a 91 Bravo for about 80 years," 

said a medic, "and I've never had 

training like this. Panama's not ten 

minutes away-it can be two days 

away. I've got to be ready for anything." 

According to 2LT Matthew Hart, 

task force safety oflicer, alertness is 

high, and safety practices are more 

carefully observed here. "We've 

been remarkably lucky not to have 

fatal accidents-one or two usually 

happen no mattcr how careful you 

are." His main concern? "We want 

to see soldiers protect their hearing 

around all this heavy construction 

equipment," he said. "It's also part 

of the engineer mission to be 

prepared to function as infantry-a 

soldier needs his ears. I make a big 

pitch for earplugs every rotation." 

Mail, finance, and PX operations 

make time away from home easier. 

As for the Judge Advocate 

General-"We're here in case we're 

needed. And I'm glad to say we 

haven't been." 

Military police operations are a 

major point of contact between the 

Ecuadorian and U.S. military personnel working at Archidona. 

Regular Army MP units from 

USARSO, augmented by a squad of 

Spanish-speaking Puerto Rican 

MPs, provide a cooperative security 

element. 

Water purification, shower, 

laundry, and mess personnel know 

that safe water, healthy food, and 

clean clothes can't be had if they 

don't do the job. Some soldiers are 

volunteering for second and third 

rotations to gel more experience. 

As one sergeant said: "Back in the 

States, you just go through the motions. Here, it the water isn't clean, 

people will get sick. Ifeel really 

good about what I'm doing." 

The Oriente- the br outback 

Why here? Why now? Thcse are 

questions that spring into eyes that 

gaze over the pathlcss forest below, 

a brocade ot palms and ireclops 

packed together-Sergeant Edie 

Wail says-"light as broccoli." LTC 

R. K. Lettau, USAF, at SOUTHCOM Engineer Headquarters, has 

an answer. "You can't think ahout 

whether the road arrives somewhere 

in this region," he says. "You have to 

think about the opportunity it gives 

people lo come out." 

To Napo Province, the road 

means just this-an abridgement of 

the days of struggle it takcs to get 

gold dust, coffee beans, and potatoes out of the hills to markct. . . A dusty finger probing the wilderness so that a gaily-painted yellow 

and pink bus can rcach a sick 

child. . . A way to bring goods 

across the Rio Hollin without spending a hard-earned 50 or 5OU sucres 
to get somebody to ferry your 

livelihood across. 

In Archidona and in ncighboring 

Tena the people don't aqk "Why are 

you here)" They want to know when 

the Army is going to come back. According to COL Sefton, there's almost no chance that the joh will continue into next summer, because of 

upcoming elections in Ecuador. Future exercises here arc questionable 

becaure of logistical difficulties. 

"What we mean to do," he said, "is 

to leave a basis to build from. 

We've hauled more rock and huilt 

more roi~d under worse conditions 

than any Blazing Trails exercise has 

ever done before." 

Guayusa Bridge 

The task force has also achieved 

its primary engineer goal-to bridge 

the treachercrus Rio Hollin. The 

92nd Engineers of Fort Stewart, 

Georgia supervised the construction 

of the bridge's center pier and abutments. Their task included such 

feats as sinking thc pier 17 feet 

down into the muddy river bottom, 

keeping it pumped dry, then filling 

the krundations by hand with rocks. 

Soldiers stood up to their waists in 

the water, passing rocks from hand 

to hand to do this job. 

After weeks of delicate negotiations with the host nation government, the task force took delivery of 

an ACROW panel bridge. The 

crossing, completed Novemher 10, 

put the 1169th on the record books. 

The bridge is feet long, and consists oC a 100-foot douhle-single 

span and a 200-foot double-double 

span. 

ACROW. an updated version of 

Bailey Bridge, is somewhat slower 

to build than the Bailey, hut has superior strength characteristics. It 

can also span wider gaps, and requires less maintenance after it has 

heen erected. The 145th Engineer 

Bilttalion, Alabama National Guard, 

put the hridge over in 3 days, and 

jacked it down and decked it in 

three more. An Ecuadorian contractor, invited to the site to watch 

the bridging, said he estimated it 

would have taken his crew 17 days 

to complete the same job. 

In ceremonies hcld on Novemher 

19, (iuayusa Bridge-named to 

remind Ecuadorians of their nickname for the visiting troopsopcned to traffic. One local farmer's 

gratitude shows what the bridge 

means here: he says it will cut his 

time to market from three days to 

just one, and make it possible to 

bring more to town than he can 

carry on his back. 

Mud, rock, and mahogany 

Engineer units from the Alabama 

and South Carolina National Guard 

have upgraded and reinforced the 

sketchy road from Archidona to the 

bridge site, and have pushed the 

road ahout 5 kilometers bcyond the 

Rio Hollin. 

To say the 1169th has laid down 

road is to say nothing. You have to 

know how they've done the job. 

Ecuadorian soil, one rueful engineer joke has it, is just thcre to 

keep Colomhia from sliding into 

Peru-or maybe it's there to grease 

the slide. The soldiers ccrmpare the 

mud to chocolate pudding, quickAt the bridge site on the 


Rio Hollin, swift water 


and flash floods are an 


ever-present 


danger..."The rains can 


make the river rise 6 feet 


in an hour-or higher. 


You have to watch the 


water every minute." 


sand, and a bottomless pit. A mixture of dense clay, vegetable loam, 

and extremely friable shale, the soil 

turns liquid when it mixes with the 

abundant rains-often more than 20 

inches a nionth-that fall in Napo 

province. 

Fortunately, the rug~ed terrain 

here oilers other resources. The 

Hollin, like all the many streams in 

the Oriente, is choked with wellworn Andean granite. This rock, 

together with the hard, rot-resistant 

mahogany that fills the surrounding 

forest, can be used to build a pathway through the jungle. 

Ecuadorian road construction 

techniques are based on thcse 

resources, and the 1169th is learning 

to use them. A corduroy substructure 

built of local timber (see "Palizada", 

page 19) floats a layer of rock over 

the mud. On these two hard-earned 

base courses, engineers build their 

one-lane road as fast as they cansometimes less than 100 meters a 

day. 

A workhorse at the hridge site. a 

75-ton rock crushing plant has been 

kept busy all summer. Older than 

most of the soldiers who operate it 

and designed to handle rclativcly 

soft limestone, the plant htis doggedly chewed and spat out granite for 

months. Every day, miiintenance 

personnel wonder if the machinery 

is making its last stand, and only 

with constant effort have they kept 

it grinding out construction 

material. One thing is certain-vital 

hut aging equipment like this most 

bc replaced. 

Labor and construction methods 

must be adapted to local conditions. 

Fortunately, Ecuadorian military 

and civilian workers have passed on 

valuable lessons to U.S. troops. According to COL Sefton, his soldiers 

are wielding picks and sh(1ve1s to 

build ditches and culverts with skills 

they'd never have learned back in 

the states. The care and accuracy of 

Ecuadorian hand lahor, he reports, 

is making a big impression. 

Wood lor the corduroy base 

coursc is hcing supplicil hy host nation loggers. Thcir timhcr-handling 

skills are an object crf adniiration 

for IS<; Cliarlic Smitherman: a 

veneer and plywood mill foreman in 

civilian lire. "The Ecuadorians are 

chainsaw artists." he says. "Thcy can 

saw mahogany into planks so 

straight and smooth you can hardly 

believe it." A cart full of smooth, 

deep red boards passing on the 
finished road gave proof that his 

praise was no exaggeration. 

In the Orienle, as in many remote 

regions, concrete construclion is a 

ncar-impossible challenge. The task 

force poured concrete only where 

necessary. To fill the forms for the 

ahutmenl on the far hank of the Rio 

Hollin, a Chinook helicopter made 

20 vcry carcful passes with hoppers 

full of fresh mix. Clearly this is a 

technique to he used sparingly. 

For this reason, gabions are a construction element evident along the 

new road. These are steel wire haskcts packed with rock and built up 

to work like concrete. The 116'3th 

has used gabions to rebuild sections 

of coll;~psed road, to shore up the 

hridye abutment, and to lay a 

stabilizing blanket of rock around 

(he bridge's central pier, making 

sure the o Hollin's bottom 

remains rock-solid. 

Each gabion is spread open, set 

in place, and filled by hand. According to 2LT Elizabeth Franklin, of 

the Y2nd Engineers, Fort Stewart, 

(icorgia the Ecuadorians have given 

her troops invaluable instruction in 

the patience and hard work it takes 

to fill every cranny with rock. 

"When they're packed," she says "we 

shovel a sand and concrete mix into 

the gahion, so that moisture will 

provide a mortar." 

Work und water 

The 11Wth is compiling a wealth 

of other lessons learned about work 

in lropical conditions. Some thin#- 

like how to build a corduroy base 

course-the command group admits 

had been lessons forgotten. "The 

army needs to get all (his expertise 

wc're relearning and finding out 

here together in one place-make it 

a resource we can use whenever we 

have to get into these siluations." 

says COL Sefton. "The right kinds 

of equipment, the hand construction 

methods you need in remote areas, 

the knowledge of how to handle this 

type of lerrain-we can't afford to 

Soldiers loosen the concrete forms that top offa bridge abutment constructed with gabions-rock filled wire baskets. 

learn it and lose it over and over 

again." 

A prime discoverv here is that 

much ol the heavy construction 

equipment in engineer TO&Es is 

just too heaby for these conditions. 

Do7ers and backhoes can easily sink 

hip-dccp in thc slick mud. 

What does the task force need? 

"We've leased two types of items 

wc'd like to see in thc inventory," 

says Sefton. "The D6 swamp dozer, 

and the hydraulic tracked backhoe, 

or trackhoe. They have wider 

tracks, they're lightcr, they stay up 

and mancuver Rctter in this mud. 

We've leased some ;ind contracted 

Ecu~ldorian operators-lhcy handle 

(hem with consider;thle skill." 

A possible way to handle this specialized equipment, he suggests, is 

to treat it like prcpositioned 

materiel and equipnicnl in NATOstock the items in tropical regions 
as POMCUS so they can be ready 

when and where they're needed. 

Strong winches to pull mired 

equipment out are also a must in 

this region. Equillly important is a 

healthy respect for the savagery of 

the equatorial climate. At the bridge 

site on the Rio Hollin, swili water 

and flash floods are an ever-present 

daoger. 

"Talk about lessons learned," said 

COL Sefton. "The rains can make 

thc river rise 6 Sect in an hour-or 

higher. You have to watch the watcr 

every minute. When you scc it get 

muddy looking, you set a pole in it 

and watch to see if the watcr rises. I 

had a couplc of people hcre who 

failed to believe mc when I told 

them that-and as a result two air 

conipressnrs and a concrete pump 

got washed down the river in an 

8-foot flash flood. That was one expensive Icsson." 

In taking on this extraordinary 

mission at short notice, Task Force 

1169 faced on a micro level what 

the Army must face on a hroadcr 

lcvcl if it is to be truly ready for 

deployment and operations in undeveloped theaters. Pulling together 

a working operation has meant, in 

some cases, creating a patchwork of 

personnel and units that doesn't 

reflect the CAPSTONE trace organiwtion as well as it should. 

The task lurcc has also contracted out somc vit;ll jobs and 

lcased essential eqoipnicnt-a luxury that might not he available in 

hostile conditions. Balancing the 

task force so that rotational training 

is served and key support lies in the 

hands of competent duration personncl has also bccn a challenge. 

Mei~suringthe ucl~ievemt.nt 

"Every Bla~ing Trails deployment 

walks a fine line," says CUL Scfton. 

"Our primary goal is training-but 

the host nation's cxpectalions are 

that we will complctc somc major 

construdion. To train the maximum 

number of people, you've got to 

face up to some sacrifices in 

kilometers of road completed." 

The commander estimates this 

year's proiecl will have trained 

about 8,(K)O troops. He'd like to see 

rotations lengthened. "Right now," 

he said, "rotating groups spend 

about a day getting here, a day getting oriented, and a day signing oui 

and getting I'amiliar with their equipIn Archidona and in 

neighboring Tena the 

people don't ask, "Why 

are you here?" They 

want to know when the 

Army is going to come 

back. 

mcnt. The administrative time lost 

is about the samc on the other end. 

Out of each 2-week rotation, I'd say 

we see only about 7 productive 

work davs." Longer rotations would, 

in his opinion, improve both training and productivity. 

Base camp construction also 

costs significant time and labor. 

"We filled this area with 6,olNl 5.1011 

dump truck loads ol rock, just to 

make a floor to huild on," says COL 

Seftnn. "But the timc had to be 

spent. Rcmcmbcr, the Army put 3 

years into building a base herore a 

shovelful of dirt was dug out of the 

Panama Canal. In this part of the 

world, you have to take care of your 

soldiers. It's a life and death matter." Still, he admitted, productive 

road construction timc amounted to 

only al)out 70 days of the 6 months 

the task fhrcc will spcnd in-country. 

"We havc to do better," lie concluded. 

Right as the command group isorganization must bc stronger, 

ecluipment more effective, and treining mtrrc complclc-;I t;~ngihlc 

spirit ol deep satisf:lcti[~n rcigns in 

Archidona. Soldier after soldier 

speaks of increased understanding 

of life outside the Unitcd Statcs, 

and of greater appreciation for what 

he has at home. 

Community-base camp relations 

are excellent. In Archidona, U.S. 

military are "amigos," not "gringos," 

and while the town is expcrienci~ig a

heady injection of cash flo;~tcd on 

an ocean of coca cola, a mounl;~in 

of black shoe polish, and acres of 

llama-wool hlankcts, thcrc has bccn 

no influx of contral);~nd or high-tech 

goc~ds. 

Of all ihe lessons wc hring home 

or leave behind in Archidona, it 

may he that the most imporlant can 

he summed up in hricf im;~gcs. . . A 

Ouichuo Indian woman, Ic~ddcd with 

a heaw sack of potatoes, w;~lks unarraid near a maintenance area 

chockablock with 5-ton dump 

trucks. . . A girl stands bchind tlic 

countcr of a refreshment nt;tnd 

poring over an English phrase book 

with the help of an American suldier. . . A local man hanils an officer a hnttle of suspicious-looking 

water to be tested for impurities hy 

the medical group. Trust, learning, 

and mutual assistance havc all bccome the daily bridges for better 

inter-American relations hcre. 

Task Force 1 0 will lcave 

Guayusa Bridge as a steel and concrete monument to the skill and 

determination of thc U.S. Armv Enginccrs. Its individual soldiers will 

also leave a lcgacy of friendship 

with our neighbors to the south. In 

many ways, Abriendo Rutas 87 has 

been Total Army-being all the 

Army can be. 

P(rrtelo1~c S~'1triti11 i,c Jcaltfvc.~~dililt~. iy"

ENGINEER. 
~n~ineer Solution -

NOTE: These generic answers use the standard 1,000-man base 

camp (NT 1531) all-climate, temporary standard, wood frame buildings. Your answers would vary with many factors-depending on 

which facilities you add or eliminate, whether your work periods vary 

from those assumed in AFCS, and changes you might make in standard designs to accommodate the situation on the ground. 

Answer 

1. NT 1531 

2.52.1 acres 

3. Facility numbers: 

Electrical 81 240 

Water 84210 

Sewer 83210 

4. Horizontal: 24,141 hours 

Vertical: 87,574 hours 

5. a. Skilled personnel 

b. Work period for all units 

is 12 hrslday, 7 dayslweek, 

365 dayslyr. 

C.Construction efforts do not 

include weather delays. 

d. Aggregates are available 

within 5 miles of the 

construction site. 

6. $2,102,011 

7. Use TM 5-303 Bill of Materials 

Reference 


TM 5-301-1; TM 5-302, vol2 


TM 5-301-1; TM 5-302, vol 1 


TM 5-301-1; TM 5-302, vol 1 


TM 5-301 -1 

TM 5-304, paragraph 2-9 

TM 5-304, paragraph 2-10 

TM 5-304, paragraph 2-9 

TM 5-304, paragraph 2-1 1 

TM 5-301 -1 

TM 5-303 

He,dgcrows (c,ortrirttiedJ {I) 

tar~k ovcr its entire widtb. Since the ... rail device had most of the advantages of the tusk arrangement 

plus added strength and durability, 

it totally removed the need for explosives. 

Engineers no longer need to c:on- ~ 1 ..,:,I . ~ ~ cern thcrns~.~~~ ",., n ways and

means ol getting bar~ks over the 

ground. We had found a way lo c:onquer the terrain and t'o free ourSCI-

<...., ves to apply our resobtcc. rv tjther 

tasks. Ingenuity, good planning, and 

the ability lo capitalize on a Tortuitous discovery helped us to clcar 

thc:way for armor ane I infantry. Wc 

dicln't make headlines-hut we had 

a significant influence on the Iiuc-

-. .. ccss OI the Normanuy campaign. 

Nore: Mujor Gerterul Plo~e,.jir:X 

wrde fhe sronl or! Norrtturt~y Itedgerows 01 Ec~rol~e irt lule I944 crJier ilte 

baffle of Hre. He wus fhert cr licitlertarir culortel cor~tritarrdir~g rlrcr12lsl 

Erc@rtccr Corithar Butruliorr of llte 

291 ) Di~Giort.

MG,~, ~..,,,,rul Robert R. Plo~er; 

Urtircd Srafes An?? (Ref.), i.r 11 19.39 

grudrrufe oJ llte Urtired Stures MiNluy 

Acuderr:~. 111 1965 hc cortirltcrrtded 

tlre 1811r Ertgineer Brigade iff Soitllt 

Vielriurtt urtd i-67 senad us 

Gerterul We8 !s Antry Engineer urtd coritrlturtuer of U.S. Anrw 

El{ 7/11. 

Hi! !tr!v 

wil :rul 

SruJj, Stiprcrire Heuftqrtu~iers, Allied 

Powem Etrrope, Milirur?j Liuisort 

Conuttitree lo iltc Aloriric Errem 

Coritririssiort, GHQ urtd Jul7urt Lefgiificul Coriatturtd iri (lie Fur Ecrsr, OJjice Clri(f oJ Gthi,tec.r.s us Cltitf or 

Milirurv Persortrtel urtd lurer us Direcfor of Topo~'1'0171i!~mtd Milirury Enbirrec,rirtg. He sensc!d us corrtriturt~ler 

of [Ire E~igi~reer Ccrrler urtd Fort Bt!I- 

~'oirfiorit 1970-73. He resides irr Artrt 

Arbor, Michigurt. 
-- 

PALIZADA-


road building, the Ecuadorian way 


by MAJ Pat Balcazar and Dr.Jack 

Fowler 

@(;cotextile fahrics>these 

a . m w y construction materials you 

won't lind in Ecuador-or in many 

Icss-developed nations where the 

Arniy lras to be ready to build 

r(~iids. Such rotrds have to hc SLIPported some other way. In this 

South Anlerican nation, road 

huildcrs use palizada, a hase course 

ol logs packed tightly across (he 

rodwy We call it corduroy, 

though we haven't used it much 

since World War II. 

C'onditions in the rain forests cast 

oI' the Andes make this technique 

especially useful. The area offers no 

allernalivcs-every route lies on 

muddy suhgradc wilh poor strenglh 

characteristics. The soil, classified 

ML, is constanlly supersatr~r;~tc~I. 

More than 150 inches of rain falls 

csrch year, at rates of over 20 inches 

a month in the rainy season. 

Army Engineers studied Ecuadorian road-building techniques as 

. . 

. . 

6 * 

I

1 

they hegan work on Ahricndo Rutas 

near Archidona. (;ranito-Checa-Pazmino, an Ecuadorian contractor, is 

huilding a road from Jondachi to 

Loreto, the junction the Army engineer road aims for. Observations 

He who carelessly 

blunders forward will get - stuck in mud. 

of Granite's techniques helped Task 

Force llbY avoid some problems. 

(;ranito had hegun its road 

hel'ore a March 1987 earthquake 

that led Ecuador's president to ask 

the task force to move ils Blazing 

Trails exercise over the Andcs and 

help open Napo Province. 

The contractor's original project-to strip topsoil lo grade and 

construct a suhgradc with a flexihle 

wearing surface-changed as well. 

The Ecuadorian government ini 

8 

! 

i ., i 

! 

. I 

4 


'7 j
 . . .-, I 

slructed (iranito to build a pioncer 

road in order lo speed ihc opcning 

of another isolated arca. (;ranito 

proceeded by working its road in 

three phases: pioneer road, palizadit 

or corduroy, and then the wcaring 

surface. 

The pioneer road is hoilt by a 

squad of workers who clcar the 

path with chain saws and low 

ground pressure dozers (D(, alterpillars). Army engineer (~hscrvcrs 

immedia~ely saw it was esscn~iill to 

clcar the path, the whole path. and 

nothing 11111 thc path. 

Why? Cleared areas can ri~pidly 

become bottomless sinks of modniawimum vegctalion is not rctaincd. 

Field manuals that suggest clearing 

a swath along the roadside, as was 

the practice in Viclnam, are dci~d 

wrong ahout the soil a)nditions in 

this region. 

(iranito's minimalis1 method is to 

conslrucl the ro;rd wilh iicut mi~dc 

by two wide-track dozers. Few lill 

sections are made on the road's 

centerline. Clcarcd trees. topsoil, 

and loose wet soil are washed down 

slopes to clear a IO-mctcr-wide arca 

for a 0-mctcr-wide rock-lillcd base 

course and drainage ditch. 

The drainage ditches arc excavated, largely with hand tools, at 

the edge <>I the cul. The ccnlcr ol 

the cut slopes to drain ihc rocid on 

one or hoth sides. Turnoul points 

are buill cvcry I(HJ nictcrs; and 

streams are crossed with native timber bridges. 

To prevent thc pioneer roiid I'roni 

hecoming a swamp, the project cngineer hirns equipment from the 

road. Workers walk along the cdgc 

Ecusdolaans lay n base course of logs-the palinrda on whlch the-. of the pioncer road, and only get on 

finished road will "floaa". the roadway where a wearing 
Ecunr:o- % n~oundelr-fedrivers are 11 ~ll of well-worn boulders. excellent 

material for building roads. 

surlacc hi~s hecn added. If equip- Task Force 1I69 has hccn conmcnt nlusl travel on the pionccr strained by tin~e limits 111 build 

road, thc project engineer soper- fewer turnouts, and to use one rnw 

vises. Equipment is rcruelled in of corduroy across the roil The 

pli~cc-luel travels (he road in PVC wearing surklce thirt the il6')th uses 

pipe and is gravity-fed to equipment. is a mixturc or crushed ruck and 

To construct the corduroy base earlh. 

course, logging crews harvest logs 6 As the cxcrcisc nears its closc, 

meters long and 5 to 25 centimeters the task force is satisfied its road is 

in dii~mcter. The logs are litid per- a durit1)lc product that will stand 

pendicular to the road's ccntcrlinc. the severe tcsts of the Ecuadori;~n 

The project engineer explained that climatc. Observation of the (;ri~nito 

he prefers two rows of shorlcr project has shown U.S. engineers 

logs- not one row covering the valuable methods for constructing 

whole ro;~d. This reduces the load expedient roads in rugged, muddy 

transmitted from the suhgrade and tcrrain. 

wearing surracc across the width or The most important lessons? 

the road. Clear no more than the path. Kccp 

The corduroy is the Ecuadorians' traflic off the road until the wearing 

gentextile labric. It prevents base surrace is built. The lighter the 

soil from mixing with the road's sub- equipment, the wider the tracks, the 

grade. It also allows ground watcr better you move. Improve skills with 

lo percolate lo the shoulder of the hand t(iols. 

road end at the same lime restrains The rnohility moral here is 

soil mnvcmcnt. The limhcr in the simple- he who carclcssly hlunders 

pitliz;~da does not rot, since it is sub- forward will get stuck in mud. As in 

nlcrgd in mud. many other tropical and subtropical 

(;r;tnito has had the added good regions with hciiw r;~inli~ll, progress 

fortune to discover a deposit of pe- may he measured in mctcrs and in 

troleum-impregnated earth near the days, no[ in kilomctcrs and hours. 

work site. This snil is being used to Bul in this country no one asks 

surface thc road. Exposcd to air, it how li~r it is to a place, only how 

hardens and l'orms a durable wear- long it takes to get there. Road 

ing surface. builders, rani and thc 1160th 

among them. take pride in ihc wz~y 

thcir arduous work hits shrunk 

travel time for Ecu;rdorians in Nitpo 

Province. 

MAJ Parrick J. Balc(~zoris lItc3 An,li 

ErtgirteerJw rhe ElSUII'UL~N.Arcu 01-

c Mobile Dislricf, COE. He 11u.s 

.sc~r.nod us Coritr~tarrrk~r; D C'rrrttl?rrr!\! 

1,5111 Ertgirteer Burrnliort, Fan Lewis. 

Wu.sltirt~torr, urtd us (he 011erutirrrt.s 

OJficcfr Jrrr rlrr Fucili/ics.s Erigirtecvirtg 

orf Ccrrm; For1 Bchr?;,; L'ir-

@iu. MAJ Bulcazur ho1d.s art AA 

fmru New Mcrico Mililary /rt.sriIrrre, o 

BS irt citd cr~girtecrirtg/rorlt New 

Mcrico Slure Urri\*er:silj', urtd art MS 

irt civil ertgirrecrirrg fiorit Geor&<a Irtsrinrte oJ Tecltrtolop. 

D,: Jack Fowler is a Rcsear~lt Ci~zil 

Ert,qirteer wirh rhe Anrty Coq?s oJ Efth<rt~~~~rx U'r~lcfit~~~\~.~ Ev/~~~rirtt~~rtr ,5111-

liort, Vick.shtirg, Mis.si,r.si/?l?i. HI, Itol~l,~ 

BS urrd MS cleflws irt civil erihirtcerirtg fiorit rlic Ur~i!~er:sily oJ Mir..si.s.sil~l~i, 

artd N PltD irt civil errgirterrirtg Jrori~ 

Okl~lt~~rtu Slnlc, U~tic~:siry. Dr.

Fow1c.r i,s cr re~i.sl~~rslc.rrvl Prrfe.i.siorro1 

Ert@icer iri ~l.li.s.si.s.sil?l?i. 
AFCS: a flexible template for base camp 

David 

by MA.] 

C. 

Edward 

Wilson 

A. Hayes and CPT 

desig-

Ka Your unit is slated to 

train in Central America. 

Will you waste many precinus davs struggling to design a 

base ccrmp? Your contingency mission makes you responsihle for 

designing logistical facilities for an 

undeveloped theater. Must you 

draw up blueprints from scratch? 

The answer to both those questions 

is NO. The Army has the tool you 

need to help you design and build 

fr tl~e theater of operatir~ns. It's 

called the Army Facilities Components System (AFCS). 

The AFCS is a military engineering construction support system. 

Pli~nners can use it to choose, plan, 

and huild almost any lacility needed 

in a theater of operations. Its 

designs are adapted lor use in any 

geographic area and in both 

developed and undeveloped theaters. 

What will it tell you'? The AFCY 

details construction standards, explnins construction planning. shows 

standard plans and bills of 

materials, and recomnicnds construction sequences. It gives estimates for the construction effort 

specific facilities require, and even 

offers data on materials and techniques you are likely to find in your 

theater of operations. 

WIIV uses AFCS? 

The AFCS is a primary source 

for planners and builders who are 

responsible lor theater construction 

requirements. The civil engineering 

support plans for all major 

OPLANS include AFCS as their 

facility data lile. Under the 

proponency of the Army Engineer 

School, EOBC and ANCOC (MOS 

51H Construction Specialist) classes 

use the AFCS to plan and construct 

theater facilities. In EOAC, students use the system to plan and 

adapt designs for a base camp mission exercise. 

Wl~at is Ak'CS? 

The system is made up of four 

technical manuals (Refercnccs, 

page 24). Related publications also 

include the 77tcuter.Ori~~rrredGfride 

Sprcificufic~r~s(TOW). These specs 

can be combined with AFC:S 

blueprints for use by commerci;tl 

contractors hired to build AFCS 

lacilities. The Fowigrt Eq~lit~uIer~i 

Co~rslrncfion Slock fie1rt.r ur~d Loccrl 

Btrildirt~ Corrtl~ortcnfs guide gives 

detailed information on construction materi;tls and praclices in 

Europe, Asia, Africa, Central and 

South America, and the Middle 

East. 

The AFCS has also been 

automated as the Theater Army 

Construction Automated Planning 

System (TACAPS). Using TACAPS 

programs, planners and commanders can quickly consult AFCS 

data to develop requirements and 

designs. The system is continually 

updated. Currently, users can access the system through a terminaVmodem and phone link. In 

the future, TACAPS will he available on floppy disks thal can he 

used with your unit's desktop compulcr. 

Wl~ature AFCS standards? 

The Joint Chiels of Staff have 

delined just two appropriate standards lor theater of operations construction: Initial-designed for up 

to 6 months ol use, or Temporiirydesigned for up to 2 years ol use. 

The theater commander decides 

which standard will be used, based 

on his estimate of the operation's 

likely duration. 

Employing AFCS 

Plunritg. This system is an excellent design data base- but you will 

still have to do some thinking and 

planning. Most designs have to he 

modified to lit site conditions, 

materials and equipment on hand, 

special uscr needs, and threat cunditions. 

As you plan a facility or installalion, you will lhave to consider the 

potential usefulness or existing 

facilities, the cnpahilitics of the 

local transportation net, the resources the host nation may oller, the 

rcal estate available, the site conditions, and the threat environment. If 

you lind that your design requirements exceed your unit's capabilities, request support from your 

higher headquarters, the local 

DEH, or division or district ollices. 

If your mission is in an undeveloped 

theater, yos'll probably have to do 

all the designing yoursell. In this 

case, a good site investigation is 

critical for success. 

You must request material for 

AFCS items through normal supply 

channels. The AFCS is oot an 

authori7ation document. Ytiu can't 

use it to prcstock or order construction material. even though installations and facilities arc listed with a 

national stock numher (NSN). 

Bii bk)cIk. You can, 

however, use AFCS to find out cxactly what you need to ordcr. The 

system shows all its components as 

building blocks that you can fit 

together according to your needs. 
LE IN AFC 


Administration 

AirfiehIs and heli ports 

Troop camps 

HospitnlJ -1.

Maintenance faci lities 

Medical depots 

Ordnance handlimp IacIuries 

Precaslt parts yarc 

POL filcilities 

Port (a ~ntainer pi - - Ayost vftcce 

Railroad terminals, regulating stations 

Recreational centers 

Signal Intelligence 

Storage facilities (ammuniti 

Thc elements are identified as 

items. facilities, and installations. 

Jtcms arc matcrial or equipment 

that can he used as part of a larger 

product. Each has an NSN, description, unit of issue, and quantity. 

Facilities are groups of items 

dcsigned to provide a service. Some 

essential equipment is also designated as facilities. Each facilily is 

numbered, described, listed by unit 

of issue, shipping weight, volume, 

cost, and associated vertical and 

horimntal construction effort. 

Installations are groups of 

facilities designed to provide a service or support function in the 

theater of operations. Each is assigned a numher, a shipping weight, 

volume, cost and required horirontal and vertical construction effort. 

The AFCS provides drawings that 

give complete site layouls (see illustration on page 23), including 

roads, utilities and individual facility 

loc a I.ions. 

Since it was first compiled in 

1'151, the AFCS has grown lo include designs for ovcr 4,000 

facilities. Construction standards 

havc been stripped to austcrc initial 

and temporary lcvels. Many designs 

arc heing further simplilied, and updates are intended to further impmve the system's versatility. 

Help for overseas conshrcliorr. 

Clearly this systcm gives you much 

morc than a vague idea of your goal 

in planning an installation or 

racility. You can design and plan 

procurement for optimal conditions. 

You can also use AFCS to help you 

when you're going into a foreign environment, and need to know how 

this will affect your plans. 

If specified materials aren't locally available, check the cost in days 

and dollars carefully before you 

order stateside shipments. Prohihilive costs may require you to modify 

the design to make the hest use of 

indigenous materials. Always remember that construction materials 

are precious in the theater of operations. Limit waste-order optimum 

lengths, and ensure materials are 

properly handled, stored, and 

secured. 

When you make use ol foreign 

construction materials, be sure to 

consult the publication on roreign 

equivalent materials described 

above. It will tell you which 

materials are compatible and interchanpahlc with U.S. components. 

Be surc to check materials and 

equipment based on the metric dimensioning system- you may have 

to adjust your design belore you can 

use them. 

Don't reinvent the wheel 

The basics are all there for you in 

AFCS. Its modular, flexihlc dcsign 

packages can be building hlocks for 

a theater construction mission 

anywhere in the world. Its publications and compulcr sortware can 

save hours of research, planning 

and design time. The hours you 

might otherwise spend on calculations, paperwork, and design call go 

to the action mission. An accur;ite 

plan makes construdion easier. 

Don't reinvent the wheel- use it! 

AFCS is managed by the ofice ol 

the Assistant Chicf of Engineers 

(HQDA, DAEN-ZCM) with technical support from the Huntsville Engineer Division (ATTN: CEHNDED-SY) or call AV 742-5312. 

If you have questions ahout 

AFCS or need help with a planning 

or dcsign mission, contact Structures and Ulilities Branch, Dcpartmcnt of Mili~ary Engineering, 

USAES, Fort Belvoir, VA 22tKjO 

(ATTN: ATZA-TE-SU) or call AV 

354-3806, commercial 703-(64-38Mi. 

MAJ Edward A. Hut~e,~ is cr~ner~l!)~ 

C1ric.j; Slnrclrrres urtd Ulililies 

Brarrclt, Departrnern oj Mili~ur?~ Errgirreerirrg, U.S. An?!), Err@reer 

School. MA1 Haye.7 /folds a BS fro111 

Nonvich Urlivwily, an MS Lr citU errgirteeringfrorrt P~rrdrte arrd art MS irr 

systeri~s rirarragerrrertl jrorir USC. He 

is also a CGSC gmd~rafe MA1 

Hayes has senred will! 111e 23d En- 

@leer Baf~alioi~in Wes~ hrrorty 

arrd rlre 52d Er!@reer Bul~alior! uf 

Fort Car.sori, Colorado. 

CPT Da~lid C. Wilsorr i.7 arrrertllt~ 

Sfr~rdrrrcs Secliorr (7rieJ Dipu~irrt~~rrf 

if Milifan, Errgir!ec.rir!g, U.S. Ar7iry 

Err@rrecr Sclrool. He i.7 a gradrrulc oj 

USMA artd EOAC CPT Wilsorr hus 

senred br /Ire 549111 Errgimcr' Barraliorr in Genirary as Dallalioirr S2, 

bridge l~laloorr leader, urrd brid* 

corll/lal!\'XO. 

Referer!ces or! page 24 
C;I~NI<I<AI.No'l.l<S 

I.'l'his inslallitlirrn diapl.am portrays a sumested al.rangemelt1 of 

living mlalcd isrililicr only. ior the iicld co~llmandel. oia 375-!wan 

r:$mp lrrr use hy a n~nlpasyllmopihatle~y under initial standards. 

l'cnti~ec:(il' laver and inedism is lo lhc rrruvided hvdenlovine units as . . .. ('I \ 18, prtk,~?!Ilc>ur$r!11 ronlp 8s !I# lhc crpev.1 nal pro08 I,, 

<!.I>!,n,*,g,.I, .s .,,~,"<DI. ,c ,,\ ,,,"<I 1,c c I .Ic.c~ <<lVd,*.C \ ?<.\I ('\ 

1~1. $ ~~##I~I~c#\ -25h \,I,sr1~1 12521t4A cest>r<\tcl, Rr lc., rn>.tv lte

reduccd <>l';rdded la i~~rsmall varialions in tenant unit rlre~lglh. 

2. Scpill-ale latrines are provided for fenlale soldien. 

3. I~t~rilitier 101~hathhoores lo be provided lby OM lhau? unit. Scparalion 01'sexcs in SIIOWTIS will bc acc~~??pIisl~ed by ~ch~duling. 

1.W;,Ici. will lrc supplied fmm'I'OF. water points. 

5. lZencing lo hc provided lry unit if securiiysiluatiun requires it 

(Il'iple mnrcnino). 

6. Kilrhcn trailer. LIN 1,28351 or tent. Lilrhen 1048. I.INVJ')'J48. 

7. When company-sized ramp is roo~bincd wilh olller talrlps lo 

house larger units. the vehicle maintenance and parking awaa arc iclnrated and consoliditled. See illslallalion MI' 1511. 

8.I5lcrtl-iral power and lighting lo he provided will) lenanl anil's 

pol.lal,le 'I'OC generatots and distrihulioo syslems or supplied lry 

alrother inslallali<,n. 

9. Wood frames for tents: Gl'. lat.ge and medium are availithlc aod 

lll~8slhe ordcved. if desil.ed, using the following iaciliiy inombers: 

GQaLQe GP medium 

with earth floors 72520AH 72520AC 

with wood floor 72520AJ 72520AD 

with concrete floor 72520AK 72520AE 

10. Slahilized roads and hardsla~tds 

selected above arc lrased on exisling 

CllI<=20. Adjoal lhirkncss ii('Ill<varies 

more than 5 un 01.down frr,nr ('IIIUII.If in 

. . ., a1 a ralc of 0.54 gallsy. '?'mop innlp mads 

used only as patml mads should lhc pfiided 

and drained only wilh no stikhilizaliun rcquire*. 

375-man troop camp installation no. NT 

121 1 wlmotor pool installation no. NT 

1221 wlo motor pool initial standard 
REFERENCES 

NUMBERED PUBLICATIONS 

TM 5-301, AFCS-Planning 

This manual explains the concept and use of AFCS and contains 

tables of installations and facilities in the system. k is published in 

four volumes, each addressing a separate climate zone. These are: 

TM 5-301-1 Temperate 

TM 5-301.2 Tropical 

TM 5-301-3 Frigid 

TM 5-301-4 Desert 

TM 5301 provides material costs. logistical data. and engineering 

data for planning construction support, Its planning tables show requirements for real estate (acres), water supply and sewerage (gallons per day), electrical connected loads (kilowatts), aggregates 

(cubic yards), and construction effort (vertical, horizontal, and 

general construction manhours). 

TM 5-302, AFCS- Design 

This is a multivolume manual which contains detailed design 

drawings for installations and facilities. TM 5-302 also includes: 

Templates for prefabrication of facility components. 

Critical Path Method diagrams for construction management. 

Material procurement process diagrams. 

Decision trees for facility planning and design. 

TM 5303, AFCS-Logistic Data and Bills of Material 

This manual is used by planners. builders. and suppliers to identify materials used to construct the desired facilities. It contains 

material descriptions, units of issue, quantities required, and Nationai Stock Numbers. 

TM 5-304, AFCS -User Guide. 

This manual explains how to use AFCS, It contains terminologies, 

definitions, requisition and supply procedures, unit productivity data. 

and exam~le oroblerns. It also ~rovides . general guidance and infor- . mation on theater of operations construction. 

UNNUMBERED PUBLICATIONS 

Foreign Equivalent Construction Stock Items and 

Local Building Components. 

This publication provides a country by country construction 

material availability and compatibility and local construction practlces listing for the following geographic areas: 

Europe 

The Middle East 

Asia and Africa 

Central and South America. 

Theater- Oriented Guide Specifications (TOGS) 

TOGS are a set of specifications designed to be Incorporated 

with the AFCS drawings to make AFCS contracts executable. Each 

of the TOGS sections covers an item of construction. The TOGS are 

self-contained. without reference to commercial specifications of 

Federal standards. The language is unambiguous, assumes the contractor is operating in good faith, and thal the Army takes the risks 

based on existing site mnditions. 
THE 

LIGHTENS 


hy SP4 Richard M. Sanborn 

SFC Clyde Hamrick readied Lo make an Australian ga[ descent of a craggy cliff 

lecc in the mountains of southern 

Virginia. "If you told me a year ago 

that I would he climhing face first 

down a cliff, Iwwt)uld have told you 

that you were crazy," he said. 

Hamrick's vertigo may have 

echoed the collective feelings of his 

unit as it tr;~nsitioned to a light engincer unit from a combrtt engineerlhridging unit. However, for 

thc Virginia Army National Guard's 

(VAN(;) 229th Engineer Batti~lion 

of the 29th inl'antry Division (Light) 

thcre was no turning hack. 

The 22Oth, headquartered in 

Fredericksburg, Virginia, faced a 

multitude of challenges. First, Lhe 

leadership of the newly formed battalion had to reorganize the entire 

unit structure. As the 137th Engineer Company, the highest ranking officer was a captain. As the 

229th transitioned from a single 

company to a battalion with four 

companies, officers came in from 

other units in the Virginia National 

Guard to huild a leadership team. 

The 220th was activated 1 July 

1986 and began the process of retraining its personnel-a mixed 

group of 1262, 12Cs, and 12Fsinto sapper-trained combat engineers. 

As a National Guard unit, it 

could only train during its scheduled weekend drills and annual 

training. Olhcr rcquirements like 

civil disturbilnce training competed 

for training hours. 

The 229th'~ soldiers got their first 

taste of light engineering during annual training (AT) 86, when they atSSG James McCarty rappels, Australian-style, down a cliff face In the 


Shenandoah National Park during Sapper Leader course training con- 


ducted there. 

tended a 3-day "Rite of Passage" 

course conducted by the 29th Infantry Division's Light Leader 

Course at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. 

A Cday field training exercise 

(FTX) followed the course. During 

the FTX, soldiers were airlifted to a 

partisan linkup point and then to 

riverside where they rafted downstream, perfornmed demolition reconnaissance, and siniulatcd demolition 

of a bridge. 

More training-less time 

Several members ol' the 220th had 

completed the residcnt Sapper 

Lcacicr Course (SLC') ;it Fort Leonard Wood. Missouri, earlier in the 

year. Over the next scveral months, 

they introduced the unit to light engineer training during weckcnd 

drills. 

In the meantime, NCOs who 

weren't 126 qualified werc attcnding a 12820 course at Fort Bclvoir, 

Virginia. 

In Deccmher of 108h. a mohile 

training team (MTT) of instructors 

from the resident SLC came to the 

Frederickshurg Armory. Their t;~sk? 

To te;~ch the 22'9th'~ linc unil orficers and I26 NCOs Sappcr 

Leader tcchniclucs- a 28-day program at the residcnt amrse-within 

the framework of a wcekc~id tr;~ining schedule. 

From Dcccrnhcr to .lunc, I')H7, 

SLC: instructors glliilcd studcnts 

through sul?jccts like cnpcdicnt 

demolitions, acrial rcsupply, and 

hand-to-hand conihat. Studcnts 
learned to develop operations orders and to perform demo calculations. They studied Soviet doctrine. 

Thcv tr:tincd ~~with ~ #lie ~~ M-lh..~the ~ 

M60, and with foreign weapons. In 

every weekend drill, leadership was 

a key emphasis. 

During AT 87, conducted at 

Slicnandnah National Park and Fort 

A.P. Hill, the 229th'~ B and C Company engineers trained in mountaineering, water operations, survival icchniques, and battle drills. 

The course culminated with a Cday 

situational training exercise (STX) 

where soldiers put into practice the 

techniques thcy learned over the 

previous 7 months. This final part of 

the course ch;~llcnged each soldier 

to test himscll', and to push himself 

to the al)solute threshold of his 

ahility. 

The 229th meets the test 

Any soldier who has completed 

the SLC will attest to llie strain 1h;lt 

the 4-day STX imposes. "After working for ahout 72 hours with little or 

no sleep," said SGT Robert Olsen, 

"you go into what we called the 

'drone zone'-your body is lunctioning hut your mind is blank. Suddenly your brain clicks hack on and for 

a second you wondcr where you 

arc." 

But was the training that the 

VANC; soldiers received the same 

training that students at the resident 

SLC rcccivc? The program of instruction (POI) was the same, said 

SSG (iiles Hulsmann, MTT senior 

instructor. And since the final 14 

days of the training werc conducted 

consecutively, the MTT version of 

the training was as much a challcngc physici~lly as tlic resident vcrsion. 

Lessons from Monongal~ela 

At the sanic time that B and C 

Companies' engineers werc linishing their SLC training, A Cornpany's soldiers were participating in 

Operation Little Mountain State I, 

in support of the 1st Brigade of the 

29th Division. The opcration, conducted in rlic Monongi~hcla Natioaal Forest in the mountains of West 

Virginia, used a cross section of [he 

Division's assets to train a low intensity conflict scenario in a niuunLainnus environment. 

The engineers' responsihility was 

to estt~hlish the division and hrigadc 

support areas (DSA and BSA). "1 

think we underestimated the amount of heavy equipment we 

would need to provide engineer sopport lo the exercise," said MAJ Arthur H. Verburg, assisVan1 division 

engineer. Although the bulk of the 

company's worklmad was supporting 

the BSA, the engineers pcrformcd a 

varicty ol light engineering tasks including survivalrility, mobility, and 

countermobility niissions. "The 

troops learned what it is like to encounter and deal with the contingcncics that can occur on the battlefield-like missirig a linkup with 

the infantry, or adjusting to drastic 

fluctuations in tempcraturc." 

The lower enlisted troops from B 

and C Companies were formed into 

a composite D C:ompany at the outset of AT 87. SLC-trained instruc- 

(ors from within the unit led them 

thrnugh a mini-sappcr school, also 

held at Fort A.P. Hill. This gave the 

EMS exposure to the techniques 

that their NC:O leadership would be 

instilling in them. 

Trnin nnd retain 

Light engineering was a different 

challenge than many of the soldiers 

in the unit had faced before. Hauling an 80-pound rucksack up the 

side of a mountain is certainly morc 

demanding tlran riding shotgun in ;I 

2 112 ton truck. Many unit members 

said tlii~r thcy had hcgun regular exercise rcgimens in ordcr to hc ahlc 

to keep pace with the training. 

Over the course of the 2-year 

transition, approximately 55 soldiers 

left [he unit. Thcy were mostly older 

soldiers-some with upwttrds of 25 

years with the (iuard. However, 

nearly 115 soldicrs have joined the 

unit since its tri~nsition to light. 

"We had guys that left hccausc nl 

the training. Now we have pcnple 

who want to join hccausc of it," said 

MAJ Anthony .I.VanderBurg .lr., 

battalion executive olliccr. "We now 

have people who arc morc nicntally 

and physically geared for it." 

Since conipctent, well tri~incd, lit 

soldiers will he esscnti;~l to the 

unit's luture success, rctcntion is 

crilical. In ordcr to cnha~icc rctcntion, the battitlion devclopcd 0pcr;llion Train and Rc1:lin. Nar~ii;~lly,;I 

(iuard unit's wcckcnd drills run 

from early Saturday morning until 

late Sunday night. Under the Train 

and Retain program, soldiers train 

from noon Saturd:ry through noon 

Sunday, giving them 20 hours of 

lri~iningwith 4 hours of sleep. They 

hit Lhc ground running and kccp 

running until Sunday noon. Training 

is condensed but it is all high speed 

with no down timc, and thc 

schedule alfords soldicrs personal 

timc during drill weekends. 

On 3 Octohcr 1087, the hattalion 

had a formation at its Frcdcrickshurg Armory. Alter nearly a year of 

training separi~tcly, enlisted men 

and NCOs stood together in ranks. 

Squad leaders reported to pl;~tonn 

sergeants, platoon sergeants to lirsl 

sergeants. 

The goal of the 229th over the 

next training year is to train the 

squads and platoons in the unit to 

hecome effective light engineering 

teams-rc;~dy to conquer thc 

precipices that lie ahead 
FROM CRATERS TO CONCRETE IN 


48HOURS 

"risky business" of runway repair 

By C:PT Thomas Round 

Working under cover of 

darkness, we positioned 

shape charges and cratering dcviccs on the runway. An array 

of hlasts and flashes erupted I'rom 

thc once smooth surface of the 

strip. Although we might ordinarily 

have hccn thrillcd with the success 

of our mission, we knew that each 

hlast (ha1 rocked tlie night signalled 

iinothcr crater we would have to 

rcpair come moroing. 

Although rapid runway rcpair 

(RRR) is gcner;~lly an Air Force 

task, Army engineers are responsihlc for conducting emergency 

repairs il' d;~mi~gcexceeds Air Force 

RRR a~pi~bilitics. 

Airlicld damage rcpair (ADR) is 

the primary mission of the 463rd Engineer Battalion (C)(H), '99th 

ARCOM and our annual training 

1087 (AT 87). al Fort Pickett, Virginia, was the culmination of a 

3-yeiir plan to develop our ADR 

capability. 

In March 1985, battalion leaders 

tri~vcllcd to thc Federal Republic of 

(jcrmsny, liostcd by our CAPSTONE unit. At our assigned airfield, Air Force pcrsonnel lrriefed 

us on the unit's role in the cvcnt of 

mohilif~tion and also demonstrated 

rapid runway repair. 

Back ;it our headquarters in 

Wheeling, West Virginia, we met 

with the lialtalion slaff and worked 

to recsrablish our priorities. We had 

been concentrating primarily on 

mobility, counlermobility, and survivability missions. While these are 

still mission-essential tasks, our primary mission is ADR. We also 

found that ADR encompasses repairs to airfield structures such as 

the control tower, so we planned to 

emphasize vertical skills in our training also. 

Our training schedule [or AT 85, 

conducted at Fort A. P. Hill, Virginia, had already been established, 

so we requested additional missions 

that included concrete finishing and 

vertical tasks. Company D deployed 

to Fort lndiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, whcre they renovated World 

War I1 barracks - tranrforming 

them into classrooms and bachelor 

enlisted quarters (BEUS)-enhancing their vertical construction skills. 

There was a great deal of u 

opposition to blowing 

that many holes, but the 

unit agreed with the 

airfield and post 

commanders that we 

would leave the airfield 

in at least as good 

condition as we found it. 

In the spring or 19%. Alphit Company was assigned to fahricitte the 

equipment and material that C'ompsny C' would rcquirc for the ADR 

operations they were to conduct at 

AT 86. We planned to use the concrete cap method of repair outlined 

in FC 5-104-1, Airli~~Iil DUIII~I~~ 

Re/fair. Using a photograph of 

another unit perforniing ADR to 

draw the design, Alpha Chmpany 

Iahricated a scrced beam end a trail 

boom. They scaled the drawing by 

estimating the height of a soldier in 

the picture. Pedestal dcsign was 

(akcn from the manual. 

We blew two li~rge cratcrs on en 

unused portion of Fort Pickctt's airfield so Company C could conduct 

ADR opcralions. We rcpaircd the 

first undcr non-tactical conditions 

allowing soldiers to try ou~ the 

ecluipnicnt and techniques involved. 

However, the second one was rcpaired undcr simulated eomhnt conditions and under the ohserv;rlion of 

the First Army Commander and his 

staff. 

When you blow a crkiter, it 

creates a heave in the concrcte 

around the crater. So, hcforc bcginning repair procedures, soldiers conducted surface roughness checks 

measuring the upheaval I dctcrmine how much pavcmcnt had to be 

removed around cach one to 

achieve 21 level surfi~cc. 

1I' this hei~vc concrcte is danii~ged, 

it must he j;tckh;~mmcrcd out; however, ilit isn't damaged, it can simplv be pushed hack down to level 

using a l,ulld~~zcr. Wc found that 

the concrete displ;~yed ;Igreat deal 

of llcxil~ility. 

We removed all chunks li~rger 

tlii~n12 inchcs from in ant1 around 

the craters using liont elid lo:~ders. 
We pushed all debris less than 12 inchcs in dianictcr into the craters, 

and compacted thcm to obtain a 

C;~liforni;t Bearing Ratio (CBR) of 

hctwecn 3 and 5 percent. The grade 

following compaction had to be at 

least 28 inches helow the airstrip's 

pavcmcnt elevation. We found that 

if we pushed all dchris into the 

crater atid then worked out toward 

the perimeter, it was easier lo 

engage the larger chunks of debris 

and remove them from the area. 

Il' crushed stone is available, it 

can he used as fill, eliminating most 

of the time expended in compaction. With loaders and shovels, soldicrs placed two lifts of stone in 

each crater, compacting to 12 inchcs below the pavcmcnt clcvation. 

They cnmpactcd thc lower lilt to 95 

percent compaction effort (CE) 55 

and the top lift to 100 percent CE 

5.5. 

Soldiers placed ;I prefahricatcd 

pedestal and headhjard in each 

crater. The screed beam was then 

pl;lccd on a spindle mounted in the 

center of the pedest;~l. The key to 

correctly placing thc concrctc is to 

cnsure thitt the pedestal is placed 

prnperly. In each crater, we poured 

I2 inches of concrete mixed to 

achieve 151N) psi in 24 hours. Working from the trail boom, we finished 

the surface until it was smooth and 

level with the surrounding pavement. We removed the screed beam 

from the pedestal-we found that 

we could simply slide the beam off 

the capped crater-and cleared the 

arca of all debris and construction 

material. 

While Company C repaired the 

runway, Bravo Company performed 

general engineering tasks, hardening the airfield's defenses-building 

log cribs, constructing tank ditches, 

and laying wire entanglements. 

To cnsure that all companies got 

full training, we brought the screcd 

hcani, tri~ilboom, and remaining 

two pedestals lionie itftcr AT 86, 

and C:ompany B trained with thcm 

for 4 months. We then gave them to 

Company D to train with for the 

rest of the year. 

The screed heam we used for AT 

86 was an 8-inch hy 10-inch steel 

box hcam, DO Ibet long. Transporting it and the trail boom required 

the exclusive use of a piggyback 

trailer. So helore AT 87, we made a 

changc in the design ol the beam. 

We Lhricated it in sections-one 

5-foot, two 10-loot, and one 15-foot 

length. The beam, which is scabbed 

together usitig stcel plates, also 

makes it easier to haul to the site 

than a conventional onc, and allows 

for various size craters. 

Our plan R)r AT 87 was to hlow 

multiple craters, simuli~tingthe type 

of damage that would close an airfield. 

The engineers' nocturni~ldemo 

mission-once again on an unused 

section of the airfield ;it Fort Pickett-yielded I(] cralers, some more 

than 24 feet in diameter. 

There was a greal deal of opposition to blowing that many holes, hut 

the unit agreed with the airfield and 

post commanders that we woold 

leave the airfield in at least as good 

condition as we found it. 

"We call it risky business," said 

MAJ .I. Michael (iilson, l~attalion 

S3. "Rather than ensuring success 

by rcpairing only one hole," he said, 

"we accepted the challenge of 

repairing 16 holes, risking kilure." 

At the same time, each company 

in the battalion was undergoing an 

external ARTEP. Since we had so 

many missions to perform concurrently, we had to apply engineer 

construction management principles-sometimes projects of lesser 

priority were put on hold so we 

could shift personnel to projects of 

higher priority. 

We first conducted rapid damage 

assessment and idc~itifieda minimum operating strip (MOS), an 

arca 50 feet hy 1500 feet. 

Durins AT 87, wc hcg;~n using 

mobile cl,ncrete mincrs to repair 

small craters and spalls during 

hours when commercial wasn't available. We also found that a concrete 

saw gave a much cleaner edge 

around the crater than jackhammering, creating a smoothcr finish as 

the concrete is screeded. 

Rather than enlarging ihe MOS 

aficr rcpairing it, we hcgm a 

second MOS, creating multiple targets in the event of subsequent attacks. It ;tlso allows tlic first strip to 

he temporarily closed for maintenance, additional repairs, and 

upgrade. 

We completed the mission by 

clearing the debris and ejecti~from 

the runway. 

While training up to our ADR 

missioli, we leitrned some valuable 

lessons and these can he i~ppliedby 

any unil adopting a new mission: 

dctcrmine niission-csscnti;~ltasks 

delcr~ilinematerials required for 

training and their costs 

determine ammunition and dcmolitions rcquircmcnts-in tlic 

case 01 guard and reserve units, 

special permission may be requircd to obtain live ammoniti,~n 

secure permission from thc training site 

train up to tasks and prefabric;~tc 

materials during inactive duty 

training 

Combine these elements with a 

battalion commander wlio is willing 

to take risks and pcrlnrni new tasks, 

leadership in the ficld and individual skill and motivation and 

you have what it lakes to make 

"risky business" a success. 

CPT 77rorttas Rotrrtd is an AGR officer assigrred lo flte Din.clornre 01 

Training urtrl DocoC~cof llre U.S. 

Anirv Er~,qirieerScltool, Ff. B(vltair. 

RS u Training Dctz!lol)rttc,rtf Sfrrfl Officer. He is urt Err,qirtec~rOlfier Ad-

~~rrr~cecl Corrue (EOAC) ffa(hrulc 

urrd 110sscnvd us urr Erth' ~rr~cvr co~tt-

/)u~!\'~~IIIIIIUIIL~!~ in lhe USAR. His 

A(;R us.~ih~rrtrcrtl.sittc/rirl(~A.ssi.slur11 

Brigu(1~Errh<lrccr jbr o Meclrotri;rd 

S(parofc8 Ittfu~rfrs Bti,qu(le art(/ I/I~J 

Ciril Errgirteer for o Corttbaf Htu.al? 

Ert@reerBulfuliorr. 
by LTC Daniel T. Haakenson 

Ka The group commander 

stood up. "I want to conduct an cxercisc that will 

c11;rllcnge those two hattalion staffs. 

It must include a planning mission 

that will run concurrent with the 

normal operations of the CPX. I 

want to complicate planning with 

mass casualties and extensive equipnicnt losses, and messilges that will 

constantly change the staff cstini;rtc." 

With this guidance, the i(14th Engineer Group staff dcvclopcd a 

CPX (command post cxcrcisc) for 

two suhordinate combat engineer 

b;rttalions. It was the first time an cxercise had heen designed, written, 

and conducted by a higher hcadquarters without the assistance of a 

Maneuver Training Command 

(MTC). 

Drawing up a plan 

The staff chose a scenario and a 

maneuver plan, hasing it on our 

CAPSTONE mission-corps couihat engineers in support or a forward heavy mechanized division. 

We placed the battalions in direct 

support of an attacking brigade. 

Since this was our first experience 

with controlling an exercise, we 

gave both battalions the same mission and wrote one set of messages. 

This enahled us to compare the performance of two staffs as [hey 

responded to identical missions and 

messages. 

The m;mcuver plan was more difficult. As National Guard engineers 

in a predominantly engineer state, 

we had lived in a maneuver vacuum. 

We decided to base our plan on 

documents from the Command and 

General Staff College. Since wc 

would hc playing only one brigade, 

we wrote a brigade OPLAN based 

upon the division ovcrlt~y. 

Service support lor corps engineers in a division area has always 

been a complicated issue. We wrote 

It was the first time an 

exercise had been 

designed, written and 

conducted by a higher 

headquarters without the 

assistance of a Maneuver 

Training Command 

(MTC). 

a corps scrvicc support annex and 

supplemented it with messages from 

the division in cases where they 

could supply our needs. 

Our next step was to write the 

messages. We first determined how 

the war was going to evolve, so that 

all messages would present a coordinated picture of the progress of 

battle-rcgardlcss or functional 

area. We established lime lines, so 

that all writers knew when they 

should insert specific messages into 

the exercise. 

Messages were designed to exercise ARTEP tasks, and evaluators 

anticipated and trtrcked the requircd rcsponscs. Evcry nicssage 

c:rlled for extensive staff coordination and communic;rtion. 

We compiled a liiaster message 

control log. The chicf controller 

checked the messages against the 

OPLANs and the projected hrttle 

scenario. 

A dry run 

Our final check was a dry run of 

the exercise. We received assisttrnce 

from Readiness (;roop Dcnvcr and 

from our advisors, who acted :IS ;I 

battalion player cell. Aner communications were set up, niessagcs 

bcgan to flow. The trial cxcrcisc surfaced many prohlcnis that wc corrected bcforc conducting t he CPX. 

Executing the exercise 

We began Friday evening with a 

briefing by thc group comniandcr 

and his staff on the ol?jcctivcs of the 

exercise, and evaluation procedures. 

Battalion staff hrielings followed. 

These briefings indicated staff rcadiness and surfaced problems caused 

by simulated conditions. 

We started the messages flowing 

early Saturday morning, with very 

limited traffic. We wanted the 

players to get organizetl and raniiliar with the scenario so we were 

carelul not to overload them with 

too many messages. A teani rroni 

the 1st Maneuvcr Training Command of Denver evaluated the exercise, working closely with the group 

staff to monitor the message llow 

and the unit rcsponscs to tlic rcquircnicnts. 

Pcriodic update briefs hy thc hiittirlion staffs provided vital inlormation on how they were handling the 

cxcrcisc. During these hricfing, 

scvcr;rl experienced senior officers 

prcssed the staff with hard questions, stringently testing how well 

the staff understood the exercise, 
s t procedures, and cllginccr 

doctrine. 

Mcssilge play stopped about 1800 

on S;~lurday, and the stfls complctcd the decision hricl'. Tllc brick 

wcrc prcscntcd to a comhined scssion. so ihc twt~ h;~ttalions could 

comjxlre their mistakes and successcs. The cxcrcise concluded with 

aflcr action rcvicws. 

A look at results 

Why did wc go to all of this work 

whcn 1;1tIion level cxcrciscs are 

availahlc from tl~c MTCs? First, the 

group st;lll' lesroed much mart. I)y 

doing than hy simply observing an 

MTC: conducting an exercise for a 

s~lorilin~tc battalion. Wc also 

Iocuscd on scveral high priority 

tr;rilring ol>jcclivcs. Finally, prcparing ihc cxcrcise proved a good 

vchiclc lor stal'f training in the six 

months before we conducted the cxcrcisc. 

We have advice for engineer 

groups and battalions who want to 

cclnduct CPXs lor their subordinate 

units. 

1. Give yourself plenty of lead 

time. For reserve component units, 

a ycar is ahout right. Establish milcslones k)r completing the tasks outlined in this article. 

2. Llse an outside ev;rlu;~lion 

team. The exercising unit will be so 

husy that it will hc diflicult to both 

conduct the exercise and evaluate it. 

Finish documents soon enough so 

that thcy can he reviewed hy the 

evaluat<~rsin advance. 

3. Have a coml);~t branch team lo 

play the maneuver units. Together. 

you should dcvclop the ability 10 

frcc-play the war il'rcquircd. 

4. The company cclls lor an cngincer group cxcrcisc arc critical. 

The actual cumniandcrs should be 

thcrc to learn and participatc, hut 

playcrs should hc lraincd to providc 

quality input to the h~tlalion staffs. 

Wcll-designed status hoards are 

villll lo accurate simu1oti~)ns. 

5. Exercise communications as 

they would exisl upon deployment. 

Don't ignore this reality condilir~nor design the exercise so that communications break down from time 

to lime, simul;~ting the prol)lcms 

hrokcn lines would create. 

6. Adminislrirtivc support is crilical. First impressions arc important. 

From sign-in lo sign-out, nicals. billets, arid other support rcquircrnents must bc excellent and cxpcdicnt. 

7. Conduct hriclings oflcn. St;iITs 

will bcnclit lrom thc cxpcricncc. 

and evaluators and controllers will 

get the opportunity 1 put iough 

queslions. 

Was thc cxcrcisc wnrlh the el'-

fort? Listcn to Ihc C:onlmandcr of 

thc 164111 BN: "It was the finest 

CPX that I have ever sccn. It 1111-

covered some wc;~kncsscs in my 

sl;~l'l. I now have a hcttt'r idca whit1 

training Inccd to ct>nduct I~cC~lrc annual training." 

LTC Dortii:l T. Huuknr.so~ris ~11171'11/-

4, Escarrii~e Ojjiccr 01[he l(14ll1 EIIgirtcer r irr Bis~r~rk,Nor111 

Dukoru. He 1ru.s i11.n) .sennl 11,s /Ire 

C;ratip's $3, urtd us XO urrd S.1 (,/ 

IIICI64111 Er~xirtcer Bu/lu/ioll. LTC 

Hurrkert.sorr hol<l.~ u BA /rr,rtt hli1101 

Slmre Collc~c, reci,ir'c%l hic corttr!ri.ssiof~ rlrrorr~lr OCS, urrrl is u ~.urlrru/e 

of EOBC EOAC, urrd CC;.SC 

Inthe early hours of the CPX, a staff team assesses its maneuver 

position. 
ARMY 

CAREER 

COUNSELORS 

KEEP TOTAL 

FORCE 

STRONG 

By SP4 Richard M. Sanborn 

"We don't try to recruit soldiers 

from ihc active Army into 

the National Guard or Army Reserve. Our purpose is to give soldicrs who are leaving active duty 

Ihe opportunity to continue their 

Army careers," said MSG Julian 

Wicker, Fort Belvoir's Total Army 

carccr counselor. 

Soldicrs entering active duty ordinarily enlist with an eight-year 

cornmilmcnt I the Arnmy. When 

thcy finish thcir first tour of active 

duly, ihcy usually have a three- or 

In preliminary tests, every phase 

of the gap-blowing worked as 

desired. Here was a method which 

reduced the communication, control, and supply problems to simple 

terms. We felt we had round a 

rcasonablc solution. 

But we had accidentally discovered more than that. The tankers were agreeably surprised to find 

that their newly "tusked vehicles 

could now make gaps without the 

help ol explosives. The tusks engaged in the body of the hedgerow 

and prevented the nose of the tank 

from climbing when the treads met 

the side of the hedgerow. Result: 

the traction of the entire length of 

tread could now force the tank 

through the obstacle under its own 

power. 

four-year commitment remaining. If 

a soldier decides that he doesn't 

want to reenlist in the active Army 

he has several options available. He 

may serve in the individual ready 

reserve (IRR), or join the National 

Guard or Army Reserve lo complete his enlistment commiimcnt. 

As a member of the IRR, it is the 

individual's responsibility to maintain readiness in the event of 

mobilization. There are no drills to 

attend, no uniforms to wear, and 

none of the pay or benelits activeduty soldiers, reservists, or guardsmen receive. 

Soldicrs in the middle of their 

careers may reach a point where 

they have liltle alternative but to 

leave the active Army-a great 

civilian j~h offer perhaps. Howevcr, 

they still have a substantial invcstment toward their retirement. Also, 

they may wish to maintain their technical proficiency in thcir military 

field or endeavor as well as continue 

thcir kinship in the Arniy fzimily. 

A career in the National Guard 

or Reserves offers the transitioning 

soldicr pay and benefits including 

servicemen's group life insurance, 

The rankers drove their tanks 

into and through one hedgerow 

afier another to test the device 

thoroughly. As might be expected, 

many of [he tusk supports bent Irom 

stresses imposed by the tanks and 

the earth with its mass ol intertwined roots. But there was no 

failure of welds despite the rough 

treatment given the device. 

Unfortunalely, there was no time 

for further development before the 

next attack, and engineers planned 

to rely on the internal charge 

method's proven success, making 

use of the newly equipped tanks. 

Other engineers meanwhile had 

sought a solution to the still-enormous supply problem. They had to 

find a way to carry the great weight 

of prepared charges cross country 

through the same gaps a tank would 

use. Luckily the division had many 

free uniforms, space available air 

transportation, limited post exchange and commissary privilcgcs, 

and, with the completion of 20 ycars 

combined service, retiren~ent at age 

60. Retirement benefits include complete commissary and exchange privileges, medical and dental care, and 

unlimited space av:iilal>le air travel. 

It is the Total Army career counselor's joh to alert the transitioning 

soldier to the opportunities available in the Guard and Reserves. He 

will match the soldicr with a unit in 

nced of his skills that is in the samc 

geographic area as the soldier plans 

to reside. Soldiers transitioning inlo 

the (iuard or Reserves may also 

have the chance to train for and 

work in a new MOS if there is a 

need for it in the unit thcy arc joining. 

It is not the Total Army carcer 

counselor's job to sell thc Nation;~l 

Guard 01 Army Rescrves. "Our 

goal," said Wicker, "is lo kccp the 

total force strong by kceping go<id 

scildiers in the Army." 

Sf4 Riclrard hi. Sa11bo17t is ~rovs 

edilor of ENGINEER 

M29s (weasels), tracked cargo 

vehicles slightly larger than a jeep. 

Loaded with Iorty ol the prepared 

TNT cases, each of these highly 

mobile vehicles presented a comfortably low silhouette. The engineer batlalion procured enough 

M29s (a small fleet itself?) for the attack and completed the other 

details in good time. 

On the next D-day, with the 

tusked tanks, supported by engineers, thcir explosives and 

weasels, the infantry launched the 

attack. In spite of bitter resistance. 

they succeeded in reaching thc 

limiled ol?jective. 

Later, tankers devised a new augmenration for the tanks. The new 

device was a railroad rail, supported laterally on the lront of the 

(corrlit~lredott page 18) 
Engineers for the El Salvadoran Armed Forces 


Building the military-to-military bridge 


by LTC Mike Turner, LTC Clint 

Willer, and MAJ Chris O'Reilly 

many engineers are 

Hzz)ugh? What skills must they 

have? How should they be organized? What equipment do they 

need? These are the tough questions that our force structure experts face as they design units to 

carry out diverse engineer missions 

on tomorrow's battlefields. The 

same questions confront allied 

Third World governments todayso they battle active insurgencies. 

Early in 1987, the El Salvadoran 

Armed Forces (ESAF) sought U.S. 

assistance in developing a plan to 

reconstitute and enhance their 

military engineering capabilities. To 

assist the ESAF and the U.S. 

Military Group (USMILGP) in El 

Salvador, a three-man team was 

formed by USSOUTHCOM. Participants represented DCS Engineer 

ol USARSO, The Army-Air Force 

Center for Low Intensity Conflict, 

and the SOUTHCOM Engineer 

Directorate. The team traveled to 

El Salvador in late March of 1987. 

The current sltuutiou 

Approximately the size of Massachusetts, El Salvador is a densely 

populated country of over five million people. Since gaining its independence Crom Spain in 1839, El 

Salvador's history has been shaken 

by frequent coups and outbursts of 

political violence. Currently, the 

fledgling democratic government 

under President Duarte is actively 

opposed by the guerrilla coalition of 

the Farabundo Marti National 

Liberation Front, and the Democratic Revolutionary Front 

(FMLNFDR). One result of this 

conflict has been the expansion of 

the ESAF from a force of less than 

10,000 in the mid 1970s to one of 

over 50,000 today. 

Yet ESAF has only one engineer 

elemcnt -a company-sized unit 

(Destacamento Militar De Ingenieros De La Fuerza Armada) located at Zacatecoluca, southeast of 

San Salvador. This unit is more commonly employed as incantry, and its 

engineer skills have deteriorated. 

Thus the growing Salvadoran army 

has declining engineer capability. 

The bedrock of the current 

E5AF force structure is six brigades 

which each cover a regional zone. 

Competition for 

resources within ESAF is 

keen. Priority goes to 

immediate combat need. 

Allocations of funds is 

affected heavily by the 

knowledge that U.S. aid 

is appropriated on an 

annual basis, which 

promotes a "last chance, 

one-shotw attitude about 

spending. 

They conduct tactical operations 

from well-established cuartels 

(bases similar to kasernes in Germany) which are maintained largely 

by locally-hired civilians. Thus even 

facilities enginecring is not an 

ESAF function. 

The reasons for the lack of cngineering capacity arc divcrsc: 

METT-T differs greatly from zone 

to zone, so a standardi~ed equipment menu, structure, and military 

occupational skill rcquircments are 

hard to achieve. Thc high cost of cngineer equipment to an Army hard 

pressed to supply its troops with hutter and bullets also limits force 

development. 

Evaluating the engineer need 

The assistance team sought to 

determine an appropriate engineer 

capability at briyadc level, including 

training and equipment requirements. The team also evaluated the 

existing engineer unit's potential as 

an asset whose primary focus could 

be civic action work in support ol 

the National Development Plan. 

The U.S. team also recommended 

allocation for new engineer equipment acquired through a Foreign 

Military Sales purchase. 

The team traveled through El Salvador, visiting the brigades, the engineer unit at Zacatecoluco, and 

other headquarters in order to learn 

the realities ol the force structure 

and needs from commanders, their 

stalls, and assigned U.S. trainers. 

The team also examined fortifications, terrain, and available cquipment. The El Salvador area engineer, who oversees the many 

projects being built by the Corps of 
Engineers, Mobile Dislrict. provided valualilc supplcnicntal idorniitlinn. 

Al'lcr the team's on-site missinn 

ended, they turned to the resources 

available illthe U.S. Army Engineer 

School, the Speci:*l Warfare Center, 

and the School of the Americas. 

Fr~im these sources, the team 

gntlicrcd informittion (in force structuring techniques, equipment cc~sts, 

mohilc training team pnicedures, 

and Spanish-langu;~gc training m;itcriitls. They itlso to~k note of lessons learned hy pcrsonncl who had 

hi~nds-t)n cxpcricncc working with 

Latin armies. 

An Army wit11 few resources 

What were the findings of the initial nsscssmcnl? 

C'nmperilinn [or resources within 

ESAF is kccn. Priority gncs lo immcdiittc combat nccds. Allc~cation 

of funds is affected heavily hy the 

knowlcdgc that U.S. aid is appr~~prialcdon an annual basis, 

which promotes a "last chance, oneshot" attilude itbout spending. 

Moreover, ci~ch hrigadc commander must manage a lump sum 

annual budget which includes his 

soldiers' payroll. Thus pay, food, 

and lield unibrms compete directly 

wilh programming and procurenicnt. Long-term programming in 

such an atmosphere is nearly impossible. 

Tlic educational levcl in the 

Army is low. Enlisted soldiers have 

little education; few cnginecr ofliccrs hold collcgc-lcvcl degrees. 

Leadership is invested almost wholly in the officer corps. ESAF NCOs 

cannot he compared with U.S. 

NC'Os cithcr in technical cxpcrtisc 

nr in leadership crcdihility. To compound these pnihlcrns of compctcncc and lc:ttlcrship, the team 

Ic;trncd tliitl the ESAF's status as ;I 

cnnscript Army suljcds it to a certain amount of po1ilic;tl instability 

from within. 

Scarce resources multiply ESAF's 

problems. Logistics and mainlenancc systcrns itre rudimcnlary 

and highly centralircd. Thcrc's no 

way 10 support and repair sophisticatcd cquipmcnl dispersed in the 

lield. The few highly skilled engineers are used in key operalional 

rolcs- ;it the expense (11a viitblc 

training cadrc. Therc arc: tno few engineers to dcplny throughnut the 

working army in the field. Engineer 

doctrine can hardly he said to 

cxist-evun if the ESAF had more 

ways and means, slnndard knnwhow would he missing 

The U.S. Army's ability to 

provide training support to the 

ESAF is liniitcd by the restrictions 

Congress places on 1J.S. military 

strength in El Salvador and in other 

such countries. 

Despite these enormous challcngcs and narrow hnrizcins, thc U.S. 

tc;tm was able lo constrocl some 

proposals for ESAF's consideraticin. 

Whnt to dn-how to do it 

The tcani's prime recnmmendaLinn? Establish a platoon-size engineer clement in the structure of 

each hrig;tde. This strategy built on 

an ongoing ESAF initiative to train 

selected soldiers in cach hrigadc. 

Specific training objectives included: 

FOCUSexclusively on hand tools, 

mine detectors, chain saws, and 

motor transports with trailers. Any 

further acquisitions would have to 

depend on improvements in the 

Army's ahility lo program maintenance, repair, and parts supply 

supporl. 

Recognizing t hilt El Salvi~dor's 

regional nccds dil'fer-some zones 

arc areas of intense gucrrill;~ activity, ximc are qt~ict-means that 

cnginecr skills most vary from 7,inc 

lo nlnc. Sl~rnc cnmniandcrs niusl 

cmpliasizc minc-cou~itcr~iiitictrnining; some niny cnncern themselves 

with civic action and other construction cfforls. El Salvador may he a 

sm;~ll counlry, hol its en&' r~ncerscannot be structured under a tc~nplittc 

organiz;ttion. 

Initiatives for the R~ture 

The advisory team looks hcyond 

these near-term possibilities to a furthcr-developed cnginecr lorce. 

There's good reason to look itlici~djust as ihc United State's weslw;trd 

expansion was supported liy Army 

engineers, a st;ihle, wcll-equipped 

engincer force could serve as a 

strong instrument for infritslruclurc 

development in El Salvitdor. 

Some of the featurc the (cam 

proposed wcrc: 

A purcrlr eri@leer- cor?littrrrrcl mid 

1 1 i ~Brigade i cnginccrs 

cc~uld ht: assigned ICI lhis unit, thus 

allowing flexible allocation of enginccr assets throughout the 

country. Thc engineer commnncl ;it 

Zacatccoluca was idcntilicd as the 

most logical c~immand licadqu;trtcrs. 

Art crrgiiieer school. The tc;m cnvisions a combined US.-ESAF 

mohilc training tcitm that could 

prepare a cadre of tri~incrs. Using 

Spanish-langu;tge training materiitls 

already available in the U.S., this 

cadrc could conceivably mect the 

hasic training needs at the hrigade 

engineer levcl. The ultimalc goid 

would be to give the ESAF cnoush 

expertise lo sustain a suitahle Engineer Officer Basic Course program, and to provide selected MOS 

training. 

An eq~ril?ri!erl~coriipariv. Building 

on the existing enginecr unit, the 

conceptual company would Iii~vc ;I 

TOkE similitr lo a L1.S. cunil,;tt 

equipment company. Its primary 

purpose would hc 111 carry r~ut civic 

action projects. Because of li~~iitcd 

rcsourccsl the company should lie 

dcployahlc itnywhcrc in tht: country, 

Iiut ils contr<?l iind supply ILncti~ins 

would hilac to lie ccnlralizcd. 

Again reflecting the prospcct of 

scarce resources, thc tcam advised 

that new construction equipnicnt be 
/m
 HHCISchool El
 Equipment 

Recommended ESAF Engineer Command. 

consolidated at the engineer command. The team also advised that 

aging equipment he scrutinized, and 

eliminated from the inventory if it 

could not he maintained. Contract 

maintenance and operation was suggested as an interim way to meet 

short-term needs, but the team 

urged that the command work 

toward gaining the capability to support its own inventory. 

Building the military-to-military 

bridge 

The U.S.-ESAF cooperative effort may be a long time bearing 

fruit. The fluid political situation in 

Central America and the uncertainty and scarcity of funding make that 

certain. Yet both armies and their 

governments have benefited from 

the exercise. The ESAF now has a 

framework within which it can aim 

to support its government in the National Reconstruction Plan. The 

United Slates has learned valuable 

lessons about the engineer mission 

in the Latin American environment. 

First, we have taken an honest look 

at the realities- these annies are diferent from our own, and to transpose our organizational structure on 

them would be futile. The art of the 

possible in this region is largely the 

art of scaling our expectations to an 

entirely different set of abilities and 

resources (See "Zeroing in on 

Mines," page 35, for a case study on 

assisting a developing army in a 

specific mission). 

Second, our contribution must 

take the full regional situation into 

account. The army we assist must 

feel pride of ownership in its 

developing force structure, and 

neighboring nations must -if possible-be able to see changes in the 

direction of stability and responsibility. An improved capahilily lo 

fight guerrillas may be viewed merely as an improved capability to light 

by neighboring governments. Thus 

initiatives that support officer training, skill enhancement, and civic action capability have regional importance. 

In working with small armies, we 

must be sensitive to the variety of 

needs we are trying to meet. Even 

in a country as small as El Salvador, 

I 

some regions are struggling with 

levels of violence that can hardly hc 

described as "low-intcnsity-conllicl." 

The needs of the military in such 

areas must be met. At the same 

time, the potential for an cnginccr 

contribution to stability in an emerging democracy can't he overcmphasized. The plan developed by 

thc tripartite U.S. team aims to hclp 

El Salvador's army-and others hy 

extension -to develop an engineer 

force structure that can truly build 

the nation. 

LTC Mikc Ttmter is Sraf EII~~IICC"; 

Anitg-Air Force Cerrler for. Low lrtlerrsic11 Corrf[icl, La~tgley AFB, Vifgirtia. 

LTC CIirtr Willer is SluJ'J Ert@rri,er; 

DCF ErtXi,teer, USSOUTHCOM, 

Qrrany Hcigltllr, Partarira. 

MAJ Cltris O'Reill\, is SIqJ'f Ertgir~cer; 

USARSO, F m Clavrorr, Partorrtrr. 
ZEROING IN ON MINES 


by MAJ James K. Waters 

T. he Central American country- . . slde IS rlddled with them-PVC 

pipe stuffed with shrapnel, batterysized cylinders packed with black 

powdcr and an acid ampule, exploding coke bottles, Soviet PMN-5s. 

These mines are designed to deal 

out indiscriminate mutilation. Fewer 

01' them will succeed in their ugly 

purpose as Central American armies learn to light the countermine 

battle with U. S. assistance. 

Mines and booby traps caused 

nearly 80 percent of the casualties 

suffered in El Salvador l'rom 

January to June of 1986. In 1987, 

losses fell as a concentrated countermine effort took effect. U. S. Army 

South (USARSO), U. S. Southern 

Command (USSOUTHCOM), the 

U. S. Military Group in El Salvador, 

the Troop Support Command 

(TROSCOM), and the El Salvadoran Armed Forces (ESAF) 

cooperated lo create a training and 

equipment program that is now 

being introduced in Guatemala. 

The initial countermine eflort 

focused on a train-the-trainer 

program, employing easy-lo-use 

White metal detectors lor finding mines. (See ENGINEER 

maga7ine. No. 1, 1987,p. 29.) Concurrently, an information campaign 

raiscd public awareness of the 

danger and eroded support for the 

insurgents who mine the countryside. 

This initiative continues, and elforts to combat the stubborn 

problem are expanding. USARSO, 

in cooperation with the Army 

Materiel Comn~and, is creating 

doctrine and designing more equip 

This comic -style manual makes Its message clear-even to nonreaders. 

ment that works. In the process, the 

U.S. Army is learning valuable lessons in eountermine warfare-and 

in the needs of small armies. 

The right tralning 

Soldiers in the Central American 

armies are typically recruited from 

rural areas. Their low educational 

level makes sophisticated, highmaintenance American equipment 

and training materials useless. USARSO has stopped trying to 

distribute high-tech equipment designed to identify specific types ol 

mines, and has started equipping 

and training soldiers with materials 

they can easily use. 

The first challenge is to train soldiers to recognize the threat. USARSO Training Aids has produced a 

Spanish-language "comic book," 

Awrda de I~rslnrcciort Lbr~Nar~rbrus, 

which tells its story in a series of 

detailed, dramatic illustrations. The 

booklet shows soldiers in more than 

a dozen kinds of danger, and illustrates common mine and boohy 

trap setups. Even for non-readers, 

the message is clcar. 

The booklet has become the 

preferred training manual for 

ESAF, perhaps because the details 

of terrain and the well-drawn soldiers in local uniform so vividly convey the urgency of the threat. The 

text is economical-boxed checkpoints serve as the trainer's teaching 

guide and can be memorized quickly by troops. 
The protective boot on the left is 11ntact after the blast that shredded its 

standard-issue neighbor. 

The right tnols 

The right training must be complemented hy the right tools. The 

neweqt developmental piece of 

equipment in the countermine arsenal looks like a long-handled gardening claw. This simple but effective rake lakes advantage of the 

farming skills that are second nalure in an agrarian army. Troops 

can use the rake to remove undergrowth and to clear a path. With 

training, soldiers soon learn to feel 

out danger in loosened soil-where 

buried mines may wait. 

This technique offers infantry 

patrols a low-tech method for rapid 

mine clearing. Still, the wide array 

of mines and booby traps and their 

density in hotly-contested areas 

makes mine clearing risky. Simple 

tools just don't find all the mines. 

Protective gear 

I1 remains importanl to protect 

soldiers who must patrol mine-infested areas. Under the auspices of 

TROSCOM, Nalick Laboratories 

has developed protective clothing, 

boots, and glasses. The hoots and 

Kevlar-reinforced blast protectorsas thc photo shows-can make thc 

difference between superficial injuries and an instant amputation. 

An informed public 

A further, tragic dimension of 

mine warfare i~the threat to noncombatants. Central American 

governments have becn encouraged 

to produce posters, pamphlets and 

other materials to warn people of 

the danger. The Salvadoran government's campaign includes pr~mphlets that show photos of mincs made 

to look like rocks or even sausage5. 

The insurgency's victimi7ation of 

the innocent is poignantly illustrated 

by El Salvador's "poster child," Angelica Bonilla, whose 6-year-old 

beauty is marred hy an amputated 

foot. 

Reel hope 

Such information, coupled with a 

government policy to restrict its 

own use of mine warfare, places the 

blame for terror squarely on insurgent forces. Thus, governments in 

the region are learning to practice 

the only strategy that holds out rcal 

hopc-to earn their legitimacy by 

protecting the people. 

Thc gain to Central American armies is obvious- fewer soldiers are 

This simply-designed rake serves 

as a low-tech mine probe. 

being injured already, and adoption 

ol the new tools and protective gcar 

may reduce casualties cvcn furlher. 

The gains to the people thcmsclves 

are less measurable-thcy can only 

he counted in pairs of uninjured 

legs and in slow changes in altitudes 

toward the insurgent groups. Bul it 

is such changes, over time, that 

build pcace. 

Learning what works 

For the U.S. Army, valuable lessons are building. We are learning 

to begin assisting small armies 

where they are-at the beginning. 

We are learning to present information pictorially. We arc finding ways 

to protect soldiers in compensation 

for the density of the threat and the 

limitations of simple tools. We are 

making equipment that fits the soldier's abilities. We are lcarning to 

do what works. 

MAJ Ja~~re,rK. Wafers is Cirrt~-

rtrarrde~;HQ Contntutrd, USARSO, 

FUJICIayforr, Parrartiu. 
(FORSCOM) sets policy for training ;~nd evaluntic~ns. 

In order lo cst;~hlish wartime mission priorities, rcscrvc units arc 

CAPSTONE aligned wilh a higher 

lici~dq~~?~rtcrs. The CAPSTONE program was cstahlished to link 

sti~tcsidc rcscrvc cnmponcnt uniis 

to stateside i~ndlor overseas ;relive 

or rcscrvc componcnt higher headquarlcrs. 

This makes ror coniplcx conim;~nd rcl;~ii~,nsliips. Under wartime 

ct~nditiclnsit would hc cnlirely likely 

tha~ you might lind active coniponcnt olficcrs commanding Activc 

Component, Nation;~l Guard, and 

Army Rcscrvc units-all under the 

command of ;I Rcscrvc C:omponcnt 

coni~ii;~ndcr. 

Tllnse wllo serve 

One (>I the niost inlercsting 

aspects oi Rcscrvc component duty 

is understanding the men and women 

who serve in the Reserves. The Reserves are advertised as "the most important part-time job in America." 

The words "part-time" are somewhat 

misleading. The schedule of two 

training days per month and fifteen 

days training each summer total 39 

days a year. 

But ihis is just a hareline. Because oi various CAPSTONE rcquircmcnts, inspections, visits It) 

sul>-units spread over one or more 

states, and other recurring duty rcquircmcnts, commanders at billtalion ;~nd higher levels work three 

0111 of four wcckcnds ;I month. 

Company commanders and first 

sergeants must work three out of four 

weekends per month just to keep up 

with their administrative burden. 

Add one night a week for administrative functions, and suddenly the 39 

day baseline has grown to 138 days. 

This "part-time" job now eats up almost 5 months. Many soldiers give 

these additional days "for the flag, 

and no additional pay. 

Reservists often miss annivcrsarics, childrcns' and spc~uscs' hirtlid;iys, and iholidays. Kccp in mind 

tli;~t thcsc itre people with full-time 

civilian jobs. They are principals, 

teachers, contractors, and bi~sinessmen. 

Why do thcsc men and women 

with SU~~CSS~~I~ civilian careers serve 

in this dem:~nding "p;irl-time" jnh? L 

once asked a commander who 

owned hi own husincss why lie cndured the hc;~\y burden vi command, and the incrcascd loss of liis 

personal tinic. His answer was short 

and to ihc point: "Bcc;~usc what we 

do is imp~rti~ntand my countr!? 

needs us iv do it." 

This pride is lhc result of tlic 

hcriti~gc of thc citi7en soldier in our 

country's history. The militia inrces 

fought I,el,rc wc were e country, 

lought t<> makc 11s ;I country, and 

fought 10 keep 11s a country. This 

prl~ud sense (>I' Iicritagc continues in 

the rcscrvcs today. One unit I 

worked with ccruld trace a i;rmily 

linci~ge luck 10 prc-Civil War crvicc. I admired the pride oC a 

rescrvc soldicr when lie spoke to 

nit al>out his rel;~tivcs w-ho k~ught ai 

(;cttysburp. ihc Ardcnncs, and the 

B;~ttlc I the Bulge. Evcrp)~ie 

shared in ihc pride of their units 

when tht: rcpirncntal haltlc llags 

from the Civil War wcrc uniurlcd. 

Very icw active units have such 

long, proud histories. 

Tl~ere'spnpgress to be made 

My assignment in rcscrvc compnncnt duty was not withnut irustralion. On many occasions whcu I or 

lily team wc~uld go to ;I unit tc1 givc 

instruction, thcy wcrc not prepared 

to rcccivc it. Sometimes, units 

would simply gatlicr bodies to satisfy us. The riglil people wcrcn't 

tr;~ined. Why did this happen? 

Poor plt~nning or uniniapin;~tivc 

training pl;~ns th;~t Fail to take udvanlase or locally ;~vitilahlc tr;tining 

c~pp(~rtuniiics arc ;I common prc)hIc111. 

Ovcrt:~sking ill ihc r~ ,\LI~L .,. c~nl-

~x~nmlsi i r ~lifliculty that 

conies iron1 m;iny directic~ns. The 

active componcol CAPSTONE 

uniis cause sollie ol the problems. 

Tlicy need to realize how important 

it is to get information 1 thc 

reserve components on lime. 

Rcscrve component units ;ire rcquircd to construct a yearly training 

plan, which thcy niust submit in the 

I;~st quarter l the training year. 

Ton crltcn, tlic rcscrvc component 

units get no CAPSTONE guid;~ncc 

until ancr the de;ldline-and the 

plan must be rewritten. 

Activc component oilicurs will 

also liml somc personal and profcssir~nal irustr;~tions attend rcscrvc 

component duty. Workins with 

reserve units may remove you and 

your f;tniily from somc of the "comforts of home" you arc ;~ccuslonicd 

to finding on or near an Arniy post. 

Yr~u will need 10 be prepared to 

copc with finding your own scniccs 

when the post medical and dc~iial 

facilities and Lhc nearest PX may bc 

Tar away. 

On ihc prolcssional side, you may 

fccl-and indccd be-lur~licr iro111 

the mainstream of carccr ;~dvanccnicnt th;~n you want to he. Rcscrvc 

component duty is imporli~nt, s;~tishins, and cliallcnging, lhut the 

rewards in terms of promotion :ire 

slower. 

Evcn with the dis;~d\~ant;~ycs. 

ihcrc's nn better way to learn the 

structure and potential or Total 

Army than by getting involved with 

the Rcscrve Ci)mponcnts. This is 

clut!, that puts you on the line. 

making you truly the vital link in [lie 

chain ol Reserve and Activc units 

preparcd -and preparing- to stand 

strong in our n;~tion's delensc. 

CPT LKIliuri~ C;. Srli(lcr usus cori11ili.ssirxtc,d i~i 1079. Hi.v /ir(j~sio~~~ ir.v.~i,qr~-

I I irrt.lruic: 1uor1 Icnt/o; D 

Co., 117111 Erldrlrcr Burrtrlio~r. (l.vclclrtiir: o//icer; 2.17111 Er~,qi~lecr Bunoliorr, 

FR(; art(/ El~btrrco. A(11~isor; Rcrrr(1ir~cvs Grorrl? Serrecrr irr irl~vlalr~ Nciu 

I . Hc is u ,qrir~/~rt~ie 111 EOBC

EOAC, u~rtlCAS.3. CPT Slliilo. Is 

I I //I(. Dq~arlrrt~~rzf if Ilrc, 

,4n11~ SIulJ iv(~lio~~irl <;1111r(I BI~~IYJII, 

111~Pelllu~<)/l. 
COUNTERMOBILITY MATERIALS 


FOR THE LIGHT INFANTRY DIVISION 


fast and flexible methods for successful light division 

by CPT Kevin J. Wilson 

7 thc light infantry divisions rise A "p from the Arniy's drawing 

board and become live, deployable 

combat units, they face many challenges. 

One of the higgcst is procuring 

Class IV and Class V counterniobility malcrials crucial to the 

units' success. It's true that light 

units train for field expedient 

methods and the use of locally 

procured materials. But anything 

may happen on the real battlefield; 

the division must be ready to light 

whcn local materials are not available. Light units need a quick, 

responsive, flexible supply system. 

Organization and support 

The light infantry division is 

designed as a rapidly deployable 

force capable of fighting in low intensity conflicts. Propcrly augmented, it can also enter medium to 

high intensity conflicts. By itself, the 

division is sustainable as a light combat force for 48 to 72 hours. 

The light division is oricnted 

around three maneuver brigades, 

each consisting of three light infantry battalions. The division support command (DISCOM) provides 

support in thc brigade support area 

(BSA) using the forward area support team (FAST), rather than the 

forward support battalion (FSB). 

The FAST is a task-orgnni7cd 

conliguration made up of platoons 

and companies lrvm the provisivnal 

supply, transporlation, maintenance, 

and medical battalions, as well as 

other combat service support units. 

The FAST provides the same funclion as the FSB, only on a smaller 

scale. 

Current problenis 

The FAST concept is good, but 

poses some problems. It takes too 

long for requcsls to move through 

the system. Lifting and hauling assets to move ma(criel forward of the 

BSA are no1 readily available. 

The current procedures for planning, rcqucsting, dislributing, packaging and transporting countermobility matericl are time-consuming, labor intensive, and inefficient. 

Commanders must often divert key 

personnel and equipmenl to get 

critical countermobility items forward. 

Ordering is difficult. Each type of 

counternlohilily materiel must be requested separately through two different supply channels. Distribution 

is also handled through separate 

channels. It takes a lot of manpower 

and equipment to hrcak matericl 

down from hulk configuration and 

repackage it into usable configuralions. Scarce Iransporlalion assets 

mean it's a trcmcndous problem to 

bring materiel forward. 

Precnnfigured solutions 

The precoufigurcd unit load 

(PUL) concept offcrs an cxccllcnt 

solution to these problems. Each 

PUL contains all the materials and 

tools needed to construct an ohslacle on a IiM-meler increment of 

a linear obstacle. One such load is 

already in the Army supply system. 

It includes everything the unit needs 

lo construct 1iX) meters of triplestandard concertina fence, evcn 

gloves and slcdgchitmmcrs. 

This PUL is still awaiting linal approval by the Army Materiel Command (AMC). Once it is approved 

and put to work, further PULs will 

be developed based on input from 

the light units and branch schools. 

All packages developed for lighl 

units must meet two stipulations: 

equipment organic to light units 

must be able to handle thcm, and 

they must be configurable on pallets 

or in A-22 cargo bags for air 

transport. 

The advantages PULs offer arc 

that they simplify requcsting procedures, eliminate time-consuming calculations and eliminate errors made 

when components are ordered separately. 

Units can save much of the time 

engineers are forced to waste in 

wailing for materials. How? Echelon units above division can configure loads of countermobility materials as push packages. Thcsc will 

be sent forward soon after the operations order goes to subordinate 

units. 

Load configurations are hascd on 

the appropriate staff engineer's estimate. For tliose materials not available in push packages, task force 
and hrigade engineers will still have 

to hasc matcriel rcquests on their 

barrier plans. 

Moving the materiel 

Tr;~~lsport;~tionasscts in the light 

division arc limited. Using organic 

assets, the light division can transport two iniantry hattalions in 

trucks and one in UHBO hclicopters. That equates to roughly one 

third of the manuever units and 

does not include othcr comhat, comhat support, and comhat service support unit rcquiremcnls. 

Light divisions have limited capi~city to handle countermobility 

matcristls. The vehicle and pcrsonncl limits are severe, and the FAST 

h;cs only iour or live fc~rklifts. Most 

oi these nlust he used at the ammunition transfer point (ATP) while 

thc otllcrs will he rcquircd to handle other classes of supplies. 

In othcr words, when countcrnx~hility materiel rcctches the BSA, 

there may not hc cnough trucks or 

iorklifts availahlu to move it to the 

~ibsti~clc site. 

Movement solutions 

Some possible solutions? -There 

are sevcral altcrn;~tivcs that can alIcvi;~tc the hurdcn on the light 

division. Supplies can be put 

through from the corps support 

area to the base support area on 

corps trnporttion assets. To 

develop this transport option and 

milkc it work, planners ;Ire considering the use or logistic supply release 

points (LSRP). The LSRP would be 

close cnough to the ohstaclc location so that asscts organic to the 

light could haul or drag the matel-iel 

to the obstacle site. At the same 

time, the LSRP woul(l be secure 

against enemy direct fire weapons. 

Another way to ease the problem 

would he to install com~ncrcially 

availahlc hydraulic lift tailgates on 

selected vehicles. Trucks with lift 

gales could load thcmsclves and 

other vehicles. Even with the added 

tailgates, the vehicles would still be 

air trilnsporlahle. 

The small emplacenlent excavator 

(SEE), which is organic to light 

units, will play an important part in 

handling countermohility materiel 

far forward on the hattlcficld. Although caplble, SEES are awkward 

and slow in unloading pallets. Their 

effectiveness could be increased if 

grab hooks or fabricated tines that 

fit the buckets could be added. 

These cot~ld he temporarily installed on the huckets. 

Air supply 

M:~ximum use of organic aviation 

assets at the division and corps lcvel 

should also he considered. Air transport offcrs speed, flexibility, and 

agility. Both UH-00 and CH-47 aircraft can haul intcrnal and external 

loads, and can drop payloads at the 

ohstacle site. Rcqucsts for orzanic 

aviation asscts go through opcrations channels and can be suhmitted 

as prcplanned or immediate requests. 

Air Force cargo aircrnfi can 

quickly deliver large shipments Lo 

The engineer is the key 

to succ&sfully handling 

countermobility materiel 

in the light division. 

forward areas oi the battlefield. 

Delivery methods includc air drops 

(HALO, ireedrop, low velocity, and 

high velocity drops), and low altitude parachute extraction systems 

(LAPES). 

Preplanned requests for Air 

Force aircraft go through Army 

channels and typically require 48 

hours advance notification. Immrdii~te air requests. to he used 

under critical circumsti~nces. arc 

suhmittcd through the Air Forcc 

Aviation Liaison Officer. 

Corps air drop rigging companies 

can prepare 2of) short tons per day 

for airdrop and 50 short tons pr 

day for LAPES delivery. Each division is designated the support of 

one rigging company during wartime. In reality, only one aclivc duly 

and two reserve component cornpanics exist. Riming support will hc 

limited lor contingency end initial 

periods of operation, hut should not 

cause air drop to be dismissed as a 

viable means of delivery. 

The engineer puts it together 

The cngincer is thc kcy to successfully handling countcrmohility 

materiel in the light division. Whcn 

he makes his engineer cstimilte, he 

must consider ohstaclc priorities, ;kccuratc locations for prcstaging. and 

possihle drop zones for rotary ;lnd 

fixed wing aircraft. Concise and 

dctailcd information must he submitted Lo the maneuver unit S3 ;~nd 

S4 so they can coordinate the maximum use of available transpor1;ition 

assets. 

The engineer must he the driving 

force to improve the acquisition 01 

counterniohility materiel if the light 

division is to succeed. Methods for 

rcquesting and distrihuting materiel 

must he fast and llcxihlc. All availahlc transportation must he cxploitcd for maximum ciicdivcncss. 

Finally, preplanning at all lcvcls is 

csscnlial: prcconliguring, prcslaging, prcripging, and prcplannetl rcquests make the difference hctwecn 

vulncrahility and a fortified light 

division ready to fight -and win. 

CPT Ke~d~r J. WiCso~ri.s a,~.sipcrl lo 

the Direclorntc oJ Plurts, Twi~rirr~, 

a1tr1 hlohili;ur;(nr n1 Fort Lc,otrortl 

Wood Mi,s,~orlri. He 1ra.s sc11vc.d us o 

plafoo~r lcado: XO oltd bartaliorr S4 

wit11 llrr 6.5tI1 Errgirrrcr. Balluliorr, 

2Stlt Irrfartrp Divisiort (liglrc) ol 

SchoJicM Buwucks, Huwaii. CPT Wilso11 iroltls u 5.S. ill i~~~lrrst~ial e11-

girzcoi~~gfrorr~ Bcrrtidji Stofc Ulriversic): urrd is a bvudzrale oJ EOBC orld 

EOAC. 
AHUAS TARA 87 HONDURAS-


The best training available anywhere 

by LTC George L.Cajigal 

o some, "good training" means T . anythlng done in adverse conditions such as cold, hard rain, or the 

ohcurity of night. But if realistic 

practice and execution of ARTEP 

and other tasks are good training, 

then I've never implemented better 

training than Idid during exercises 

under the tropical sunshine of Honduras. 

Task Force Tiger deployed to 

.lamastran, Honduras on 3 January 

1987 Lo conduct engineer operations 

in support of a joint combined exercise, Ahuas Tars (AT) 87. 

Our cngincer mission was airfield 

repair and upgrade-a standard job 

Ior the 27th Engineer Battalion 

(Combat) (Airborne). In this casc 

the 3-month length of the deployment was the primary challenge. 

How much could we do with tlie 

time? The record says plenty. 

Moving In 

Tlte lto~ite fro~rortf. The battalion's 

Family Support Group had been in 

place or three years. In the 

prcdcployment period and over the 

next three months, the mutual assistance group had the first full-scale 

test ol its capacity to keep the home 

link solid. 

They had a big job. Not only did 

we deploy all but Bravo Company 

of the 27th, we also took a Logistical Support Element made up of 

small elements from 1st Corps Support Command, an element from 

the 35th Signal Brigade, a U.S. Air 

Force element from thc 840th Civil 

Engineering Squadron, and a Civil 

Afrairs NCO to serve as our S5. 

Del~lo.vrirertf eseotfior~. Our equipment embarked from Wilmington, 

N.C., on a roll-onlroll-olf ship, the 

Cape Douglass, thus practicing 

equipment-deployment operations 

under optimum conditions from a 

modern port. 

Thc advancc party and cquipment opcrators began AirLand 

operations by flying into Palmerola 

Air Base, Honduras. From there, 

the equipment operators drove to 

San Lorenzo, where they offloaded 

the ship and convoyed to Jamastran. 

A week later, 210 soldiers made 

an airborne drop into the Jamaslran 

airfield. By this time the unit had 

practiced a good number of the 

movement modes of our ARTEP 

deployment tasks as well as some 

airborne infantry tasks. 

A sectire ba.re. Our first tactical 

mission on the ground was to secure 

the airfield and the base camp site. 

We knew that any stay of more than 

two weeks at one site made it 

worthwhile to set up properly. We 

built a solid, 500-meter square base 

camp which housed all facilities except for the water point, 7 kilometers away; the bulk POL storage 

area outside the gate, and the organizational maintenance shops by 

the airfield. 

We factored two threats into our 

base camp design: a terrorist hit, 

and a guerrilla attack. We erected 

triple standard concertina fences, 25 

meters apart, around the perimeter. 

Inside, we buill six guard towers. 

Four were manned during tlie day; 

at night, all six were guarded by pcrsonnel with starlight scopes. Wc 

also built 200 individual and crcwserved fighting positions inside the 

perimeter road of the bae camp. 

Ensuring that all construction met 

ARTEP standards proved an outstanding training excrcise. 

Engineer missions 

After finishing the base camp, the 

task force reorganized into two 

tcams. Team Alpha-equipment 

heavy-took responsibility for the 

airfield upgrade. Team Charlie hecame combat engineer heavy, and 

undertook different missions. 

Tcan~ All~ltu c//orf. Tcani Alpha 

repaired a 4,587-foot by (d)-root 

flight landing strip (FLY). They stiibilized it with cemcnt and expanded 

the parking apron to a Movcmcnt 

of thc (;round (MOCi) for fivc C130 

aircraft, and built a 1.5-kilometer access road. 

The team worked 24-hour opcrations on the airfield [or four wceks. 

This gave us the opportunity to 

train Tor work and sleep rn;lnagcment in sustained operations. 

The soil stabilization called for innovation-it took loo long to place 

the cement manually. After several 

days testing for more efficient ways 

to apply the cement, we settled on a 

method which cut time hy 75 percent. We loaded cement in a scraper, spread it in 00 hy 3IX1-foot 

strips, mixed it with rototillers wet 

it down with water distributors, ;~nd 

compacted it to specifications. Over 

2 and 112 million pounds of ccment 

had to he manhandled into the 

scrapcrs during thc <)per. .II'1011. 

Teurtt Cl~url~~~ cflbrl. The coml?at 

engineers or Tc;~m Charlie had four 

basic missions or tasks, which thcy 

carried out in a tactical posture. 

The four platoons rotatcd on a Ii)ur 

week plan. 

The element in the security cycle 

perlormcd security tasks for the 

bast camp and water point. Thc 

platoon on "mission" u)nducted 

demolitions in support of Excrcise 
Blazing Trails on thc northern 

mountains and helipad construction 

at Palmcrola Air Base. The platoon 

in the training cycle planned and executed a wcck-long field exercise. 

The lijurth group put their backs 

into support of the horizontal construction effort. 

We covered many ARTEP and 

soldier tasks-including small unit 

inrantry tasks, bridge demolitions, 

and airmobile operations. Platoon 

leadership had a superb opportunity 

to cxercisc troop leading proccdurcs and work for unit cohesion. 

Each leader developed a schedule 

and an evaluation plan for the diC 

ferenl individual and collective tasks 

to I?c traincd. 

We wcrc also fortunate to have 

the opportunity to train for 

minefield dctccti(ln will1 Honduran 

soldiers. These soldiers, who routinely swecp i~r live mines on the 

Nicaraguan border, brought a sense 

of urgency to thc training. 

Civic uctlon 

Civic action effort got attention 

loo. Our vertical construction 

platoon built a classroom building 

for the Jamastran school, using the 

design or a tropical hut. The 

platoon also built a playground and 

made minor repairs to other buildings. 

With the help of the well-drilling 

team from our sister task force to 

the south, we helped local workers 

to set up a manual water pump. We 

also used available time and equipment to grade short farm-to-market 

roads. 

Under the direction and support 

or the medical pcrsonncl of .lTFBravo, we conducted a medical 

readiness mission that served over 

500 civilians. 

Phase I1 operations 

When the Jamastran airfield 

prnjccl was linishcd, the task force 

displaced to P;~lmerola Air Base, 

convoying all equipment. We took 

advantage of this move to conduct 

rurther deployment training. 

The 27th Engineer Battalion's rapid cement application methods 

enabled them to cut work time by 75 percent. 

On the c;~rly morning of 17 

February, two C130 nircrirft landed 

on our newly upgraded FLS. They 

picked up 108 jumpers who conducted an airborne drop on La Paz 

drop zone, near Palmcrola. On the 

ground, the troops secured two landing zones from which they were extracted by CH-47 helicopters, to a 

location near our new camp, and 

marched 4 112 miles to their new 

home. 

At Palmerola, the Light Equipment Platoon of C Company built a 

MOC; for a dozen C130 aircraft. 

We cut the 1,450-foot by MK)-foot 

apron from virgin ground. The project demanded as much earthmoving as the airfield at Jamastran. 

Luckily, the short haul distances 

made the job easier. We used the 

method for stabili7ing the surface 

developed earlier, though high 

winds sometimes impcded our 

progress. 

Alpha Company's equipment 

platoon built a cargo staging area 

adjacent to the apron. They capped 

the surrace with crushed stone, but 

couldn't finish the project bccausc 

the local contractor was unable to 

deliver the crushed stone. This 

taught us that the industrial capacity 

of developing countries sometimes 

can't support even moderate construction efforts. 

The combat engineer platoons 

worked hard both inside and outside the base. Charlie Company's 

1st platoon deployed to the north 

coast and rappelled into the mountains to construct two helicopter 

landing 7nnes. The company also 

built two 147-foot culverts under the 

access ramps from taxiway to the 

apron and loaded the cement hags 

fnr the stal>ilization. Finally, lhey 

built a Z(Hl-man protective shelter 

with sand grids in support or Joint 

Task Force Bravo. 

To round it all out, thc comhntcnginecrs conducted airhornc rerrcshcr training for mcnihcrs of the 

548th Engincer Bi~tlalion (Cornhat) 

(Hemy), who wcre tmnsitioning 111 

the 37th Engineer Bt~ttalion (CZlmbat) (Airborne). This training 
employed the facilities of the Hondursn Army airborne school. 

We also shared in combined training as 120 of our troopers jumped 

from a Honduran C47 while 120 

Hondurans jumped from one of our 

C:H-47s. Our paratroopers round 

tile jump from World-War-Il era 

aircrafi quite a thrill. 

Redeployment 

We used intratheater air to 

transport the majority of our enginccr equipment from the newly 

constructed apron to the airfield 

built by our sister task force near 

the port of San Lorenzo. From 

there, the equipment was transported a short distance to the port 

and staged for loading. 

This port was not as wellequipped as Wilmington, so the 

Cape Douglass could not be as fully 

lo:tdcd as during deployment. We 

were forced to redeploy the remaindcr of our equipment on opportunity shipping. 

Our personnel moved by air from 

Pirlmerola to Pope Air Force Base 

back in Norlh Carolin;! and finishcd 

redeploying by 28 March. By this 

time we had practiced every mode 

of transportation we are expected to 

use except heavy drop of equipment 

and low altitude parachute extraction syslcm (LAPES). 

Total training 

The 27th came home almost totally traincd. We had deployed, secured and sustained ourselves in a 

Soreign environment; we had conducted civic action operations. Most 

important, we had fully integrated 

individual add collective tasks into 

our exercise mission. Headquarters 

and headquarter company trained 

160 of its 201 tasks and subtasks. A 

and B co~npanies trained on 206 of 

their WY ARTEP tasks. A scorecard like this-won in the field 

under demanding conditions-just 

can't he heat. Thc 27th is on the 

record-there's no better training in 

the world than Ahuas Tara. 

So' mverting to Light? 

The IJL~I Engineer Battalion 

recently com~ ~leted its conversion 

to the light en! jineers. LIle travelle~ d ---,-~ ~ ~, a long, hard roaa ro success, an1 o 

on the way absorbed changes in 

the concept and doctrine of ligk ~t 

engineers-as well as in OLlr 

MTO&E. For you in engineer units 

on the line for conversion to light. 

here are some obse~ations. 

First sergeant: Keep physical 

training high on your agenda. That 

long road gets longer when rucksacks are full. Instill in your NCOs 

and men that in a light infantry 

division, they have to be infantry in 

their hearts, and engineers in their 

minds. Despite all the high-tech 

equillment, they still conduc:t 

movc?ment to contact or assaults 

with ir~e lrllarlcry unit they support. 

Baltalion st: kf: Most ;~f your so 1-

diers have a non-cornbat MOI. 

They will need r~me-and your ur Iderstanding-: is they march the 

road to light. Soldiers in a fie113 . . bivouac wltn HHC have to hellP 

fight the rear battle and secure the 

bivouac. Don't let tactical training 

slide by so you can finish a DF or 

LTC Gorge L. Cajipl is corrrrirarider of /Ire 27111 Etrgirieer Batluliorr (Corrrbal) (Airborne), Fort 

Brag, Noti11 Carolirru. A gradrrale oJ 

1Iie Anired Forces Staf College arrd 

CGSC, LTC Cujigal recei~,c!d itis 

connirissiorr llr,orrglr OCS. He holds 

a BA irr lmiificnl scierrce frorir 

Weslmlt Curolirra Urrivcrsily, or1 MA 

irr sociolo~\~fr.orrr Pacijic Lullreruit 

Utiir~ersily, arid arr h1.7 ii, civil errgiireetirrg frvrtr Nnrrlr Carolir~a Slurc 

Utri~vraitj'.He is a rq$slo.ed profeusiorial errgineer irr Kigirria. LTC 

Cajigul has senfcd irr rriariv traop arrd 

sluff assi~ortrietrt.~ irr Errrol~e, 

CONUS, Mc/rrurir arid Sorrllr Artrerica. 

movle another vehicle out of th 

motc)r pool ba> Y. 

PI,stoon ser! geant: YoNUare THE 

man, You'll ktve to giv (e 110 percent to convet sion. Loo k to the fu- L~ ~~.- .A . . .. . . e rure. uer your troops rired up for 

their dual roles as engineers and 

infantrym men. Go to Ranger School. 

Er;~gineer soldiec You are the 

light's success. Without you, there 

is no unity in the unit. Be proud to 

be a light engineer. Sure, it's harder to walk 12 miles with a rucksack than to load up in a 5-ton or 

an APC. But when you're done. 

the feeling is great. Take subcourses and learn all you can. Make 

your NCOs teach you. Show them 

IVII3st imponar~~. Ir you nave an

you can do their job-learn the 

next higher :;kill level. e, 

you might become 0 

soorler than yc )u think. .. ..-. 3L ... 

idea-speak up. Your brain is your 

mos't important asset. Many times 

itcan make uo for a lack of eauioment or resources. Su PPOrt Yo( lr 

NCC)S and offi' cers. 

Btnltalion cc ~mmandef ':Sir, dor l't 

let your battallon get wrapped 

around the axle trying to reinvent 

the wheel. Consider having your 

unit personnel contact their counterparts In a unit that has already 

completed conversion. Don't rely 

on after-action reports or lessons 

learned papers. Talk with the 

people who learned the hard 

way-officer to offlcer, NCO to 

NCO. 

Good luck to all of you -el 

gineers blaze the trail for thos 

who lead. 

Best of luck to all of you -. - . SFC elen 6aM. ter. HHC, 13th Engineer Battallon 

Fort Ord, California 
LESSONS LEARNED 


These Lessons Learned were compiled from 

worldwide training exercises, Integration Centers, and 

TRADOC schools. It is hoped that by sharing these experiences, all members of the englneer community 

will benefit. 

Some of the subjects discussed In these Lessons 

Learned involve construction In Latin America, 

sandbag construction In Vietnam, replacement of fuel 

blivets, care of communications equipment In hot 

climates, and use of orange bicycle pennants to mark 

breached lanes through obstacles. 

Items for Lessons Learned are always welcome. If 

you have any information concerning doctrine, equipment, and materiel from exercises, please send It to: 

U.S. Army Engineer School. Directorate of Evaluation 

and Standardization, AlTN: ATZA-ES, Stop 271, Fort 

Belvolr. Vlrglnla 22060-5000. 

SURVIVABILITY 

Critical blade assets 

ISSUE: Maneuver units do not understand the 

criticality for maximizing the use of blade assets. 

REMARKS: A unit found that their associated 

maneuver unit did not understand the crltlcality of 

making maximum use of dozers. During linkup with 

the task force, dozers typically remained idle at the Engineer Coordination Point (ECP) for excessive periods 

of time. In one case, three dozers sat at an ECP for 15 

hours. 

Siting of su~ivability positions posed problems. Frequently, engineers would site positions with maneuver 

unit platoonlteam sergeants and begin digging only to 

be later moved by the maneuver platooniteam leader. 

The problem was further exacerbated when the task 

force commander arrived and decided to relocate the 

positions. The end result was incomplete defensive 

preparation and bad feelings between the manewer 

and englneer units. 

SOLUTION: Combined arms training with the 

habitually associated engineer units is a must. Engineers should always advise the maneuver commander of their capabilities and how they are able to 

assist him. It is the engineer's responsibility to be 

productive even if lacking a timely response from the 

maneuver unit. The maneuver commander and staff 

have a number of problems that they have to solve. 

The englneer has to help with the burden by seeking 

early guidance from them and, if necessary, initiating 

work. Remember, one of the tenets of Airland battle 

doctrine is initiative. Engineers must use their initlatlve 

(National Training Center). 

CONSTRUCTION IN LATIN AMERICA 

Qualily control 

ISSUE: Construction projects lacked quality control. 

REMARKS: Construction projects lack quality 

control most frequently when supervisors are absent. 

Quality is further degraded when soldiers are not 

concerned with their work and rely upon experience 

from past projects while ignoring current specifications. 
SOLUTION: Supervisors must remain on site during 

construction. They must be intimately famiilar with 

specifications for the work to be accomplished and 

enforce the standards. 

Appoint an inspection team to check construction 

standards throughout the project. 

Prior to deployment, give classes on cut and fill 

stakes to officers, NCOs and operators. 

Define a chain of command for each sub-mission. 

(27th Engr Bn) 

Have the S3 construction section determine in advance the quality control standards for the project. 

These standards must relate to the type of designiconstruction, 1.e.. hastyldeiiberate, temporaryipermanent, 

one year110-20 years. Once these standards have 

been determined, a quaiity control plan can then be 

developed by the units. 

Train quaiity control personnel in expedient inspection methods to ensure speclflcations are met without 

delaying construction. (27th Engr Bn) 

Construction site reconnaissance 

ISSUE: Reconnaissance of construction site 

provided Inadequate lnformatlon for a complete 

design. 

REMARKS: Two site surveys were made prior to 

deployment. Due to constraints on transporting soil 

out of the country without substantial coordination 

and quarantine time, laboratory soils surveys could 

not be conducted. Limited climatic data, as well as 

terrain intelligence, added to the problems of insufficient information. 

SOLUTION: Designs were conducted on site. 

Geometric criteria can be determined using TM 5-330, 

worldwide climatic maps, verification of limited 

temperature data and 1 :50.000-scale maps. Soils data 

was acquired by field tests and compared with standard curves. Temporary curves were developed using 

a soils pentrometer to determine acceptability in place 

of airfield indexes and using the nuclear densometer 

to determine actual dry density and moisture content. 

Optimum moisture content and dry density was then 

assumed based on these data until complete analysis 

was finished. While these data proved to be adequate 

for hasty designs, laboratory data greatly improves 

construction standards. (27th Engr Bn) 

Construction drainage 

ISSUE: Plan for construction drainage regardless of 

climate conditions. 

REMARKS: Climatic data for the region indicated 

that less than one inch of raln fails normally during the 

period March through April. For this reason, construction plans did not include an effective drainage plan. 

An airstrip under construction was nearly completed 

when it began to rain for five days. Even though 

drainage was adequate in most areas and the strip 

sustained little damage, the Air Force would not use 

the newly constructed wet airstrip. 

SOLUTION: To combat the damage and improve 

the wearing surface, mix river sand and gravel into the 

airfield surface. In the long run, the rain caused the 

building of a better airfield because it revealed natural 

drainage patterns and provided an appreciation for 

the magnitude of the troplcal rainy seasons. (27th 

Engr Bn) 

Dozer size selection 

ISSUE: Smaller dozers can be more effective in soft 

soils. 

REMARKS: It has been observed that the 

Ecuadorian Army is having much success using CAT 

D-6 dozers in soft soil instead of the much larger and 

heavier D-7s. The success is attributed to operator experience in soft soil conditions and the fact that 

smaller dozers transmit lesser ground pressure to the 

soil. 
SOLUTION: Whenever possible a D-5 or D-6 dozer 

should be used for working in soft loose soll. The 

lighter weight of the equipment should enable it to 

maneuver better in this type of soil. 

Make shallow cuts and avoid filling the dozer blade 

to the point where tracks slip. Track slippage in this 

condition will cause the ground to become unstable. 

Plan the work site so the equipment will be working 

in a forward and backward motion as much as possible. 

Dozer operators should train in soft loose soil to 

learn the necessary techniques needed for working in 

that type of environment. (536th Engr Bn) 

VIETNAM LESSONS LEARNED 

Sandbag construction 

ISSUE: Sandbag structures serve as expedient substitutes for construction materials. 

REMARKS: Construction of headwalls for culverts 

with sandbags is, at best, expedient. Durability is not 

as good as can be expected, but it can be improved. 

SOLUTION: Durability of sandbag structures can be 

improved by adding cement to the materials in the 

sandbag. The best proportion is about 1:20 cement to 

soil. The sandbag should only be filled 213 full with the 

mixture. This allows forming of the individual 

sandbags to give a tight, interlocking pattern which increases the strength of the structure. The manpower 

expenditure Is only slightly greater, and the durability 

is markedly improved. (Vietnam. 62nd EBC) 

LOGISTICS 

Lumber supply 

ISSUE: Air transportation of large amounts of lumber is impractical. 

REMARKS: Because a contract to have lumber 

procured locally was not executed prior to arrival, it 

was necessary to ship lumber by C130 and CH47 

aircraft to Mocoron. Resources required for thls 

proved to be very inefficient. Since locally procured 

lumber is rough cut, unfinished, and heavy (45 

pounds per three feet for pine), it was difficult to 

transport. The procedure for C130 aircraft involved 

mating two 463L pallets together and building end 

walls for the elongated platform. It required the use of 

an Air Force K-loader, a critical item of equipment 

generally not available for such use. 

SOLUTION: Intensely monitor local purchase contracts to insure their completion before arrival if required. If lumber must be procured locally, preposltion it on site when possible. (27th Engr Bn) 

Replacement of blivets 

ISSUE: Defective 500-gallon fuel blivets. 

REMARKS: A unit acquired new 500-gallon fuel 

blivets for an exercise and discovered that 15 percent 

of the new blivets were defective on use. Sixty percent 

of the Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System 

(LAPES) resupply missions damaged at least one 

blivet. These defective and destroyed blivets drastically reduced the number available for resupply. 

SOLUTION: It was found necessary to have a 20 

percent excess of blivets In order to replace those 

defective and damaged. (27th Engr Bn) 

PLL shortages 

ISSUE: Maintenance for equipment belonging to 

attached units. 

REMARKS: Attachments arrived with equipment for 

which the support unit had no PLL or demand history. 

One particular problem was 5K and 10K generators 

used to power RATT rigs and DS communication 

vans. 
SOLUTION: The commander must ensure that careful maintenance planning is done to Include support 

for ail organic and attached equipment. PLL must be 

modified appropriately and applicable technical 

manuals be obtained prior to deployment. (27th Engr 

Bn) 

INTELLIGENCE 

lntelligence operations 

ISSUE: incomplete and inaccurate weather data. 

REMARKS: Climatic data and weather forecast of 

the Mocoron area was insufficient and inaccurate because weather forecasting agencies and equlpment 

are not available in country. The lack of informatlon 

made it difficult to effectively make accurate operational decisions concerning aviation support and construction activities. 

SOLUTION: A military linkup with the National 

Weather Service in Florida may prove to be useful 

since the service has access to forecast information 

for the area. Use international and maritime weather 

service for additional climatic data. (27th Engr En) 

Lack of intelligence data 

ISSUE: Lack of intelligence information from command channels prevented unit from making effective 

operational decisions. 

REMARKS: The unit received virtually no inteiligence through command channels relative to the 

area of operations, Intelligence relevant to the area of 

operations was obtained by the unit through direct 

reconnaissance and the local populace. Repeated requests for aerial photography went unanswered. 

SOLUTION: intelligence summaries need to be 

made available to deployed units applicable to the 

area of operations. Daily updates must be provided to . . 

the units even if the update constitutes a negative 

report. Key leaders should be briefed on highly sensitive information so as to enable them to make more effective operational decisions. (27th Engr Bn) 

COMMUNICATIONS 

Communication backup 

ISSUE: Communication lines in the vicinity of construction sites are susceptible to damage. 

REMARKS: Construction equipment and other 

vehicles on site, such as tracked vehicles, often cut 

communication lines lying on the ground. 

SOLUTION: Run two strands of communication 

wire between each field phone and swltchboard. By 

burying the lines along different paths, there is an 

increased probability that one line will remain 

operational. 

Communication equipment in hot climates. 

ISSUE: Hot weather causes radios to overheat 

REMARKS: HRIRATT rigs operating in Latin America 

without air conditioners experienced numerous heat 

related problems. Radios often malfunctioned during 

prolonged use due to the hot climate, hampering communications. 

SOLUTION: Air conditioners should be deployed 

with HRIRATT rigs when they deploy to hot climates. 

Monitoring and shutdown of radios should take place 

when air conditioners are not available and temperatures dictate. (27th Engr En) 

MAINTENANCE 

M929A, transmissionmounting 

ISSUE: Loose transmission mounting bolts on 

M929A1 series vehicles. 
REMARKS: Transmission mounting bolts on several 

M929A1 5-ton dump trucks worked loose causing the 

transmission on one truck to fall to the ground. cracking the transmission casing. Another truck experienced two stripped bolts which had to be drilled 

out. 

SOLUTION: Commanders should make their personnel aware of potential problems. Remove old bolts 

and replace with case hardened steel bolts and lock 

washers. Check bolts as part of PMCS and more 

often during operations, for looseness, cracks or 

other defects and correct as necessary. (20th Engr 

Bn) 

SAFETY 

Air valve caps 

ISSUE: Defective air valve caps (TACOM Safety-ofUse Message) 

REMARKS: TACOM Issued a warning on the use of 

air valve caps manufactured by the Eaton Dill Corporatlon. 

Use of the air valve caps poses a potential safety 

hazard due to the loss of tire pressure. 

The air valve caps have been issued to all branches 

of the military where they are used on almost every 

military vehicle. 

The safety-of-use message was disseminated in 

TACOM message. AMSTA-QRT. 1314002 Aug 87. subject: Safety-of-Use Message, number 87-63, Advisory 

'TechnicalIMaintenance" Potential Safety Hazard 

When Using Eaton Dill Air Valve Caps on Wheeled 

and Tracked Vehicles (All Military Vehicles). 

The air valve caps manufactured by Eaton Dill Corporation have thefollowing NSN and part numbers: 

NSN: 165000-222-4525 

PN: MS20813-1 

These caps can be easily identified. They are yellow 

and stamped with the Eaton trademark "Dill' and part 

number MS20813-1. Two types of caps are identified 

with the above stated markings. The defective caps 

have a plain black gasket with a clearly visible brass 

center ring. Both caps were produced on contract 

DM E07-86-C-1388. 

SOLUTION: TACOM has highly recommended an inspection be made on all vehicles that use this air valve 

cap and destroy all caps that meet all of the above 

listed criteria. (TACOM) 

MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS 

Field sanitation 

ISSUE: Duties for monitoring field sanitation must 

be clearly delineated. 

REMARKS: Throughout the deployment period 

there were four latrine areas built at the camp, consisting of six toilet seats and five urinals per point. The 

battalion aid station was given the responsibility for inspecting field sanitation. This included inspection of 

the mess hall, water points and latrines on a daily 

basis. However, there was no one detailed to maintain 

the latrines. 

SOLUTION: Commanders should ensure that a field 

sanitation team is appointed to maintain field hygiene 

standards. The aid station personnel will inspect 

hygiene conditions but should not be expected to 

maintain the latrine areas. (27th Engr Bn) 

Rigging 

ISSUE: Rigging manuals do not always accurately 

reflect use of unit rigging equipment. 
REMARKS: All dump trucks, tilt bed trailers and engineer equipment require unit preparation and additional equipment for air drop. Most of this equipment 

must be fabricated. Rigging manuals list and describe 

most of the parts required, however, in several cases 

the rigging manuals were inadequate. 

SOLUTION: Develop complete lists of pre-rig and 

unit rigging parts required for each item of equipment. 

Have these items procured or fabricated and stocked 

for deployment. Because some items are not reflected 

in the rigging manual, the pre-rig list should be maintained as a supplement to the Readiness SOP. (27th 

Engr Bn) 

Personnel accountability 

ISSUE: Accurate personnel accountabiiity was difficult to maintain. 

REMARKS: Personnel were located at four separate 

sites. As the construction effort expanded, personnel 

were required to move. Constant movement between 

sites made it difficult to maintain personnel accountability. 

SOLUTION: Establish personnel accountability procedures prior to deployment. Ensure that personnel 

sign in and out of each location as they move. Daily 

accountabiiity reports should be rendered at the end 

of the day upon completion of all work and travel. 

(27th Engr Bn) 

Civil affairs 

ISSUE: Thorough troop briefings are essential prior 

to deployment. 

REMARKS: A good troop country briefing is 

essential to mentally prepare soldiers and leaders for 

OCONUS exercises. The task force received a 

briefing from a unit which had limited experience in 

the area of operations. As a result, the briefing did not 

inform soldiers as to what they could expect in terms 

of culture and living conditions. The problem was 

exacerbated by the general lack of intelligence 

concerning the area. 

SOLUTION: Deploying units should coordinate for 

briefings as early as possible to allow adequate time 

for careful study of existing resources to develop 

more accurate and up-to-date area briefings. (27th 

Engr Bn) 

Lane marking system 

ISSUE: Innovative methods and simple materials 

can be used to mark breached lanes. 

REMARKS: A unit tried several methods for marking 

breached lanes through obstacles. A system which is 

reliable and simple to use was made of readily obtainable or fabricated items. 

SOLUTION: One method of marking lanes is to use 

two 6-foot pickets driven in the ground on the friendly 

side of the breach. Attach to these an orange bicycle 

pennant (15 by 24 inches) mounted on a 6-foot 

fiberglass staff. Dependent on METT-T, additional pickets with pennants can be added on the enemy side 

and engineer tape can be run to delineate the lane. A 

green smoke grenade can be used to signal a successful breach. Road flares attached to pickets (4-5 

feet above ground level) provide a lightithermal signature. Typically, a soldier with a green flag is used as a 

guide for follow-on forces. (19th Eng Bn) 

USAES NOTES 

ESSAYONSprogram 

ISSUE: Expeditious method to make low-cost changes and developments to existing systems and force 

structures. 

REMARKS: Patterned after the Field Artillery's "Battleking", a new USAES program. ESSAYONS is a 

vehicle for soliciting, testing and implementing ideas 
from engineer soldiers in the field regarding improve- Remarksfrom Engineerleaders (historyl 

ments in engineer systems, force design, doctrine, 

and testing. Evaluation will document shortcomings An anonymous engineer company commander from 

and deficiencies that can be quickly remedied and Reforger 77 was heard to say: "I know no place where 

identify other engineer development requirements. ES- it is written, but an engineer commander must be able 

SAYONS will give your ideas the proper attention, the to anticipate the needs of his tactical commander. He 

the engineer perspective, and, if necessary, test your must be ready to create obstacles where the old man 

ideas in an operational environment. It is a quick would want them. And he can do this only by knowing 

method to improve your equipment, organization, or the mind of his commander, his style of fighting, and 

training. Just clearly describe your proposal in writing the weapons he fights with. He must be so capable 

(include a sketch if appropriate) and send to: Com- and have confidence to know that should the 

mander, USAES, ATTN: ATZA-CDT (ESSAYONS) Fort maneuver commander suddenly disappear, he could 

Beivoir, Virginia 22060. (DCD, CPT Kenney) assume command and fight a successful engagement." (Articlewritten by then Colonel R. S. Kem) 

Hatline Q & A -

Q. Which Engineer School manuals describe Because minefield dimensions, aimpoint detercurrent doctrine for and employment of the mination, and safety zone dimensions for ADAM 

FASCAM mine system, especially the artillery- and RAAMS vary based on gunnery data and firing 

delivered FASCAM system? data location, these factors must be a joint engineerA, ~h~ ~~~i~~~~~ ~D~~~~~~~~ h of ~corn. ~ artillery l decision. ~ The ~handbook outlines steps rebind A~~~(DcA) responds that the school~sscat. quired to calculate artillerydelivered minefields and 

terable Mine Handbook contains current fielding includesproblemsand 

and systems data as well as planning and DCA offers specific information and guidance on 

ment considerations. Information can also be found the Issues: 

in FM 20-32 with errata sheet, FC 6-20-5, FM 6-40, Number of rounds for any one minefield (can the TSM-MWS Handbook of Concepts for the vary by a factor of 6). Employment of Mine Warfare Systems, and the 

draft versions of FM 6-20-40and FM 6-20-50. Time required to emplace an artillery-delivered 

minefield (can vary from 8-9minutes to about 1 DCA further advises that the engineer is respon- hour). Number of rounds and firing time are sible for all mines and minefields, regardless of impacted by firing data, size and density, and delivery system, and must coordinate, through staff 

or command channels, with artillery (ADAMI- whether fire can be accurately obsewed. 

RAAMS),aviation (M~~NOLCANO), Air Force/Naw Observed fire means fewer rounds are required 

(GATOR), and Engineer (GEMSSIFLIPPER) ele- to emplace the minefield. DPICM rounds are 

ments. Staff officers must know delivery techniques used in self-registrationmode to adjust fire for 

and munition availability in their areas. The engineer scatterable mine rounds. 

must know employment concepts and delivery tech- The ADAMIRAAMS minefields are best 

niques to brief the commander. The engineer employed and most likely to be emplaced in 

recommends each minefield's location, time, and 

density, and determineswhich system is best. (continuedon page 12) 
Past in Review 

through normandy's hedgerows - 1944 


By MG Robert R.Ploger, USA 

(Rct.) 

Immediately after U.S. forces 

crossed the Normandy beaches, we 

met the peculiar Normandy terrain. 

The country rolled gently-from the 

upper floors ol buildings we could 

see lor miles in any direction, 

though little of military value was 

visible. On the ground, we could see 

lor a hundred yards or less. What 

blocked our views? -hcdgerows. 

Every road, every field, every trail 

was bordercd hy a wall of wellpacked earth 3 reel thick at the base 

and 4 to 6 feet high. These hcdgcs 

wcre overgrown with bushes and 

grass. Trees stood firmly rooted in 

thcir carth walls. Thcy cnclosed an 

irregular maze of li~lds that were 

seldom larger than 2tX) by 3tHJ 

yards. The fields opened at one or 

two gaps, each with a single swinging gate. 

(ilJoe soon learned to use the 

hcdgcrows to advantage. The carth 

walls allc)rded concealment lor 

lateral movement and protcc~ion 

against flying shell iragments. Jeeps 

could travel unseen on all roads, 

and in the "sunken roads" (old 

wagon trails) even a 2 112-ton truck 

was invisible lrom the flank. A 

machine gun placed at the junction 

of two hedgerows commanded two 

fields to the lront or flank. An 

automatic weapon at a corner could 

deliver enfilade fire along three 

"natural" obstacles. 

Since tank avenues of npproach 

were canalized to roads, antitank 

guns were placed to cover curves in 

the road or stream crossings whcre 

hedgerows were not continuous. 

Fields of fire in other directions 

were severly limitcd when weapons 

wcre x) placed. 

The enemy also cleverly used the 

terrain to his best advantage. He 

tunneled under hedges, posted 

snipers in trees, used many buildings lor observation points, and 

placed his weapons with skill and ingenuity. We found that captured 

machine gun positions sometimes 

consisted ol a gun mounted at a 

corner ol two hedges sited for cnfilade fire, with one or more crew 

members occupying dugouts and 

operating the machine gun by 

means ol a string on thc trigger. 

At times the (iermans allowed 

waves of infantry to pass their positions, then shot them in the back 

lrom dug-in llcdgcrow positions. 

Time and again thcy amhushed 

columns ol men or vchicles as thcy 

movcd down the confined routes of 

communication. We Yanks had 

nothing more tangible to shoot at 

than the top of the ncxt hedge, or 

the second or tht. third. We could 

only guess where the fire had 

originated. 

Until the impetus of the initial assault hegan to decline, we accepted 

the landscape and gave neither time 

nor energy to overcoming its 

obstacles. ACter the 15th of June, 

however, each attack hecanlc more 

difficult to carry out. The inlantry 

needed more and more support 

from automatic weapons to advance 

against an entrenched enemy. Yct 

hedgerows restricted tanks-and 

their mobile, protected machine 

guns-to the roads. Any tank advancing on a road without close infantry support simply invited cncmy 

antitank fire. Flanking maneuvers 

denied thr: inpantry the support they 

needed because the tanks could not 

follow thcm. Frontal assaults wcre 

costly in both men and materials. 

The infantry prolilcni was this: 

how could we dcfcat this terrain so 

that the infantrymtln could fight the 

enemy? 

After learning of an attack to be 

launched on a limited objective by 

the infantry on June 22nd, an engineer officer proposed [hat tanks 

accompany the infantry in a cross 

country maneuver. Tanks would 

move through gaps hlown in 

hcdgerows by charges carried and 

placed by engineers. Thc inlantry 

commander enthusiastically rcceived this suggestion, and with the help 

of the armor and engineer olficcrs, 

began working out the details ol this 

operation. They adopted this plan: 

the infantry would jump oll at O9tNI 

hours covered by overhead direct 

automatic fire lrtm tanks in place 

behind the line of departure. As the 

assault waves reached the first 

hedgerow, engineer teams would 

place two 25-pound charges in front 

ol each tank. Alter lighting thc powder train, the engineers would 

rctire, the gaps would he hlown, 

and the tanks would plunge through 

the gaps to the ncxt hcdgcrow. 

There the process would bc rcpealed. 

The assault would cross 13 

hedgerows. Engineers multiplied 

that numher by the numher nl 

tanks, then by two charges per tank 

to find the total explosive rcquirements. Overnight, the charges were 

prepared, personnel briefed, and 

the ground reconnoitered by commanders. The attack proved successful, and marked a milestone in the 

history of the division-it was the 

first opcration on the continent in 

which tanks moved cross country in 

close support ol inhntry. 

The attack taught us several lessons. The 25-pound charges wcrc 

not always heavy enough to breach 

the densc hedgerows. Test runs in 

the division rear showed that 50-

pound charges were the smallest to 

guarantee positive results. Secondly, 

the poor com~nunication link between tankers and engineers slowed 
operations. Tankers needcd a way 

to tell engineers where they wanted 

a gap so the ladical element-the 

lank-would have freedom of action. Thirdly, the logistic.. ol a large 

operation involving tanks were staggering. Using the proven 50-pound 

chargc in front of each tread of 

each tank lor each hedgerow, the 

m;~tcricl needed for a sustained attilck grew lo astronomical proportions. Our attached tank battalion, 

aRer all, contained nine platoons. 

Imagine a platoon ol tanks four 

ahrcast tasked to support an infantry company attack on an ol~jeclive 1 mile away. Aerial photos 

show 15 hedgerows confronting 

each lank. Allowing for possible 

flanking maneuvers, 20 hedges must 

be cut. Multiply 20 hedges by four 

t;lnks by two charges by 50 pounds 

and you have AOKI pounds or 4 tons 

ol explosives for each platoon of 

tanks. And each charge had lo be 

hand carried cross country, and 

hnnd placed under lire! 

This solution was not sdtisfactory, 

hut it was a solution. Engineer, 

tank, and infantry personnel began 

to organize and train on this hasis. 

Meanwhile a search lor new solutions to the hedgerow prohlcm went 

on. 

The engineer's first inclination 

was to reduce the supply requiremtlits by increasing thc clleclivcncss of the explosive. This could he 

done hy tamping the charges or hy 

using the internal charges. A neighboring division dug excavations for 

charges in each hedge. Our division 

decitlcd that this procedure would 

slow the attack and expose skilled 

personnel to antitank artillery and 

morl:lr fire lor too long. 

Still pursuing the intcrnal charge 

principle, our engineers turned their 

attention to thc tanks. They thought 

ahout using the tanks themselves to 

prcptlrc a cavity in the hedgcrow for 

internal charges. A search of capturcd dumps yielded several 

hundrcd feet of steel pipe, 6 inches 

in diamctcr. Engineers cut the pipe 

into Cfoot lengths, with one end 

APPROVAL FOR A NOVELTY 

General Ploger remembers how difficult it was, even in war 

time, to get approval to weld pipes to the tanks: 

"Impressed with our solution to the hedgerow obstacles, my 

commanding general ordered 'prongs' be put on all tanks in the 

division. I was also to report personally to higher headquarters 

so that this solution could be universally adopted. 

I soon lined up work crews: motor malntenance people to cut 

and weld pipe and angle iron supports; engineer drivers to 

handle the 'weasels'; and engineers to break up TNT blocks, 

load 105-mm shell boxes, and prepare powder trains, fuses and 

primacord links. 

Dutifully, I checked in with the corps headquarters engineer 

who listened with considerable interest until I explained about attaching the pipes and supports to the tanks. The solution fell outside his province, he said. I wouid have to talk to the ordnance 

officer. I soon learned that there was no such officer at corps. 1 

would have to travel to field army headquarters. 

Later and still farther to the rear from my division I found the 

ordnance officer and recounted what I considered a noteworthy 

success story. His response, however, was deflating. 

Such an appendage could NOT be welded to the front of the 

tank because that would be tampering with the armor protection 

of the tank's final drive mechanism, he said. Furthermore, the 

field army headquarters could not approve the solution without 

the OK froni Chrysler Corporation in Detroit. He could not request approval based on my story alone, but my division commander could apply, he added. 

Meanwhile the fighting continued. i left army headquarters baffled and frustrated. 

Back at my division. I was instructed to proceed with existing 

plans to modify the tanks. I suspect that some members of our 

tank battalion had more success in promoting a 'hedgerow 

buster'. Reportedly, other tankers later attached remnants of 

angle irons from former German beach obstacles to their tanks 

and were able to drive right through the hedgerows just as our 

pipe 'prongs' had permitted. 

For me, I was pleased that an idea had been implemented with 

such weed and effectiveness within our division." 

closed and pointed. They welded they held between 15 and 17 pounds 

two pipcs to the frnnt armor of a of crushed TNT. This chargc could 

tank, supporting it with three angle hlow the necessary gap. The two 

iron braces. chargcs lor each gap were designed 

The modified tanks wouid lunge with four icet of lrce prim;lcord [or 

into a hcdgc wherevcr the tank crcw connecting the chi~rgcs. Fuse 

wanted a gap, picrcing the earth ol lighters. lust, and caps alrc;tdy asthe hcdgcrow with holcs which scmhlcd could ihcn hc attached to 

could he filled with intern;ll the priniacord and the fuse ligh~cr 

chargs. Discarded shipping con- pulled. 

tainers or 105-millin~etcr artillery 

shclls proved to he exactly the right 

diamcter to contain the chargcs- 
This ACROW bridge will be a 

stable carrier for bus traffic-the 

. . swing bridge it replaces was 

1 precarious even for travelers on 

foot. 

f 'I! 
i-~--?". .-*. : ,,

. .- ...~. 

I 

i . -*, 

, . . , . . . . 

Engineer 53 
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