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-$FOR ARMY ENGINEERS * PB 5-87-2(TEST) 

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Personal Viewpoint 

Let's Improve Engineer 


Command and Support Relationships 


by MA.J Nicholas .J. Hoechler 

Knginvers must t:~ke a tnnrr;~ctive 

role in showing tlie niatiruvt'r cornmanilrr hr,\r. rt1pinrei.s can-and 

<,annot-support Airl,and linttle. We 

must unrlr,i.stand tha different cornmand tin11 suppi~rtreliltir~nshipsand 

when tu ;ipply thrm. 

I<ngincrr.; nr,c,d to know niorc than 

11y-lhe~b<ri,krlefinitions of ci3c.h re la^ 

isii \Vc can't let !.he sterile 

i~rtiSici;rlity of war-giirne cnvironmvnts dcceive 1,s-Airl.:rnd 

I:at,tlr is curtain tr, lit! mart'coniplex 

tli;~ri ;~tiy g:tm(,. Yist ci<,ctxine ill VM 

- I ilil,f*,'iiginc,,r('r,,~i hat Opr.rc~lionr. 

<loo.;n't giv<. :?il<quate fli~xihility to 

c!ngineo.s so[~pi,rting thi (lrfi~risc at 

hattali~n task iiirct. Irvrl. 

Aii.l,;rlid li:,ttlc's !)rime tnandz~tc 

is this-seize etlcry opportunity 

to tnkn ihc~off<>nsiue, eorcn in n 

drfc.nsi~!e mission. Yet engin~rr 

assets arc usu:illy plnce(l in ;I ilircrtsujiport role f<~r defei~sivv ~nissions. ,

I

.

Iris si:ls ~.nginerrs ;it oilds with the 

offi.nsivt~ spirit of i\irI,and Uattlc,. 

\Yhy'!-bc.c;iuse doclrinr says i,ngi. 

niws 11I:icc'il in direct SII~POI.~ c;:iii't 

hc f'urrlrrr tilsk organizr(1-and 

~lnilrl. thr~sr crinditions, tlrvy can't 

respon(i Slr~xihly lo <:nonterittt;~cks. 

'l'hi, r.~si~lt is that enginrscrs in the 

firld s<,rni,tilnrs igurircdoctrine ;111(1 

siipport [tie m;lni,uvci. curnn~andi,~ 

;IS l~(,stthry cnn.7'hey dl, .ivh;tttliey 

;u.<,taugllt tt, (lo at the Engineer 

S(.lrii~ilLtiisk org;tnize on llie basis 

isn't good enough. Enginerrs riiust. 

he stnarler task r>rg;tni;lcrl;: our docLrinr tnust bv bi>ttcr defined. \i's 

sh<,uld st;irt hy dt~trrmining t;isk 

i,rg;~niration ;rccr,rding to a prioritized sc.1 ofcriti<,:il fxctnrs. 

1. Swvc thtl con~rnii~lder's intcnt-know his !priority of effort. his 

,.oncept ot'ol~rriltion. his s('hcmc of 

mancuvcr, his plan fordefbatingthe 

enemy. Shape ;ill ei'fnrts 1.0 his gr~als, 

2. Allr~c;~tengineers based <ill 

nccdcd effort-prioritize allocrl t'LOIIS 

ilccrlrding tocritir:;tl missions: mobility, couiltcrmohilitv. survival~ility, 

and gencml itngineering. 

3. Assign niissirins to engineer 

units thnt can best carry them out 

-units with tlie right capabilities 

;rnd rqitiptnent. 

4. l'r~srrve tlii* cngineer unit's 

n<irinal nss~rcinti~ln arith a suppurted 

element wh<:nvver pnssil~le. 

5. Crlnsidrr the needs of f'rillow~n 

miasions-lri'pp task r~rganization 

simplt, and clean. Prevent complications in niultiylc phaseuperntions. 

6. I':valuatr l<lgisticnl supportthi! maneuver unit's ability to 

sul~port engiliri.rs and 1111: benefit 

gained froni that enginrer support 

must h~ wt>ighed. ,

l

.

lrc si~ccrssful r1i:ineuver com-

~rratril~~i~ iipplies thr, tan in~prnitives 

of AirI.i~nd Bnttlc. 'l'hc engineers 

sill)port hirn. If the maneuv1.r battalirin commander is to ronduct a 

surct~ssfolbrigade-directcd counterattack or 1ot:al connte~ilttack. 11r 

nccds to control engineer assets 

directly. The enginc,rrs nrustbr in a 

command reliitionship with tlic 

maneu\.cr cotnmander, and ;lllo- 

(::lted attarhrd 01.under oprrational 

control to tlir task fiir(:e. 

'rliis dochs n~it inenzl t11;lt rngineer 

forrcs must be attarlied or OPCON 

to every mancovt,r hattalion. Caitite 

tl,i.rrinlra~.>-.11'the engineer misnion 

v:~til~r:~ccotni~lish~:~l :it hrigadclevt~l. 

thrn rixtnin <:r~iitrol ofcngint?t,rfc,rces 

at tllal ICVCI. Maximum 110wi~r c;lli 

I,? huilt 1111 the Airl.;inrI Hatlieiicld 

only if dirert- or grnernl.support 

rciatior~shipsilrr kept ahovr hrig:ide 

Iwel. 

If wr bi:c~ime more proactive in 

expressing our capabilities, nraneuver commanders will quickly st1111 

task-organizing engineers down to 

squad level or committing vital 

engineer assr:ts 8s infantry. 

The real problem is that we 

hamper the maneuver commandcr 

by defining support relationships 

too tightlg Then the commandcr 

can't further taak organize his cngineer forces. Wc must provide him 

~nrireflexibility, betterguidance, and 

recommendations on engineer 

employment. 

Thc ;~dvt:nt of E-F<lrcf will bring 

more ff'feectivc engineer suppr~rl to 

the niiineuver task irlrct!commnndcr. 

'he normal associations Iruilt into 

1.:-l'orce promote better command 

and control relationships andreducc 

the necd Lo form ad hiic angint!rr 

task forces. It will :ilsn pvomote thc 

attai.lin~entof engineers at brigade 

1twt:l. Until E-E'arcr, is fully impletncnlcd, engineers supporting t;~sk 

forcelevel oger21tions must 111: placed 

in command relationships. 

MAJ Nieholns .I. Buechler is n 

team leader for EOAC at the 1J.S. 

Arm." Engineer School. He has 

served with the 12th ISngin~er rat^ 

tniion in West Germar1,y. and with 

the 5th Engineer Rnttnlion a1 Fort 

Leonurd Wood, Missouri. MAJ 

Rui.clzler hulds BS and ,W.S degrees 

in cit:il erzpincerir~~from thr South 

Uaizota School of Mines n11d Technology; he is also an BOUC and 

EOAC grndi~nte. 
k.l' 

The Professional Bulletin for Army Engineers 	 VOLUME 17 PO 5-87-2 

FEATURES 

UNITED STATES ARMY 9 Salvadorans Rebuild Two Rridges

ENGINEER CENTER by Joseph T Coiirg~ll 

AND FORT BELVOIR, VA 12 	 AVLR Assault Ford on the Han River 

by CPTJohn K~oenbi~rgh 

13 	 Royal Engineers' Postwar Cleanup in the Falklands 

by I,TC Michni2l H. H. Broohr. I1E 

COMMANDER/COMMANDANl Military Pipeline Operntions MC William Henry Reno 0.v LII'Tlt~bcrt MI Metz 

Building a Water Line on Tiger Island 

MANAGING EDITOR by CPTJi,,, Hi~lociii and 1L'i' Michael Mnlsom 

Betty R. Craharn Army Well D rillers in the R a p i d D e p l o y m e n t Force 

FEATURES EDITOR by I,TC Ilriicc A. Mnlson and CPTDac:id 0.Carberry 

Prnelope Sclim~tt Water in the Desert 

PHOTOGRAPHIC EDITOR by CPTMichael C;. ~l.lu,i,ieit 

PFC R~rhardM. Sanborrl Repairing Historic Gold Camp Road 

DESIGNER by lLTJef,fre>,P. Lee 

Jim Wilson 	 Engineer Cellular Teams 


by CPTStruen R. Striningei 


The Three-Phase Inspection System: The Corps Guarantee of 

By Order of the Secretary of the Army: 	 Built-in Quality 

by CPT'i'horr~as P. K~vd 

CARL E. VlJONO For the Common Defense Grncfal. Unifcii Srarri Arm) by Priielopr Schrrtitt 

Cliirf of Staff 

Revising the Standard Pattern Minefield 

Official: 	 hu CPT Wayne Whale? 

Space: The New High Ground for Engineers 

R. L. DILWORTH 	 by MAJ Thomas C. Suermann 

Bjigaiiier Cerieial, United Stares Aiinv Trends in Engineer Officer Training 

The Aiijuranr General by MAJ Edioard Hayes and Penrlapc Schmitf 

Discipline and Unit Performance 

by MAJ Charles G. Kershaw 

Photo and art for "Space: 

The New High Ground for 

Engirleers," courtesy of the DEPARTMENTS 

National Aeronautics and Inside Front Cover: Personal Viewpoint 

Space Administration, Lyndon 2 Clear the Way 22 Engineer Solution 

B. Johnson Space Center, 	 4 Bridge the Gap 32 Hotline Q & A 

Houston, Texas. 	 5 Engineer Update 45 Past in Review 

18 Engineer Problem I 

EiVGINEER (ISSN OOl(i-l9Ri30) is prepared quarterly by the U. S. CORRESPONDENCE, letters to rlie editor. manuscripts. photo^ 

Army Engineer School. Fort Belvoir. VA 22060. This publicntion graphs, official unit yequests toreceivecopics, and unitaddresschnnges 

pr~seots prufessional information, it does not necessarily reflect the shnald be sent to ENGINEER. ATCN: AI'LA-TI)-P. Stup 291D. Fort 

official Army position, and it does nut cliangr or supersede any Helvoir. VA 22060-5241. Telephone: (703) 664~30H2,AV 354~30R2. 

information presented in other official Army publications. Unless PERSONAL SUBSCRIPTIONS me available by contacting the 

otherwisestiited, whenever th~mt~sc~linegenderis used. both men and Superintendent of L)ocoments. ATTN: Chief. Mail List Bmnrh. Stop 

women are incliided. SSOM. Wnshington. I). C. 204112. Address changes for personal sub^ 

CONTENT is not cupsrighted Material may he reprinted if credit is scriptions should also be sent to the Superintendent of Documents. 

given to XNGINEEX and to the author. 

OFFICIAL DISTRIRUTIONis targeted toall engineerand engineer^ POSTMASTER: Second ('lasspostiigris paid atFortRelvoir, VA, and 

related units. additional mailing offices. Smd addressciianrc to EIVGIIVEER.ATZA~ 

TII~P,Stop 2911). Fort Helvoir, VA 22060~5BI. 

Engineer 1 
LEAR THE WAY 

by 	MG Richard S. Kern 

Outgoing Commandant, U.S. Army Engineer School 

We've covered a lot of ground... 

In preparing to leave the U.S. Army Engineer 

Center and School for my assignment as 

DCSENGRin USAEUR, I reviewed the goals Iset 

in 1984.My first "Clear the Way" defined our task: 

"to ensure the effectiveness of combat engineers 

as members of the combined arms team on the 

AirLand Battlefield." I'm glad to say that we've 

steadily progressed toward that goal. 

With a focus on warfighting effectiveness, 

several major actions haveevolved. Theseinclude 

E-Force, equipment modernization, the Engineer 

Command and Control System, and participation 

in the Army Family of Vehicles. 

E-Force embodies our major initiative: restructuring engineer forces to meet the challenge of 

AirLand Rattle. To date, we have redesigned 

engineer forces in the light divisions and corps 

and at echelons above corps. Current efforts focus 

on getting concept approval of E-Force in close 

combat heavy forces, thus bringing essential 

engineer support to maneuver commanders. 

The "challenging and realistic" engineer training I hoped to see is here. The National Training 

Center and our growing experience in Latin 

America have strengthened our active and reserve 

forces. Training at NTC and in SOUTHCOM have 

demonstrated our valuable contribution to the 

Army's warfighting capability. 

The Brigade Engineer has been recognized and 

accepted as a key staff member. Engineer participation on all staffs in TAC, Main, and Rear 

command posts is now sought to improve maneuver on the dirty, lethal AirLand Battlefield. 

During the past few years, we have increased 

the emphasis we place on leadership training for 

our officers. We are confident that EORC and 

EOAC graduates who become task force engineers 

are fully capable of offering support essential to 

the maneuver commander. 

Improved training andE-Forcecan work only if 

our soldiers are properly equipped. Ihave seen the 

M9 Armored Combat Excavator (ACE) through 

testing and into production. New commercial construction equipment and small emplacement 

excavators (SEE) are also about to enter service. 

Mechanization of Corps Engineer Battalions in 

Europe is nearing completion. VOLCANO and 

TEXS development are proceeding. 

To ensure engineer responsiveness in AirLand 

Battle, we have designed the Engineer Command 

and Control System to become a vital part of the 

Army's tactical command and control architecture. We have been part of the Army's future 

look in developing Engineer variants for the Army 

Family of Vehicles. 

Further enhancing the cohesiveness of the Army 

engineers, we have become part of the Engineer 

Regimental System, thus strengthening bonds of 

loyalty and commitment among engineers, and 

emphasizing the kinship between Active and 

Reserve Components. 

My service as Engineer Proponent has been a 

great challenge. Like any job that never becomes 

boring, itis also a job that is never done. Ileave the 

Engineer School and Center knowing that General 

Renoinherits the potential for a stronger engineer 

force-and has a long road to travel with you to 

Fort Leonard Wood and on your missions around 

the world. 

In the past 3 years, we have captured some high 

ground. But this represents only our intermediate 

objective. Give General Reno your supppt, and 

together we will continue to strengthen our warfighting capability. 
by MG William Henry Reno 

Incoming Commandant, U.S. Army Engineer School 

There's a challenging road ahead ... 

As I assume command of the Engineer Center 

and School, I eagerly anticipate traveling with 

you the "long road" General Kem speaks of in his 

parting remarks. Our road map for the future 

outlines an exciting journey-it will be up to us to 

advance toward planned milestones, and open 

new territory when opportunities arise. Let's look 

at the landmarks before us: 

E-Force implementation: Our immediate goal 

is to field E-Force. We will work to get early 

concept approval for the implementation of EForce in close combat heavy organizations. When 

it is fully fielded, E-Force will enable us to bring 

maneuver commanders optimal, flexible battle 

support. 

Expanded training opportunities: We're 

going to expand the training successes of the NTC 

in coming years. The Combat Maneuver Training 

Center at Hohenfels, West Germany, will offer 

engineers in the European Theater the opportunity 

to carry out NTC-style maneuvers. The Joint 

Readiness Training Center at Fort Chaffee affords 

a realistic training arena where light engineers 

can execute combined arms maneuvers in low 

intensity conflict situations. 

To extract themaximum benefit from combined 

arms training, we must work hard for realism, 

scrutinize our performance, improve what's good, 

and fix what's broken. 

Publications: Current doctrine must support 

thecontinuing evolution of theengineer force. You 

should soon becarrying the new FM5-34, Engineer 

Field Data, and the coordinating draft of FM 5-

116, Engineer Operations (Echelons Above Corps), 

completed under General Kem's proponency. We 

plan to revise FM 5-100, Engineer Combat Operations, and to field FMs 5-71-100, Engineer Operations in Support of Close Combat Heavy Forces, 

and 5-71-101, Engineer Operations in Support of 

Close Combat Light Forces, in the near future. 

These manuals willincorporate the lessons we are 

learning at NTC and in Latin America, bringing 

engineers to the threshold of a quantum leap 

forward in combat effectiveness. 

New equipment systems: Capable engineer 

support depends on powerful, effective engineer 

equipment. Several systems are on deck-I want 

to see them implemented soon. These include the 

M9 armored combat earthmover (ACE), the small 

emplacement excavator (SEE), the VOLCANO 

scatterablemineemplacement system, the tactical 

explosive system (TEXS) for rapid antitank ditching, and the counter obstacle vehicle (COV). To 

enhance training, we aim to field improved mine 

effects simulators and to open the Battle Command Training Center (BCTC) at Fort Leonard 

Wood. 

Transition to Fort Leonard Wood: We also 

look down the road toward a geographical landmark-a new regimental home for the engineers. 

We envision greatly improved engineer training 

on a site that brings all engineer training together, 

gives us ample maneuvering room, and offers 

state-of-the-art facilities. 

As I lead you in executing this complex and 

long-awaited move, keep this in mind: Our destination is not just a new place. Our goal is to move 

ever closer to combat readiness-perfecting our 

training, reorganizing the force, fielding new 

equipment. If we do that, we'll reach our real 

destination: Engineers asa fine-tuned combat 

arm. Essayons. 
BRIDGE THE GAP 

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

Accomplishments come to units that meet high 

expectations every day, doing it right the first time 

every time.. . 

Expectations. That word is a mouthful, one we 

sometimes find is pretty hard to swallow. A major 

lesson of modern times is that we shouldn't let 

ourselves be put in a box by expectations. The 

Army has found out that Americans of all races 

and origins and of both sexes can work together as 

good soldiers. That upset a lot of expectations. We 

hear a lot about stress and learning to get your 

expectations in line with what you can really do. 

Stressed-out leaders and followers can destroy 

themselves and a mission in a hurry. 

Rut expectations have a positive side. This issue 

of ENGINEER offers evidence that high 

achievement goes to engineers who have high 

expectations. The success stories on these pages 

aren'tjust about units thatexperienced thedrama 

of a wartime deployment, or even about units 

participating in high-intensity training on 

maneuvers. Accomplishments also come to units 

that meet high expectations every day, doing it 

right the first time, every time. 

We, the engineers, cannot afford to wait for war 

to get real training or even to wait for the next field 

exercise. Training time for us is NOW-in the 

chow line, in formation, in the barracks. Hippocket training must be the tool that we use. We 

must continue tostudy and wait; the critical test is 

sure to come. 

Here's what the Army expects of Erik' rlneers: 

We're the people who know how to build whatever 

needs to be built, and to do it right. We're the 

pc~~ple who can crnss the gap in the road, knock 

down the obstacle in the way. When we build, we 

must build to standard: We're expected to be 

reliable. Commanders expect our makeshift solutions to be the best available. We must not fail 

them. 

We often meet those expectations as small units 

where NCO leadership is critical. Look at "Army 

Well Drillers in the Rapid Deployment Force," p. 

23, and "Engineer Cellular Teams," p. 30. These 

units perform highly specialized tasks. Their 

NCOs have to be self-reliant experts, able to go 

ahead and do the job-anywhere, any time, under 

any conditions. Thesoldiersin these units must be 

well trained. 

Training works only if it is done by NCOs who 

set high standards and lead by example (see 

"Discipline and Unit Performance," p. 44). 

Training pays off only if you expect to get the most 

out of every event. "Repairing Historic Gold Camp 

Road," p. 27, and "Building a Water Line on Tiger 

Island," p. 19, are good examples of sustainment 

engineering projects that let units find out if they 

are what they're expected to be-and how to cope 

with the unexpected. 

And a word to all of you who know we can't 

always do the job "by the book"-When you can, 

DO. Strengthen your unit's ability by practicing 

at peak standards when you have enough time 

and the right resources. If your soldiers have the 

habit of producing excellent work (see "The ThreePhase Inspection System," p. 33, they won't be 

satisfied to do less than their best-even in tough 

conditions. 

Read "RoyalEngineers' Postwar Cleanup in the 

Falklands," p. 13. The author of that article 

expected his NCOs to rebuild a wind-devastated 

airfield runway on their own. He wasn't disappointed. That's the engineer tradition in the 

U.S. Army too. We know our jobs. We're ready for 

the unexpected. We don't disappoint the units we 

support-we meet their expectations. It's the 

engineer way. 
Engineer YIJpdate 

School News - Noncommissioned Officer Academy [NCOAI 

Academy Opens The Fort Belvoir Noncommissioned 

Officer Academy began operation 1 April. 1987, in order to 

comply with recent TRAOOC gu~delines which specify that 

all NCO training must be conducted in an NCO academy. 

Previously, advanced NCO training on Fort Belvoir was 

conducted by the Directorate of M~litary Engineering, and 

the administrative aspects were coordinated by the NCO 

student detachment, according to CSM Frank Gibert, 

NCO Academy commandant. 

Before coming under the auspices of the academy, the 

POIS focused primarily on the techn~cal aspects of the 

NCOs' function. "Our intention," said CSM Gibert, "is to 

emphas~ze leadersh~p and warfighting in a combat 

environment." 

The academy's history will be a brief one. however, as 

plans are already under way to move the courses taught at 

the school to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Currently, only 

BNCOCs are held at Fort Wood's NCO Academy. The 

move is scheduled to begin in April. 1988. 

Directorate of Combat Developments IDCDl 

Idea Program Announced Have you ever found a 

problem with a f~elded engineer system and thought you 

had a good solution? Have you ever had a suggestion for a 

change in organization or training that would make your lob 

easier? Have you ever had a good engineer-related idea. 

but you did not know how orwhere to get it adopted? OCO 

has initiated actions for a new program to help your ideas 

get tested and adopted. It will be called ESSAYONS. 

ESSAYONS will provide a fast, low-cost. and informal 

means for the Engineer Schooi to evaluate yourldeas and 

adopt them if they work. ESSAYONS is not intended to 

take the place of the Army Suggestion Program, because 

the Army Suggestion Program will evaluate your idea but 

may not test and adopt it. ESSAYONS will give your ~deas 

the proper attention from the Engineer perspective, and. if 

necessary, test your Ideas in an operational environment 

It IS a auick method to irnprove your equipment, organization, or tralnlng 

Anyone may provide an engineer-related idea Just 

clearly descr~be your proposal in wr~tng [if necessary 

provide sketch1 and send it toCommander 

U.S. Army Eng~neer School 


ATTN: ATZA-CTO [ESSAYONSI 


Fort Relvoir, VA 22060-5281 


Be sure to include your name, address. and AUTOVON 

number for us to contact you in case we have questions 

regarding your ideas. 

Department of Military Engineering (DMEI 

Training Developments DME is developing field circulars for engineer operation at echelons above corps and for 

airbase damage repair. Both will be fielded in late fall 1987. 

The OME IS also developing the ARTEP Mission Training 

Plan for the englneer battalion Icombatl [heavy]. The 

coordinating draft should be fielded in the winter of 1987 

for field comment. 

Beginn~ngin FY 88. DME will offer weekend courses in 

horizontal constr~icton, theater of operations IT01 structures. TO utilities, and construction management. Each 

will be offered twlce per year. Check the school course 

catalog for exact dates. 

Directorate of Military Logistics [DML) 

Mast Syitems Group Course The 5201 0 Rrdnch of 

DML recently began teaching the direct support/general 

support Hydraul~c-pneumatic Mast Groups RepalrerlC-91 

Course During the 1 %day course, students are trainedin 

the operation of the mast groups systems, DS/GS malntenance procedures, DS/GS troubleshooting of mast 

groups and related test equipment, and the use of 

soeciaiized tools 

The course 1s open to Act~ve Army and Reserve Component Specialists 4. corporals, and sergeants assigned or 

on orders to a duty position that requires the awarding of 

AS1 C-9. Active Army personnel must have at least 10 

months of active duty service time remaining after completing the course. For more information about the course 

or enrollment requirements, contact SFC Tucker. DML 

Operations Branch, AV 354-2314/1036. 
ngineer Update 

Directorate of Evaluation and Standardization KlOESI 

Lessons Learned Bulletin The Lessons Learned Bulletin summarizes experience gained from worldwide 

training exercises. An updated bulletin is published each 

quarter and distributed to active, reserve, and National 

Guard engineer units [company level and above). DEHs, 

districts, and major commands. 

To assist the Engineer School in collecting relevant 

lessons learned, field units need to provide after-action 

reports IAARl from their training exercises and information 

concerning doctrine, equipment, and material. Information 

and AAR's should be sent to: Commandant, U.S. Army 

Engineer School. ATTN: ATZA-ES, Fort Belvoir, VA 

22060-5271 

If your unit is not receiving The LessonsLearnedBulle~, 

contact SFC Kovak at I7031 664-41 72 or AV 354-41 72. 

Engineer Orientation Team 1EOTI EOT is currently 

scheduling visits for FY 88. If you would like tosee the EOT 

presentation or have them schedule a visit with your 

activity or active duty or reserve component, contact: 

Commandant, U.S Army Eng~neer School. ATTN: ATZA-ES 

ISFC Rexrodel, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-5271 or call (7031 

664-41 72/1124 or AV 354-4172/1124. 

Department of Combined Arms School [DCAI 

Engineer Histories Available on Video The Oepartment of Combined Arms, the ~.~.~rmy Engineer School, 

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" and "Engineers in the New Guinea Campaign 1942-1 944." 

Three more presentations soon will be available. including 

histories of engineers in the mountains of Italy and in the 

initial Rhine River crossings during World War II and 

engineers in the Korean War. 

Video tapes of these oral histories are available for loan. 

Write to ATZA-TA-C, ATTN: Management Branch. U.S. 

Army Engineer School. Fort Belvoir. VA 22060-5341 or 

call AV 354-3993. 

Engineer School Secretary [ESSI 

Publication Cutback The Engineer School, lhke all 

TRAODC schools, faces current and projected funding 

contraints for print~ng and distribution of student materials. The current mandate is to reduce the number of 

coples by 15 percent from last year. This policy requires 

students to turn in texts after completing a course and 

restricts our ability to satisfy individual field requests for 

locally printed material and DA publications. We regret the 

inconvenience. 

Directorate of Training and Doctrine (DOTDI 

Individual Training Plans Revised A major priority 

within DOT0 this fiscal year is to revise all individual 

trainlng plans [ITPI for engineer occupations. ITPs lay out 

strategies and methods used in training. During the first 

two quarters of FY 87, the Engineer School completed 

revision of 15 ITPs. Eiahteen " will be revised durintl the 

third and fourth quarters. 

General Engineering Manual in Distribution Units 

should have recelved FM 5-104, General Engineering. 

through distribution. FM 5-104 provides a doctrinal basis 

for planning and executing general engineering in the 

theater of operations. It is primarily concerned with 

support to noncommitted forces within the Corps and 

communication zone areas. 

Lineman's and Cableman's Handbook Available The 

Lineman's and Cableman's Handbook. which replaced TM 

5-765. Electric Power Transmission and Distribution. for 

all personnel holding the 52G MOS, is still available. 

To order the book for your unit, send the property book 

officer's name, Department of Defense activity codes, and 

document number to: Commandant, U.S. Army Engineer 

School, ATTN: ATZA-TD-P-CR. Stop 291 D, Fort Belvoir, 

VA 22060-5291. 

After init~al distribution, units must purchase copies 

from the publisher, McGraw Hill Bookcompany. New York. 
lngineer 

-Regimental News - Corps Distinguished Members 

On 10 February 1987, letters were forwarded to 

engineer commanders soliciting nominations for Distinguished Members of the Corps. Nominations received 

before the 30 March deadline were reviewed by the 

Regimental Advisory Committee and forwarded to the 

Ch~efof Engineers for zpproval. Since there had not been 

adequate time for most units to complete thew nominations, he decided to await more nominations before further 

considerat~on.He did, however. approve the committee's 

recommendation to designate all living, former Chiefs of 

Engineers and Corps of Engineers Command Sergeant 

Majors as D~stinguished Members. Honored at Fort 

Belvo~r's annual Engineer Dinner on 8 May wereLTG Joseph K. Bratton IRetI 

LTG William F. Cass~dy IRetl 

LTG Emerson E. ltschner IRetl 

LTG John W. Morris IRetl 

CSM Willlam Leach IRetl 

LTG Fred J. Clarke IRetI, the Corps' Honorary Colonel [also 

a former Chief]. participated with the current Ch~ef, LTG 

Elvin R. Heiberg, in the designation presentation 

ceremonies. 

These new Otst~nguished Members jo~n General Bryce 

C. Clarke IRetl, who was named the Corps' first Oistingu~shed Member earlier this year. 

Concern~ng selection criteria for Distinguished Members. the committee determined that active officers and 

enlisted should not be eligible for nomination by their 

respective untts. It further determined that any indiv~dual 

serving in a cha~n-of-command posltion above a nominating 

unit, or a currently servlng Chief of Engineers or Corps 

Command Sergeant Malor, should not be eligible until 

reassignment or retirement. 

With the nomination procedure firmly in place, units may 

agar begin consideration of Oist~nguished Members. Each 

unit may nominate one officer and/or enlisted each year. 

Later this year. letters will be forwarded to all engineer 

commanders, soliciting nominations in preparation for the 

1986 Engineer Dinner, where new selectees will be 

recognized. 

Commanders having difficulty tracing unit histories may 

arrange for unit representatives to visit the History Office 

of the Office of the Chief of Engineers to conduct research. 

Units needing this assistance should contact Mr.Charles 

Hendericks. Staff Historian. at 12021 355-3564. Questions 

regarding the overall selection process may be directed to 

CPT Jeff Korcan, Corps Adjutant, at the Engineer School's 

Personnel Proponency Office. I7031 664-2287/3760 

IAV: 354-2287/37601. 

-Career Notes - Commissioned Officers Branch 

Captain'sPromotion Boardto Meet MILPERCEN will 

convene a Captain's Promot~on and Conditional Voluntary 

Indefinite ICVII board on or about 9 September, 1987 

Zones of cons~deration for promotionto captain conslst of 

all 1st lieutenants with the following dates of rank 

Above the zone: 860331 and earlier 

Promotion zone: 860401 thru 861 121 

All eligible officers should review their Official Military 

Personnel Record [OMPFI and their Officer Record Brief 

[OR61 prior to the convening of the board. Administrative and procedural questions may be directed to the 

Officers' Promotion Sectlon. MILPERCEN. DAPC-MSP-0, 

200 Stovall Street, Alexandria. VA 22332-0400, 

AV 221-9340. 

Other than Regular Army [OTRAI officers in the "first 

tlme considered" zone for promotion to captain, who 

desire to remain on active duty past their obligated 

voluntary IOBVI date, must apply for CVI status for 

cons~derationby the September CVI board. Officers cannot 

apply for CVI after they have been selected for captain. 

Officers who choose not to apply for CVI when they are in 

the "first time considered" zone for captain will not be 

permitted to apply at a later date. Applications should be 

submitted in original and one copy through the chain-ofcommand, IAW AR 135-215, to arrive NLT 3 Aug 87 at 

the Combat Support Arms Career Management Division, 

MILPERCEN, Attn: DAPC-OPE-P, 200 Stovall Street, 

Alexandria. VA 22332-0400. AV 221 -781 5. 
NCO and Enlisted Soldiers Branch 

Appealing Your Enlisted Evaluation Report Officials For additional information concerning appeals, contact 

at HQ Department of the Army belleve that NCOs are not the agency listed below which is responsible for your 

using the Army's Appeal System when they believe they component: 

were rated inaccurately or unfa~rly. Last year only 336 

appeals reached the Army Deputy Ch~ef of Staff for Active Duty Commander 

Personnel Enllsted Special Review Board IESRBI. which 1s NCOs U.S. Army Enlisted Records and 

the Army's prlmary authority for ruling on appeals based Evaluation Center 

on claims of Inaccurate or unlust evaluation. There are ATTN: PCRE-RE-A 

more than 277,000 actlve duty NCOs. Only five Reserve Fort Benjam~n Harrison, IN 46249-5301 

Component NCO appeals reached the board. 

Appealing is not an act of futllity. In 1986 full or partial Reserve US. Army Reserve Fersonnel Center 

rel~ef was granted on 38 percent of all appeal cases NCOs ATTN: DARP-PRE-A 

completed. The guidelines for appeals are coritained in 9700 Page Boulevard 

Chapter 4 of AR 623-205. En1istedEvaluaf;on Reporting St. Louis. MO 631 32-5200 

Systems,to which Appendix G has recently been added to 

provlde more definitive guidance for their constructton. Nat~onal Chief. National Guard Bureau 

The staff fudge advocates and your personnel servlces Guard NCOs ATTN. NGB-ARP-E 

center can also help you. Washington, 0 C. 2031 0-2500 

-News 6 Notes -


New Mine-Clearing Developments On 6 April 1987, 

the Belvoir Research and Development and Engineering 

IRDGEI Center awarded a $2,185,000 production contract for the Army's new Cleared Lane Marking System 

(CLAMS1 to BMY Corporation of York. Pennsylvania. 

CLAMS will be used to help veh~cle drlvers follow safe 

paths cleared through mlnefields Mounted on the rear of 

the lead m~nefield-breaching vehicle, it d~spenses colored 

flags that can he seen easlly dur~ng theday. Lightst~cks are 

provided for night operations. 

A devlce attached to the veh~cle's odometer controls 

the dispenser.dropping themarkei~satconstantintervals. 

Units are scheduled for delivei-y between Novetnber 1987 

and Febriiary 1988. 

The Belvoit R06E Center also has evaluated foreign 

"flall" technology to determine its effect~veness and suitability for clearing safe paths through minefields. 

A vehicle designed by Aardvark Mine Ltd, of Aberdeenshire. Scotland, was tested by the US. Army Armor and 

EnglneerBoardat Fort Knox. Kentucky, toobtaln data that 

could eventually result in a tank-wldth vehicle mine clearing 

system for combat engineers 

After revlewing reports of past designs, Aardvark developed a flat1 that wetghs less costs less. requlres less 

power. lasts longer, and provldes a better beat pattern 

than its predecessors. The Aardvark uses less power to 

dr~veits flails. although it employs more chains per foot of 

rotor than older designs. The tip welght has been matched 

with the flaillng speed to produce a better pattern of 

cotitact w~th the ground. During trials, one Aardvark flat1 

cleared charges of up to 3.6 kilograms of explosive w~th 

v~t-tuallyno damage. 

The design evaluated by the center weighs 13'12 tons10 tons for a prime mover and 3% tons for the flall unit. 

Mounted on a custom-bullt, half-track vehlcle, the flail unit 

is a 10-foot-wide rotor wlth 72 to 79 chains having discshaped strlker tips. Other features Include automatic 

contouring and depth control, retractable sidearms for air 

transport, an armored cab, and an optional rotor with 60 

heavy chalns for use agalnst brirled antitank mines. 

Data from these tests will be used to destgn a flail 

system providrng a path as wide as the vehicle selected to 

perform as its prime mover. 
Salvadorans Rebuild 

by Joseph T. Cowgill TWOBridges 

El Salvador's people have 

been at war for 8 years, 

struggling with a guerrilla 

insurgency that has alternately 

raged and smoldered. Lives and 

homes have been destroyed, and the 

population of this tiny but strategically located country systematically terrorized. 

Like many Central American 

nations, El Salvador has largely 

undeveloped rural areas and a 

fragile transportation network. 

Guerrilla forces have focused many 

of their destructive efforts on the 

nation's precious infrastructure, 

making movement and communication difficult wherever they can. This 

is the story of one guerrilla attempt 

to disrupt travel in El Salvador and 

how U.S. Army Engineers helped to 

make sure the effort failed. 

Rio Lempa crossings destroyed 

The Rio Lernpa runs through 

country hotly contested in El 

Salvador's civil war. Flowing south 

along the Honduran border, the river 

crosses thecountry on its way to the 

Pacific, severing the eastern third of 

El Salvador from the west. Two 

bridges over the river-Puente San 

Marcos and Puente Cuscatlan-are 

the sole links between eastern and 

western El Salvador. 

The Salvadoran Army, realizing 

theimportance ofthese bridges, had 

manned them with light security 

forces. But the small guard contingents were easily circumvented by 

the rebels. In late 1982, they 

managed to plant demolitions and 

blow up both spans, making theRio 

Lempa a major barrier. 

The guerrillas' sabotage, continued ambushes, and harassment 

failed to halt transportation altogether, but caused significant problems on the routes served by the 

bridges. To provide a roadway of 

sorts, the government routed traffic 

across a hydroelectric power plant 

dam near Cuscatlan, and converted 

a railroad hridge to make a roadway 

at San Marcos. Both these 

crossings-one of them on the Pan 

American Highway-were restricted 

to alternating one-way traffic. 

El Salvador seeks 

Bailey bridges 

For more than three years after 

the destruction of the bridges, the 

Salvadoran government tried to 

construct other crossings on the Rio 

Lempa. These efforts were hampered 

because the Salvadoran Army had 
Salvadosan workers prepare a Railey hridge span at Cuscatlan. 

converted its engineer units to 

infantry-combating the guerrillas 

was a top priority. This left reconstructionin the handsof arelatively 

inexperienced civil works ministry. 

Weather and river conditions also 

thwarted reconstruction work. 

Attempts were made topush earthen 

causeways into the river, reducing 

its normal 600- to 1,000-foot widths 

to distances that could be easily 

bridged. Rut heavy rains and 

rushing water soon destroyed these 

structures. 

The most feasible solution, the 

government finally concluded, 

would he to span the river with 

Bailey bridges on piers. Through 

coordination with U.S.agencies. El 

Salvadorohtained someused Bailey 

hridge sets from the United States. 

To make thesetsserviceable,civilian 

workers removed paint and rust, 

primed, painted, and lubricated 

major parts. 

The refurbished hridge equipment 

was then moved to the two sites by 

truck-a 2-hour drive from San 

Salvador on hostile roads. 

Army engineers 

preparc the sites 

Mobile District, U.S. Army Corps 

of Engineers, were called upon in 

early 1986 to supervise the design, 

fabrication, and construction of steel 

p~lepiers at both sites. This phaseof 

the project took several months-all 

materials wereimported, and heavy 

equipment, cranes, pile drivers, had 

to be procured. 

Pile driving hegan in April, but 

seasonal rains impeded site preparation. High waters and swift currents repeatedly washed away the 

causeways that were needed for pile 

emplacemmt. Because of river bed 

conditions at Cuscatlan, the last set 

of piles couldn't he driven in the 

planned location. Subsurface problems also forced a change in the 

location of farbank abutments. As ti 

result, the Cuscatlan Bridge's 

planned length nearly douhled, 

reinforcingchords had to be used on 

the far bank span, and the final 

length of the bridge-usually drtermined in the design stage-remained 

unresolved almost to the day the 

first hridge hit the far bank. 

USAES assists in 

designing bridges 

Through USAID, El Salvador 

requested assistance in constructing 

the Bailey bridges, and acquired the 

services of a technical assistant from 

Bridging Branch, the U.S. Army 

Engineer School. 

In a 3-day site visit, the advisor 

determined correct quantities of 

components, equipment, and manpower, and set up the huilding 

sequence. On this occasion and 

throughout the project, the advisor 

communicated with his Spanish~ 

speaking counterparts by drawing 

diagrams and using the universal 

language of mathematics. Thus, he 

literally sketched the building sequence for the bridges and drew 

pictures to recommend solutions to 

construction problems. 

Salvadorans construct 

San Marcos Bridge 

Assisted by the Engineer School 

advisor. 100 Salvadorans set to work 

on the San Marcos Bridge. The 

workers were farmers, construction 

laborers, steel workers-and one 

man with Railey bridgeconstruction 

experience. On the first 10-hour day 

onlv the roller layout, launching 

nose, and 10 feet of bridge were 

completed. Training-and the vivid 

urgings of the host country supervisor-swiftly improved productivity, and 10-hour days soon ended 

with 100 to 120 feet of bridge constructed and launched. 

Construction problems were 

numerous. Inexperienced Salvndoran workers left leveling bolts out 

of pile piers 3 and 4. Engineers 

substituted an epoxy filler, allowing 

it to cure for a day before extending 

the launching nose to pier 3. 

Crews had to he diverted from 

bridge construction: one to clean 

and lubricate parts that arrived on 

site covered with paint, another to 

correct prohlems caused hy wrongsized locally made chess. Gaps 

between pieces of chess were 

hammered into the hutton stringers, 

and hent pin lugs were repaired. 
'l'hr dan~ag<.<l (~uscatlan h~idgt 

mid-launch. 

Bridge equipment arrived slowly, 

since most available trucks had to 

he used to haul rock and fill for the 

causeway. 

Construction speeded up when a 

cherry picker hecame availahle-3, 

4, or 5 bridge panels could then be 

assembled and lifted into place in 

one move. The cherry picker also 

eased movement of transoms, 

stringers. and other heavy cornponents from distant stockpiles to the 

bridge. 

By the end of July, 600 feet of 

triple-single bridge had been built 

and ROO feet launched. Bridgebuilding then halted until the last 

pier could be finished. Further construction and launching required a 

dozerpulling thebridge, whichcould 

not he doneduring pier construction. 

The final touches on the San 

Marcos Bridge cost extra effort. 

During launching across the last 

fourpiers, the hridge repeatedly went 

off the centerline. This was a coordination problem-keepinga pulling 

and a pushing dozer working together proved tricky. 

The final length of the bridge was 

determined only after both ends were 

situated over the banks. Errors in 

the original design and siting put 

the abutments too far apart. An 

extra 10 feet of hridge was added to 

each endspan, and chord reinforced. 

The San Marcos Bridgecarried traffic across its 1,140-footlength on 26 

August 1986. 

Experience speeds construction 

at Cuscatlan Bridge 

The Salvadoransupervisor began 

the bridge at Cuscatlan in the ahsence of the USAES advisor. 

Traveling between sites, he com~ 

pleted and nearly launched one of 

the bridges at Cuscatlan, while he 

directed construction at San Marcos. 

The supervisor's independent 

work at Cuscatlan proved to be a 

mixed blessing. His experience 

helped him lo train his work force at 

Cuscatlan, putting construction 

ahead ofschedule. But, lackingtechnical advice, he built and launched 

the bridge across single rocking 

rollers rather than using tandem 

rollers. This created a problem-the 

hridge was split over the piers. To 

solve the difficulty, the Salvadoran 

supervisor and the USARS technical 

advisor decided to use timbers and 

plain rollers to replace the missing 

rocking rollers. 

The Cuscatlan Bridge proved 

harder to launch than the San 

Marcos Bridge. A comparison of 

their configurations explains why. 

San Marcos was over 1,140 feet of 

triple-single bridge, all spans equal 

until after final launch. At 

Cuscatlan, each hridgewas over 990 

feet long. The launching nose was 

followed by 190-foot triple-double, 

chord reinforced, followed by8spans 

of 100-foot triple-single. Launching 

these bridges wasliketrying to push 

a bowling ball with a rope. However, 

earlier struggles with pulling and 

pushing dozers had taught workers 

how to avoid prohlems. 

The complex endeavor at Cuscatlan was made more difficult by 

guerrilla activity. The guerrillas 

threatened a 7-day road shutdown 

on the Pan American Highway, but 

Salvadoran Army forces provided 

security for commercial trucks after 

the second day of the attempted 

blockade. In the end. guerrillas only 

succeeded in causing temporary 

shortages of components. 

Construction at Cuscatlan showed 

how a few months' practice could 

make cooperative nation building 

pay off. Salvadoran workers had 

learned how to work with Bailey 

bridge under their own supervisor. 

US. engineer expertise stood by to 

iron out problems. In September 

1986, the Salvadorans celehratedthree bridges were opened to traffic, 

and east~westravel across the Rio 

Lempa was restored. The Salvadorans, with U.S. cooperation, had 

thwarted a guerrilla campaign. 

Mr. Cowgill was thc USAES aduisor to El Saluador for ihr Sun 

Marcos and Cuscatlan bridge projects. He is a training specialist. 

Bridging Branch. Combat Operations Division, in the Uirertorale of 

Military Engineering, USAES. He 

has spent 21 years in actiur seruice, 

rnostly with uariorcs Army float and 

panel bridge companies. 
AVLB assault ford on 'I 1 


re .., t*he-a Han .. River

Cross the water where you 

choose, and make thehattle 

yours. Here's how the 

Orange F'orce(2d Infantry Division) 

used a surprise crossing to defeat 

the Blue Force in 19R2's joint ROKUS Exercise, TEAM SPIRIT. Convinced that a flank attack on Blue 

Force would turn the tide, Orange 

Force maneuver commander, division engineer, and assistant division 

engineer planned to cross the South 

Han River and drive west. 

They decided to move a mechanized hrigade across a major water 

ohstaclc. No fords or fixed bridges 

were available. The few prepared, 

deep-water crossing points had been 

used by the enemy. To surprise the 

enemy, AVI,R assets of the divisional float bridge company (6 

launchers with 8 bridges) would 

construct a hasty AVLRoverlapping 

assault ford at an unexpected site. 

Emplaeing the assault ford 

Two days hefore the attack, E 

Company, 2d Engineer Battalion, 

used SCUBA teams, G-man reconnaissance boats, and shoreline observation to determine the feasibility 

of the assault ford. The findings 

were less than ideal (sandy-siltyrocky bottom; 5.5-foot depth, and 5-

foot.per.second current), but the 

river bottom was flat. The battalion 

commander consulted with the 

assistant division commander and 

gave the order to initiate. 

To prepare for the mission, the 

end curbs were removed from the 

AVLBs and safety poles were fahricated. The first launcher drove into 

the river and launched its bridge at 

maximum fording depth. Before the 

bridge completely submerged, the 

AVLB commander placed A-foot 

safetypolesin the riverbottom along 

the sidesofthe bridge. After the first 

launcher retreated, a second came 

forward, launched its bridge, and 

formed an interlock by overlapping 

the first bridge ;I feet. In this way, 5 

AVLBs spanned 300 feet. 

The attack 

The third morning, the battalion 

bombarded the far shore. Under 

cover of smoke, 37 armored vehicles 

crossed the overlapping assault ford 

with only one minor mishap. This 

surprise maneuver allowed Orange 

Force to defeat Blue Force in detail. 

The findings of the river reconnaissance proved to be more than 

adequate for the mission. The 5 

AVLBs were recovered without 

damage to bridges or launchers. 

The hasty AVI,R overlapping 

assault ford is not suitable for all 

river conditions-it workshest when 

a ford's only limitingfactorisdepth. 

A rocky hottom can cause point 

loading and damage the bridges. 

Bridges may sink into a clay or silt 

bottom, lowering their surfaces 

below the crossing vehicles' fording 

depth. Bottom suction may render 

bridges unrecoverable. Extensive 

shore preparation is needed when 

banks are steep or high. Bridges 

must he retrievable from the near 

shore. 

All this means that a thorough 

reconnaissance must be conducted. 

The division engineer and maneuver 

commander must ensure the benefits 

outweigh the risks. AVLR crews 

must train on land to perfect the 

overlappingtechniques. Clearly, the 

use of this assault ford is heavily 

dependent on METT-'P. 

Rut like all specialized tools, the 

hasty AVLB overlapping assault 

ford can be the perfect instrumentin 

the right circumstances-it can let 

the maneuver force commander exploit enemy weakness. 

CPTJohn Rivenburgh is a Senior 

Team Leader in EOAC Division of 

the Engineer School. He has also 

served as Commander, E Company, 

2d Engineer Battalion; and Project 

Engineer, Albuquerque District, 

COE. CPT Rivenburgh holds a BS 

in Civil Engineering from Clarkson 

University, an MS in Civil Engineering from the Uniuersity of 

Connecticut, andis a registeredprofessional engineer in Virginia. 
Royal Engineers' Postwar 

Cleanup in the Falklands 

by LTC Michael H. H. Brooke, RE 

"When the bullets stop, 

there will be a cry for Engineers to get the situation 

back on its feet. Move your Squadron 

by sea to the South Atlantic, and he 

prepared to fight if necessary. Your 

tasks are-

* Reopen Stanley Airfield. 

Clear mines/explosives. " 

Restore water supply and essen. 

tial services to Port Stanley. 

Construct company base camps 

for the infantry guard force." 

Mobilizing 

Such were the orders I received 

just 10days before3 Fieldsquadron 

sailed for the Falkland Islands on 

June 19, 1982. My first job was to 

prepare the squadron to meet the 

chilllenge. 

The Squadron had recently returned from a construction project 

in Kenya, so we were well organized 

for deployment. Our tradesmen's 

skills in electrical work and carpentry were at their best. 

We had little knowledge, however, 

of the Aluminum Mat Grade 2 (AM2) of which Stanley Airfield's main 

runway would hr rehuilt, and no 

expertise whatevrr in constructing 

Portakahins and Pakaway 

Buildings (portable prefabricated 

quarters and storage facilities), or 

operating rock drills and rock 

crushers. These gaps in training 

would have to be closed quickly. 

Key personnel needed immediate 

training, particularly on the unfamiliar commercial equipment that 

we would be using. I dispatched 

Squadron Officers. NCOs, and 

Sappers to all thecivilian firms who 

would supply our equipment. Each 

was responsible for returning to the 

squadron with operating knowledge 

of a system, and the ability to pass it 

on to the troops who would use it. 

Our primary challenge was AM-2 

airfieldmat training- we could only 

do this in the United States. The 

morning after I received our orders, 

my Troop Staff Sergeants (F.7 

Platoon Sergeant equivalent) were 

with me at Heathrow Airport. on 

their way to the U.S. Marine Corps' 

Kogue Field, Cherry Point, NC. If 

the squadron's NCOs could gain 

proficiency in laying AM-2. I 

thought we had a good chance of 

success. After 4 days of intensive 

training at Bogue Field, the men 

were ready to train the rest of the 

squadron. 

Meanwhile in the United 

Kingdom, the squadron began to 

preparc forthe possibility of combat. 

All ranks reclassified on their personill weapons, and found ways to 

increase our potential firepower.The 

.5-inch Rrowning machine guns 

were taken out of our Ferret Scout 

Cars, which wouldn't be going with 

us to the South Atlantic. 

By the time the NCO contingent 

returned from the United States, 

preparations were reasonahly well 

in hand. The Quartermaster (QM) 

had uhtained the necessary stores 

and engineer equipment. The 

squadron had been augmented with 

additional technical specialists in 

construction trades, power generation, and quality control. Squadron 

personnel were completing their 

private arrangements for leaving 

the country. 

The Squadron sailed from 

Southampton on the appointed day, 

hound for theFalkland Islands 8,000 

miles away. The precious :I weeks of 

transit time was spent in weapons 

training, physical training, and 

familiarization with AM-2. 

A complex job 

We arrived in Port Stanley on a 

wintry July 11. Initially, there was 

no accommodation ashore. This 

meant commuting daily by small 

boat, in weather that was potentially 

ferociousandalways unpredictahle. 

Gradually, however, we established 

a Squadron EiQ in the Falkland 

Islands Defense Force Drill Hall, 

which had been used by the Argentinians during their occupation of 

the islands. 

The aftermath i~fconflict was 

everywhere evident. Ten thousand 

Argentine prisoners nf war, some of 

them ill or injured, had not yet all 

hcen rcpntriatcd. Wc were not able 

to sheller them, hut we managed to 

provide them food, water, and medical assistance until British hospital 

ships hegan to transport them hack 

to the mainland ahout 10days later. 

Parts of Port Stanley and its 

environs were infested with land 

mines and booby traps. Water was 

scarce, since the town's main 

pumping station had bcen hit by 

artillery fire. Darnaged ships 

staggered in the harbor, their 

supplies and munitions waiting to 

be unloaded or scuttled. 

Restoring Port Stanley 

Our most urgent task was to 

restore basic utilities. A militury 

water point was substituted for the 

damaged main pumping station. 

Though we had almost no spares for 

the pumping engines, our Sappers 

soon managed to hring production 

to the million-gallon mark. 

Meanwhile, the town of Port 

Stanley was systematically cleared 

of mincs and hoohy traps. Sappers 

trained for operations in Northern 

Ireland conducted the search, 

dividing the town into small grids 

and painstakingly combing each 

square for hoohy traps and mines. 

Rebuilding Stanley Airfield 

With 50 Field Squadron, we set 

aboutone~~fourprimnryobjectives-
Hundred mph winds can roll light-weight aluminum airfield mat 

into a giant tortilla. Panels, visible at edges. are 10 feet by 1 foot 

and weigh 80 pounds each. 

rebuilding Stanley Airfield. Initiiills. we had expccted the airfield 

to be pitted with deep craters after 

the Royal Air Force bombing raids 

by Vulcan hombers. It proved, how^ 

ever, that all hut two craters had 

been illusions. The Argentinians 

had used large irregularly shaped 

sheets of vinyl to create a pattern 

that-from the air-looked like 

cratering on the runway surfaces. 

These "craters" were simply moved 

aside when Argentine aircraft were 

about to land. 

Even though the job to be done 

proved less lleroic than wc at first 

believed, we found it Herculean 

enough. Grading theairfield surface 

and filling the craters to strict 

quality control specifications 

required full support of quarrying 

and rock.crushing operations, with 

which the squadron was not 

familiar. Clcarly, this aspect of 

engineer support is a critical element 

in many repair and rehabilitation 

johs. I carried away the conviction 

that cleanup units must he fully 

prepared to carry out and support 

quarrying and rock-crushing operations-otherwise the effectiveness of 

the mission will be impaired. 

The goal at Port Stanley was to 

improve the airfield surface so that 

it rould accept Phantom F-5fighters, 

thus releasing the aircraft carrier 

Invincible from her standoff 

station. Because the strip was too 

short for high-speed fighter aircraft, 

we also installed runn7ay hydraulic 

arrestor gear. Day and night, rain 

and storm, theSappers labored, and 

it was a sweet moment to watch the 

first jet land safely. 

Hut there was lit,tle time for celebration. Soon after the cornmissioned offirers had moved on to 

supervise other construction opera^ 

tions, the light-weight aluminum 

airfield mat at Port San Carlos, 

specifically designed for Harrier 

Operations, aas attacked hy ferocious 100-mile-an-hour winds and 

torn away from its moorings. The 

junior NCOs who had heen left in 

charge of this forward operating 

base did a superb job of supervising 

the repairs, which were completedin 

just 3 days. 

Constructing the garrison 

When we left50 Field Squadron to 

continue expanding the airfield,we 

turned our attention to camp construction across the islands for the 

Battalion Guard Force. Our first job 

was to unload several ships, a task 

made difficult by lack of suitable 

lighterageand stevedoreexperience. 

However, engineers have always 

been an adaptable breed, and we 

managed our job with ingenuity, 

inventiveness-and cooperation 

with the port squadron. 

Where there had been grassy 

areas, Portakabinsbegan sprouting 

from theearth. Each cabin provided 

accommodation for 10 soldiers. 

Again, high winds quickly ripped 

the first cabins from their foundations, but engineers stabilized and 

provided floor-level insulation for 

the buildings by stacking sandbags 

attheground line andliterally tying 

the Portakabins down with guy 

wires attached with Spanish windlasses. Thesarne technique was used 

to secure the portable lavatories. 

The camps were constructed by 

field troops operating more or less 

independently. Thc Squadron's 

junior leadership flexed its muscles 

unsupervised, providing housing for 

agarrisnn guard forceof l'hinfantry 

battalions, 2 artillery batteries, and 

elements of the RAF. These facilities 
Portakabin kits arc designed for rapid insti~lli~(ion. Here, soldiers 

steady side panels which drop out of thc ~.oof..4sscmhly can be 

completed in less than a half hour. 

were expected to last for up to 5 

years. 

An unexpected duty 

The Squadron u*as also called 

upon to build a permanent cemetery 

for thoseof our dead whoserelatives 

had decided they should rest where 

they fell in action. These 14, 

including LTC H. Jones, VC, OBE, 

who had gallantly commanded 

ZBattalion, thcParachnteRegiment 

at Goose Green, had hern temporarily buried at Ajnx Ray. Sappers 

from 3 Squadron dug new graves at 

Rlue Beach, where the first Rritish 

Task Force landings had occurred 

some 5 months earlier. The Sappers 

had the honor of acting as hearers 

when Mr. .John Knott, then 

Secretary of State for Defense, presided over the burial ceremony 

during his hrief visit to the islands. 

Lessons learned 

Six months after our arrival, we 

embarked for home knowing that, 

we had met the mission's challenge. 

In less than 2 weeks, we had prepared ourselves for a number of 

unfamiliar engineering tasks. We 

hadmohilized, upgraded our combat 

readiness, and assimilated needed 

expert personnel. Dispatching our 

NCOs to sources of expertise for 

immediateinformation and training 

had been critical to our success in 

carryingout ourjoh after wearrived. 

The traditional engineer virtues 

of flexibility and initiativeserved us 

well when we encountered the 

Falklands' hostile weather conditions and serious resource deficiences. The trials we met taught 

us-and should remind all those who 

must he prepared to mobilize to 

remote and unfamiliar terrain-that 

small wars operations will inevitably present a set of difficulties 

which no unit can anticipate. 

As we worked with limited per^ 

sonnel and long supply lines, me 

abandoned the intensive micromanagementwe are sooften tempted 

to practice in peacetime. Our NCOs 

proved that they could accomplish 

massive tasks at short warning 

without constant oversight hy 

officers. In sum, theingredients key 

to our success were-

* Kecp the unit's administration 

on the hall. If the admin's right, 

the job will he right. 

Think clearly:make asimpleplan 

hutremain flexible. The situation 

on the ground will always surprise you. 

.Trust your subordinates. Allow 

troop commanders to use their 

initiative to get on with the job. 

Train hard, even if time is short. 

Training pays. 

LTC Michael H. H. tlrooh~,RE, 

was commissioned in the Royal 

MarinesinJanuary 1967,andserued 

in Singapore and at the Commando 

Training Center. He transferred to 

theRuyalEngineers in 1972and has 

seen srruice in West germ an^. 

Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Krnya. 

and thc Falklnnd Zslanrls. LTC 

Brooke was fhc British Exchange 

Officer at Fort Belooir from 1985 to 

1987, ser~iing with USAES, 

Department of Military Engine~rin.g,as Chief, Combat opera^ 

tions Diuision. 
Military Pipeline 


Operations 


by CPT Robert W. Metz 

AirLand Battle runs on 

tracks, rolls on wheels, flies 

on wings-and feeds on 

petroleum. How much POL can 

major conflict eat? In World War :I, 

half the logistical tonnages were 

petroleum products. Field armies 

and tactical air forces consumed3 to 

8 hundred thousand gallons of fuel 

per day. 

To feed the need, Army engineers 

laid over 3 thousand miles of military petroleum pipelines in Europe, 

along the Mediterranean, and 

through China-Burma-India. 

In Vietnam and Korea, petroleum's share of logistical tonnages 

rose to over 60 percent. It is likely 

that POI, will become even more 

vital in the future. 

These precious supplies can't be 

unloaded and picked up in rear 

areas. Fuel and fuel products must 

go where the soldier goes-as far 

forward as the tactical situation 

dictates. 

Engineer, Quartermaster, and 

Transportation units cooperate to 

provide bulk petroleum distribution 

systems. They see that supplies 

move smoothly from ships to armies 

by road, rail, air, inland waterway, 

and above all, by pipeline. 

Why pipelines? 

Pipelines are relatively timeconsuming to build and susceptible 

to enemy disruption. In Vietnam, 

the enemy was able to cause losses 

of over 2.5 million gallonsof fuel per 

month. Slow construction rates may 

also mean that pipelines lag behind 

the rate of combat advance, making 

fuel supply to forward units 

uncertain. 

Despite these disadvantages, 

pipelines remain the most efficient 

way to distribute bulk petroleum. 

They allow acontinuousflowof fuel, 

whatever the weather and terrain. 

They also keep road and rail networks open for materiel that cannot 

be moved in any other way. 

Who runs the system? 

Within the theater of operations, 

several branches of the Army support petroleum distribution. The 

Quartermaster Petroleum Group 

executes the bulk fuel distribution 

mission. Assigned directly to the 

Theater Army, thegroupworks with 

the Theater Army Materiel 

Management Center and host nation 

staffs to develop a petroleum distribution plan. This plan is the basis 

for designing, building, and operating the system, which the petroleum group and its subordinateunits 

then operate and maintain. 

Who builds the pipelines? 

A combat heavy engineer battalion usually builds the distribution 

system. The battalion prepares sites 

and builds bulk storage, pump stations, fuel jetties, and other related 

pipeline facilities. A pipeline platoon 

element from a pipeline construction 

support company often performs 

part of the construction. 

The pipeline construction support 

companies rarely operate independently. They usually provide technicians and specialized equipment 

to help engineer battalions with 

construction, rehabilitation, and 

repairs. These companies are the 

inland pipeline experts. 

Engineer port construction companies provideexpertise for offshore 

petroleum facilities. These companies can lay offshore assault hose 

lines and submarine pipelines, and 

build POI, jetties and tanker discharge facilities. Radiographic 

welding teams and diving teams 

may be attached to thesecompanies. 

The teams can test, inspect, and 

repair pipelines and POL jetties. 

How is the system designed? 

Theater pipeline systems are designed to he easy to construct, yet 

meet fuel needs in the theater. The 

designer must consider the design 

fuel (the heaviest fuel the line will 

carry), the mean low temperature in 

the area, the flow rate needed to 

meet fuel requirements, and the 

number and typeof pipeline facilities 

available in the theater. 

The engineer officer designs the 

line in modular form for each of the 

three types of lines in the system: 

the booster line, the feeder line, and 

the main line. Quartermaster Corps 

handles assault pipelines at the dispensing end of the system. 

The booster line transports fuel 
BOOSTER FEEDER ASSAULT 

-LINE- +LINE+ MAIN LINE-.+LINE* 

BOOSTER 


LINE 


FEEDER 


LINE 


MAIN 


LINE 


ASSAULT 


LINE 


PURPOSE 

Takes fuel from 

tanker to base terminal tank farm 

Primes 1st mainline pump station 

Majority of 

pipeline 

Dispenses fuel at 

receiving end of 

pipeline 

Station No. 1 

RESPONSIBILITY 

Engineer Co (PC) 


ACB 


Engr Bn (CH) 


Engr Bn (CH) 


Pipeline CO 


Engr Bn (CH) 

with Pipeline 

Company 

QM 

MAIN COMPONENTS 

Submarine pipeline (undeveloped 

Theater) 

Docktng facility 

Booster pump station (if required) 

API steel pipe 

API steel pipe 

Feeder pump statton 

Lightweight tubing (LWT) 

API steel pipe (~frequired) 

Main-line pump stations 

Collaps~ble hoseline 

Assault pumps 

Schematic design for POL pipeline port facilities 

from the offshore tanker to the first 

or base terminal tank farm. The 

design of this line depends upon the 

developmental stage of the theater. 

In an immature theater, asubmarine 

pipeline may be needed to discharge 

the fuel, while in a developed theater, 

a pier facility may be available for 

direct shoreside discharge. In this 

line, the design is based upon the 

flow rate required to unload a tanker, 

as well as the design fuel and 

temperature. 

A feeder line, usually from % to 1 

mile long, may be needed to transport fuel to the first main-line pump 

station. This line's flow rate depends 

upon the fuelrequirements upstream 

and the operating hours of the feeder 

pump station. The feeder pump 

station will provide the priming 

pressure needed to operate the first 

main-line pump station. 

The longest and the most time 

consuming line to construct is the 

main line, which may cover hundredsof miles. Themain line has the 

same flow rate as the feederline, but 

is constructed of a lighter weight 

steel tubing becauseofthedistances 

it must cross. 

The engineer must understand the 

design parameters of these three 

lines, as well as all other related 

storage and supporting facilities 

addressed in the Army Facilities 

Components System. With this 

knowledge, and an understanding 

of the basics of fluid flow, he can 

design a pipeline system that supplies fuel throughout the theater. 

What's new in 

military pipelines? 

New developments continue to 

increase the effectiveness of the 

military pipeline system. The Joint 

Chiefs of Staff contingency plans 

require rapid delivery of bulk petroleum in the theater. Construction 

rates of up to25 miles of pipeline per 
day are needed iftheserequirements 

are to be met. 

To meet the demand for speed, 

several systems are being developed. 

The AutomatedPipeline Equipment 

System's truck-mounted hopper 

feeds pipe into a joiner-it can connect over 1thousand feet of pipe in 

minutes. The Army is also moving 

to a lighter-weight aluminum pipe 

that will decrease the rateofmanual 

construction by more than half. 

For gap crossings, where the 

threat of leaks is most critical, the 

Army has developed the Pipeline 

Outfit Petroleum(P0P)System. The 

POP System can swedge pipe together, creating a tighter bond over 

the gap. 

These systems can reduce construction time and enhance the reliability of future distribution systems, meeting the needs ofthe highly 

mobile AirLand Rattle. 

Military pipeline systems are the 

key to the bulk petroleum supply. 

They can effectively distribute fuel 

to mechanized forces, enabling them 

to maintain the offensivein AirLand 

Battle. 

Engineer support to petroleum 

supply is designed to be an effective 

combination of both general and 

specialized skills. Engineers make a 

critical contribution to designingan 

efficient system that can be constructed swiftly. The all-round 

capabilities of the combat heavy 

engineer battalions are combined 

with the highly developed skills of 

small, specialized units to build the 

pipeline. This pairing of resources 

minimizes duplication of low density 

skills, yet provides the manpower 

and equipment nceded to perform 

the mission. The effectiveness of the 

operation is ensured by intensively 

training engineer units in both the 

Active and Reserve components. 

Through management, training, 

and modernization, engineers have 

ensured that their part in the 

petroleum pipeline supply mission 

will be successfully accomplished. 

Maneuver commanders can be sure 

they'll get the fuel they need to win 

the Airland Battle. 

CPT Robert W. Metz is currently 

an instructor in Structures and Utilities Branch. Department ofMilitary 

Engineering, U.S. Army Engineer 

School. He has also served with the 

497th Engineer Company (Port 

Construction) at Fort Eustis, 

Virginia. CPTMetzisa1982 USMA 

graduate and a graduate of EOBC 

and EOAC. He is co~npleting a 

Master's degree in engineering 

administration at George Washington University. 

~n~ineer Problem 

You are an assistant 5-3 (civil engineerlfor a combat heavy battalion. 

Proper design and construction of a subsurface drain. 2,000 meters 

long, IS essential for the accomplishment of your unit's mission. 

Available subsurface drainpipe-perforated, 24-inch corrugated metal 

plpe (CMP) with hole diameters of 3/s inch-is adequate for your use. 

Your materials quality specialist (MQS) obtains the following data 

from sieve and hydrometer analyses of the soil at the site of the 

proposed drain: 

Sire % Passing Sire % Passing 

Win 100 U80 50 

'A in 98.5 #lo0 46.5 

#4 97 #ZOO 32.5 

#lo 89 0.04 mm 22 

#20 78 0.02 mm 11 

#40 67 0.01 mm 3 

U50 60 

All of the grains of this soil pass through the pcpe perforations, so you 

know that the drain needs a filter. 

>,--- < ...::? Replaced local soil 

The battalion 5-2 locates a more coarse-grained soil at another slte. 

He estimates the quantity of soil to be 1.750 bank cubic yards (BCYI. 

Your MQS analyzes the soil as a possible filter for the drain. He 

determinesSize % Passing Size % Passing 

1 '1, in 95 #50 18 

U in 90 #80 13.5 

3h in 83.5 U1 00 12.5 

% ~n 77 #200 8 

U4 72 0.04 mm 5.5 

#10 47.5 0.02 mm 3.5 

#20 30 0.01 mm 1.5 

#40 22 

Questions to Answer 

1. Is the more coarse-grained soil suitable as a filter for the drain? 

2. If it is su~tableand the S-Z'sestrmate is correct, is thereenoughfilter 

soil to construct the drain? 

. 

Tiger Island rises 2,500 feet 

above the Gulf of Fonseca, 

just off the Pacific coast of 

Honduras. The steep slopes of the 

island's extinct volcano are littered 

with reminders of a fiery past. 

Amapala, the only settlement, is a 

shadowy ghost town-though in a 

past life it was a lively port. On this 

forgotten island, the soldiers of 

Bravo Company, 52d Engineer 

Battalion (Combat Heavy), huilt a 

pipeline from a well at the base of 

Tiger Island to a storage tank at its 

summit. Our goal-to provide water 

for personnel stationed there. 

Our ohjective was simple-our 

task difficult. There was no electrical 

power at the well site. Rough terrain 

made it impossible to build pump 

stations along the pipeline route. 

Parts of the design for the system 

were beyond the normal capability 

of the battalion's construction staff. 

Reconnaissance 

A map reconnaissance yielded two 

route options: the first went along a 

road that wound 2'Yi miles up the 

mountain's southwestern slope, the 

second climbed straight up the 

western side of theisland. We sent a 

small site reconnaissanre and survey team toTiger Island to study the 

terrain and to locate a centerline for 

the project. 

The team discovered immediately 

that the island's primitive environment would make construction a 

challenge. Thick vegetation on the 

upper slopes made the mountain a 

hooded monster; the lower slopes 

were covered with cornfields and 

open spaces that belonged to local 

farmers. The "road," nothing more 

than a donkey trail, offered neither 

access for construction nor reduced 

grade. The straight route up the 

mountainside would he best for the 

pipeline, we decided. 

Omaha District, Corps of 

Engineers, helps with project 

design 

Shortly after returning from the 

site visit, we contacted the Omaha 

District, Corps of Engineers. We 

explained what we had seen on our 

reconnaissance and our idea of how 

the mission might be accomplished. 

The partnership we developed 

with the Omaha District project 

design team was critical to our success. Deployment training exercise 

project designs are normally carried 

out by the unit tasked with the mission or hy the staff at Palmerola Air 

Base on the Honduran mainland. 

The complexity of this project required expert technical assistance 

which only the Corps could provide. 

Our joint effort to design and construct the pipeline yielded lasting 

benefits to both organizations. 

By mid-February, the scope of the 

pipeline project had become apparent. Just to move water, the system 

needed an electrical supply system, 

an electromechanical control system, and hydraulic components. 

Terrain along the project site did not 

allow access for construction or 

maintenance. Multiple pumping 

facilities would greatly increase the 

required construction effort and also 

the potential for futuremaintenance 

problems. Therefore, a single pump 

station near the well site would be 

the best choice. Theconsequences of 

this design decision were un. 

nerving-the static pressure head in 

our pipeline would be in excess of a 

thousand pounds per square inch. 

The design team, now consisting 

of engineers from the hydraulic, 

electrical, mechanicill, and structural areas, faced equally perplexing 

design problems. Our power source 

was over a mile away from the well 

site; therefore, an electrical distribu~ 

tion system was required. 

Three-phase motors were the optimal choice because of their cooler 

operating temperature and longer 

life. These motors dictated the type 

of power we had to bring to the site. 

Two options were available-a high 

voltage system that used 2-gage 

conductors or a low voltage system 

incorporating 500 MCM conductors. 

The lighter weight of 2-gage con^ 

ductors made a high-voltage distribution system the logical choice. 

A control system was needed to 
(Iperate the and to 

Or indicate component We 

designed a system thatcould provide 

information on pump and motor 

status, prevent pumpcavitation due 

to low water conditions, and remotely the pumping 

Getting supplies-getting there 

Getting materials was our next 

obstacle. Construction materials for 

deployment training exercise projects are purchased locally in Central 

America. Most arrangements are 

madethrough thecontractingofficer 

at Palmerola. Our design efforts had 

produced a viable hill of materials, 

hut what we needed to carry out the 

mission wasnot availableanywhere 

in Honduras. We had to bring it 

from the United States. The responsibility for that task fell to the62d's 

staff. 

It took 3months to write specifications, produce the necessary purchase documents, secure funds from 

USSOUTHCOM, obtain, and prepare nearly $100,000 worth of constructionmaterialsforshipment. We 

needed help from theOmaha District 

in preparing the specifications for 

everything from steel pipe to microprocessor control systems. 

Transporting soldiers, materials, 

and equipment from Fort Carson to 

Tiger Island was an enormous endeavor. With careful airload planI'V'I' William W:~lsh and SGT Edward Harris mix and place the 

pump station foundation. The trough shown served as the mixer 

for the entire placement. The white pipe protruding on the right 

temporarily protected the well from being contaminated or 

accidentally sealed. 

ning, we managed to move the 50 

tons of mission-essential materials 

on two C-141B Starlifters. 

Thematerials and equipmentwere 

trucked fromPalmerola to thesmall 

seacoast village of Coyolito. To our 

dismay,as materials were off-loaded 

in Coyolito, several 700-pound reels 

of cable rolled off a truck bed and 

crashed to the ground. Crates that 

had been specially constructed to 

store 21-foot sections of steel pipe 

were reduced to splinters, and pipe 

was scattered about the ground. 

Fortunately, no construction 

materials were damaged, and we 

managed to salvageenough packing 

material to take us over the next leg 

of our journey. 

In Coyolito, our materials and 

equipment were loaded aboard an 

old bargeoperated by the Honduran 

Navy. Wecould only do this at high 

tide, when the barge could move 

closeenough to the pierto beloaded. 

Even then, the motion of the barge 

and the narrow gangways proved 

tricky forourbackhoeoperator,who 

narrowly missed a tripintothedrink 

when a plank broke under him. 

Our troubles weren't over yet-as 

the barge neared the pier at 

Amapala, it ran aground. We rocked 

all night in the shallow water, 

waiting for the rising tide to free us. 

Townspeople lined the shore, 

curiously wondering what the 

American soldiers were trying to do. 

Building the system 

The first job on Tiger Island was 

to move materials to the work sites. 

Over the next 2 weeks, we flew about 

a third of our supplies to the top of 

the island in a Chinook helicopter. 

The remainder were stockpiled and 

secured at the pump station site. 

Layingpipe.Placing and connecting the pipe proved to be the most 

demanding task of the entire mission. The project centerline, which 

had been surveyed and cleared only 

3 months before by the reconnaissance team, was completely overgrown withvegetation. With the aid 

of a native farmer we reestablished 

the centerline, working for several 

days to reclear the route before any 

pipe could be moved into place. 

Every available soldier worked for 

3 weeks to place over 6,000 feet of 

pipeon the treacherous slopes of the 
laborers spent 2 weeks in burying 

the cable. The rugged terrain made 

it impossible to dig in several places; 

instead, 7,000 sandbags covered the 

exposed sections. 

Splicing the cable was a difficult 

task in the tropical environment. 

The cable had to be surgically clean 

and dry. The splices had to be made 

with extreme care, and each one 

tested for capacity to carry the high 

voltage for which the system was 

designed. This task, which included 

carrying heavy test equipment up 

and down the mountain, took 2 

weeks. It was thelast major activity 

necessary to complete the project. 

Preparing the well site. Construction at the well site went on for 

the duration of the 2-month project. 

First, we removed the well pipe and 

submerged well pump thathad been 

placed 2 years earlier. Extreme care 

had to be taken not to damage the 

wellcasing or drop the pipe. We then 

constructed a 15.foot-square concrete 

pad and foundation on which the 

pump house structure, pumps, 

motors, fittings, and controls would 

stand. There was no ready mix concrete, so we mixed by hand, using 

the 1:2:3 mix design method. Over 

the cured foundation, we erected a 

prefabricated metal building. 

Our plumbers and electricians 

installed pumps, motors, interior 

electrical components, and the control system. At the same time, a 

second crew constructed an 8-footsquare structure at the summit to 

house an additional pump and the 

master control panel. At first, the 

control system did not operate 

properly. Apparently, one of the 

printed circuit boards in the control 

panels had been damaged during 

transport or installation. After 

several consultations with the 

manufacturer, we installed new 

hoards, and the system began to 

function properly. 

Lessons learned 

Constructing this pipeline and 

CPL Todd Browning, CPL Dennis Fitzpatrick, SSG James Dixon, 

and PVT Joseph Lininger begin to lower the submersible well 

pump and motor into the well casing; they lowered the apparatus 

80 feet by hand. 

mountain. Each section was moved ingtheelectricaldistributionsystem 

and placed by hand, using human also proved to heachallenge. On our 

chains to pass the 70-pound lengths initial site reconnaissance, we 

to their designated locations. learned that the local farmers burn 

Coupling the pipe was a simple their cornfields twice a year to conprocess. We used Victualic (' cou- trol pests and remove undergrowth. pumping system was a challenge to 

plings and fittings, which allow 

about 3 degrees of flexibility in all 

directions at the point of coupling. 

The entire system was surface laid, 

so thecouplings had to be flexihleon 

varying terrain. 

Layingelectrical system. InstallObviously,theelectricalsystemhad 


to be buried, or the first burn would 

destroy it. First, allcable wassurface 

laid by hand and spliced by highvoltage exterior electricians from 

Alpha Company. After the entire 

cablelength wasin place, 60 contract 

the soldiers and leaders charged 

with the mission. Often, four or five 

separate construction projects would 

he going on in different places, as 

the project spread for a mile up and 

down the mountain. Continuous 

coordination was essential to 
accomplish many tasks because 

each was dependent upon others. 

The ability, experience, and skill 

of the NCOs assigned to the project, 

as well as the determination and 

initiative of every soldier, were 

paramount in the success of this 

mission. We learned a great deal 

about ourselves, construction, and 

working in foreign environments. 

'I'he Deployment Training Exercise 

program provided, without a doubt, 

the best individual and collective 

training available to engineer 

soldiers. 

We learned several important 

points during this project that are 

worth sharing: 

First, there is no substitute for 

well-conditioned soldiers. The engineer soldier must be physically and 

mentally conditioned to cope with 

the hardships that must he endured 

in adverse environments. 

S~cond,both officers and NCOs 

mustbeable to understand thescope 

of the mission before they can carry 

out the subtasks so as to ensure the 

mission's success. Engineer leaders 

must give mission orders and allow 

subordinates to be ingenious and 

creative in their work. 

Finally, units working on teclinically complex projects can benefit 

from th~expertise and experienceof 

members of the area and district 

Corps of Engineers offices to ensure 

the successful design, planning and 

execution of the mission. Engineers 

who understand the entire system, 

each subsystem, and the interfaces 

among them, must be an integral 

part ofthedesign and system start-up 

process. 

Raising a pipeline to the top of a 

2,500-foot mountain may have been 

a tough job-but planning, cooperarion, and the perseveranceand dedication of engineer snldiers proved 

again that we engineers rarely find 

any job impossible. 

CPT Jim Balocki is currently 

assigned to the 5Zd Engineer 

Battalion (Combat Heavy), serving 

as the CiuilEngineer. He holds a BS 

drgree from the University of 

Washington, and an MS from USC 

and is a registered professional 

engineer in Virginia. 

ILTMichael Malsom is currently 

a, platoon leader with the 52d Engineer Battalion. He is a graduate of 

Oregon State Uniuersity and OCS. 

~n~ineer
 Solution - Solution to Question #1 

The data from the in-situ so11 yield a grain size distribution graph Ion 

DD Form 12071 from whtch you find these critical soil sizes: 

D(85)= 1.46 mm; D(50) = 0.17 mm; D(15) = 0.026 mm 

The data from the proposed filter soil yield a grain size distr~bution 

graph from which you determine these critical soil sizes: 

D(85)- 10.7 mm; D(501 = 2.1 rnm; D(15) = 0.2 mm 

a. Determine whether fllter soil is unable to wash through the CMP 

perforations: 

O(85, f~lter)/hole diameter = 10.7 mm/9.5 mm = 1.1 > 1.0 

Answer: Yes. 

b. Determine whether in-sit" soil is unable to wash through the filter: 

O(15. filter)/D(85. so111 = 0.2 mm/l 46 mm = 0.14 <5, and 

D(50, filterl/D(50. soil) = 21 mm/O.17 mm = 12.4<25 

Answer: Yes. 

c. Determine whether there is sufficient permeab~l!ty in the filter for 

free water to reach the plpe: 

O(15. filter)/D(l5,so1l) = 0.2 mm/0.026 mm = 7.7 >5 

Answer: Yes, the proposed filter soil is acceptable. 

Solution to Question #2 

The thickness of filter material should be a mlnlmum of 6 inches 

around the c~rcumference of the drainpipe: 

\rea 

The 

fllter 

Area 

cross-sect~onal 

3 

enclosed 

mater~als 

ft x 

def~ned 

3 ft -

by 

1s 

(a/4)

the 

calculated 

by 

area 

the 

perimeter 

x (2 

24 

of 

ft)2 

the 

Inch 

as- 

= 5 

of 

CMP 

86 

the 

6 

SF 

f~lter 

in 

= Jm

The volume of the filter material (well-compacted around the 


dra~np~pe)
 is the product of its cross-sectional area and its length: 

2,000 m x 3.28 ft/m x 5.86 SF = 38,400 CCF 

Since 27 CCF = 1 CCY, 38,400 CCF = 1,420 CCY 

Cons~dering losses of fllter so11 dur~ng load~ng, haul~ng. and 


placement, one should add a reasonable waste factor A value of 10 


percent of the volume ~sasensiblefactor,sothe project WIII require 1 1 


x 1 420 CCY = 1,560 CCY of f~lter so11 


The S-2's estlmate was for in-place sol1 To convert the compacted 


volume of fllter so11 to in-place volume. mult~ply 1 05 x 1,560 CCY = 


1 640 8CY 


Answer: You haveenough filter soil to properlyconstruct the drain. 

Reference: Chapter 4, FM 5-541. Mtlirary Soils Engineering, May 


1986 


Problem submiired by MAJ Randy Rapp. Sraff Officer. HQDA. 


ODCSOPS. Force Development Direcrorare. 

Armywell I- Drillers


in the -,.. e -.a .*-. 

,i 

.... 

by LTC Bruce A. Malson and CPT David 0. Carberry 

X The Quartermaster Corps 

can transform foul muck 

into potable water. But 

surface water must be available 

before Quartermaster Corps personnel can go to work, and many areas 

have none. Desert operations, for 

example, require massive logistical 

support if water has to be brought in 

by pipeline or other means. The best 

option is to find water in the area of 

operations-often, well drilling is 

the right solution. Today's Army 

can put completely-equipped welldrilling teams on the ground wherever and whenever they are needed. 

Reorganizing for rapid 

deployment 

A focussed organization for well 

drillers has been reactivated in the 

Army after a post-Vietnam hiatus in 

service. Three of its active welldrilling detachments originated 

after 1980 and were assigned to the 

548th Engineer Battalion (Combat 

Heavy) and Fort Bragg in June of 

1985. The 6th Detachment is based 

in Panama. 

The 22d Detachment originated at 

Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in January 1981. The 38th Detachment 

originated at Fort Riley, Kansas, in 

December 1983. The 865th Detachment originated at White Sands 

Missile Range, New Mexico, in 

October 1982. After attending 

several schools, including the Navy 

Well Drilling School, these units 

deployed to sites in the Continental 

United States and in Honduras, 

where they successfully completed 

numerous wells. 

The Army drillers then consolidated at Fort Bragg to train and 

deploy. The past 15 months have 

witnesseddeployments to four states 

and two continents. The result has 

been improved technical skills and 

ability to sustain operations. The 

Army's goal is to have three detachments that can deploy independently and sustain well-drilling 

operations for 15 days. The right 

repair parts are the key to sustaining 

operations. Through each training 

event the list of parts is refined. 

Simultaneous deployments to New 

York and Virginia in August 1986 

validated the current repair parts 

over-pack and identified the few 

additions still needed. 

Well-drilling team configuration 

Since joining the 548th Engineer 

Battalion in June 1985, the well 

drillers have lived the battalion 

motto-"our jobsite-the world." 

They areon standby togoanywhere, 

anytime, to drill wells up to 1,500 

feet deep. 

Each detachment is authorized 

five personnel. The central piece of 

equipment is the drilling machine. 

The crew's most critical function is 

maintenance. "We are unique to the 

Army by virtue of our mission and 

equipment. We are our own mechanics. Each man must learn to 

break down every component of the 

drilling rig and rebuild it. Often 

isolated whiledoing ourjob, we must 

rely on ourselves," says SFCWesley 

Turner, NCOIC. 

The well drillers are organized 

into a platoon of three detachments. 

The platoon leader or sergeant 

accompanies a detachment on de- 

,,loyment. The detachment leader 

puts his crew to work conducting the 

actual drilling operations while the 

platoon sergeant or leader coordinates the mission. 
How does the work really go? In a 

recent deployment to Fort Drum, "It 

became obvious that we would need 

additional bearings for the drill 

rotary table during a maintenance 

break. 1LT Sullivan was able to 

obtain them in one day while we 

carefully sustained the drilling, so 

no time was lost," explains SSG 

Dennis Huff, NCOIC of the 38th. 

"The detachment leader is the technical expert, the man who makes it 

happen. I keep him properly 

resourced and the wells go in,"added 

1LT Tim Sullivan, platoon leader. 

Well-drilling operations 

The unit's first action on site is to 

dig mud pits-two holes measuring 

6 feet long by 4 feet wide and 4 feet 

deep. Mud is produced by combining 

a slurry mix with water. Its purpose 

is to prevent the well fromcollapsing 

during drilling, as well as to bring 

up debris created by the rotating 

drill bit at the well bottom. The 

mud's density is easily adjusted by 

adding more slurry mix or water. 

Next, the soldiers prepare the drill 

rig and attach a drill bit. The size of 

the hit depends on mission requirements andgeological conditions, but 

can be over 10 inches in diameter. 

When drilling begins, the drill rig 

can exert over 5,000 pounds of pressure to force the bit into the earth 

with a rotary action. A powerful 

mud pump pushes mud to thehottom 

of the hole through the drilling 

stems, forcing mud to surge up 

through the hole and then to the 

mud pits where sedimentscan settle 

out. The mud is then cycled back 

through the pump and into the hole 

to repeat the process over and over. 

As drilling proceeds, soldiers take 

samples every 5 feet to record the 

drill's progress. The mud flowing 

out of the hole is strainedforsamples 

of the material that the bit is boring 

through. "This allows us to identify 

the aquifers. When we bring up 

rounded gravel and sand mixtures, 

it is a pretty good bet we have 

reached a water-bearing formation," 

explains SGT Steven Johnston, the 

22d's NCOIC. The first sign that a 

good water source has been reached 

is often a marked reduction in the 

density of the mud. This indicates 

that ground water is diluting the 

mud. 

The full five-man detachment 

works together to establish drilling 

operations. Within 12 hours of 

amving on site, the soldiers are 

operating the rig in round-the-clock 

drilling. Two-man shifts work 12 

hours each. The rig stops only for 

maintenance, which takes up 4 to 6 

hours a day. While two men work, 

the two'or three others perform peripheral support tasks-picking up 

supplies or catching some sleep. 

Because the current organization - is 

so physically demanding for the 

crew, the modification table of 

organization and equipment 

(MTOE) is currently being reviewed 

to consider authorizing nine personnel for each detachment. 

Finishing the well 

An important part of the well 

drillers'mission is finishingthe well. 

Thisincludes emplacing steel casing 

through the depth of the hole-a 

gravel packing around the entire 

length of the steel casing-emplacing the pump and galvanized steel 

pipe to carry the water out of the 

well, and a sanitary cement cap 

around the top of the well. 

First the soldiers ream the 

hole by blowing air through the 

drilling stems. The air rises, 

forcing debris up and out. When the 

hole is relatively free of debris, the 

crew puts casing in the hole. The 

20-foot sections of steel casing include screens that let water into the 

well. Next, the soldiers pack pea 

gravel (:%.inch-diameter gravel), 

around the outside of the casing all 

the way to the bottom. They then set 

the pump within the casing, and 

install a sanitary cement cap around 

the top of the well. Finally, the crew 

adds electrical power with a generator, and the well is ready to produce water. 

The material used to finish wells 

comes from a well-completion kit. 

Kits are currently stocked in Pueblo, 

Colorado, awaitingcontingency missions. Each kit requires six to eight 

tractor-trailer rigs for transportation. Each contains materials 

to finish almost any size well to a 

depth of 1,500 feet. Adjunct equipment includes a 30-kilowatt generator and various size water pumps. 

In theevent of adeployment, this kit 

is shipped to the drilling site. 

Finding water 

Well-drilling engineers are not 

trained to select sites for waterproducing wells. During Bright Star 

85, an Army geologist was responsible for selecting a site location. 

Geological survey maps are used 

when possible, but often the most 

valuable source of information 

proves to be local inhabitants. By 

askingaboutexisting wells and their 

depth, the well drillers have a little 

more to go on. If no information is 

available, well drillers make an 

estimate by studying thelocal geog 

raphy and then recon by drilling. 

Lighter equipment planned 

The future promises new equipment for well drillers. Detachments 

will be refitted in FY 88. The proposed rigs will be capable of drilling 

to 600 feet, and will be transportable 

with '2141 aircraft. This provides a 

significant advantage over current 

models that drill to 1,500-footdepths, 

but require C5A aircraft for 

transport. 

Today and every day, the 22d, 

3Rth, and 865th stand ready to go 

anywhere to perform their mission. 

Their four reserve counterparts are 

also available for well-drilling missions.Thestory of the welldrillersis 

one of increased readiness for arid 

area operations. After 2 years of 

training and deploying from Fort 

Bragg, they can say to the Army: 

We're ready to produce oases on 

order! 

LTCBrucv A. Malson is the deputy 

commander of the 20th Engineer 

Brigade at Fort Bragg, North 

Carolina. He previously commanded 

the 548th Engineer Battalion (Combat Heavy). Before attending CGSC, 

LTC Malson serued in the 237th 

Engineer Battalion in Heilbronn, 

Germany. He is currently completing a PhD at New Yorh 

University. 

CPT Dauid 0. Carberry commands Company A, 548th Engineer 

Battalion. He served as platoon 

leader and company Executiue Offi. 

cer with the 82d Engineer Battalion 

in Ramberg, Germany. He holds a 

BS in mechanical engineering from 

Clarhson Collegeof Technology, and 

is an EOACgraduate. 

24 Engineer 
Water in the desert 


by CPT Michael G. Monnett 

Gone are thedays of "water 

discipline2'when we thought 

soldiers could teach their 

bodies to make do with less water. 

We have learned that soldiers in 

training and combat need plenty of 

water to survive, fight, and win. 

This is particularly true for soldiers operating in hot, arid environments like the one the U.S. 

Central Command (USCENTCOM) 

worked in last summer during 

Gallant Eagle 86. Held in southern 

California in July and August, 

Gallant Eagle 86 gave interservice 

forces an opportunity to deploy, 

conduct, and support sustained joint 

military operations from multiple 

locations in a desert environment. 

Like any other desert operation, 

this exercise had a big thirst. One 

way to get water was to drill wellsbut where should well drillers put 

theirbitsdown in an arid wasteland? 

THE WATER RESOURCES 

SUPPORT TEAM 

Mr Allen DeWall, team leader for 

the Water Resources Support Team, 

Terrain Analysis Center, Engineer 

Topographic Laboratories, Fort 

Belvoir, VA, supplied the answer. 

"We support Army operations by 

sending a research team to find 

areas that have a high probability 

of containing water." 

To carry out that mission, the 

team has a geologist, hydrologist, 

and geophysicist, and is broken 

down into four elements. The data 

haseelement looks at existing water 

resources. The remote sensing element analyzes imagery to determine 

probable water sites. The geophysics 

element provides the main effort at 

the location. The fourth element is 

someone familiar with the local area 

and the language of the natives. 

For Gallant Eagle 86, the team 

deployed to Fort Irwin, CA. Its 

mission: find water for a joint drilling operation by the 425th Engineer Detachment, an Army Reserve 

unit from Dallas, TX, and the 820th 

Civil Engineer Squadron (USAF), 

Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, 

NV. 

Imagery surveyBefore the team deployed, its 

members looked at all available 

imagery-satellite or aerial photos, 

maps, and surveys. "Where there's 
life, there's water," DeWallsaid. "We 

look for drainage patterns, springs, 

anywhere water might go underground." 

In some of these areas the team 

also looks for indications of fault 

lines. Water tends to travel down 

faults, and where they intersect, 

there's a good chance water has 

collected. 

Resistivity testingOnce on the ground, the team goes 

to each likely source of water and 

conducts electrical or magnetic field 

resistivity tests. If thereis water in a 

formation, resistance is lower. Ifthe 

water is salty, it's far lower; if the 

aquiferisdense-clay, forexampleresistivity is higher. 

There are two methods of 

measuring the resistances of strata 

underground. The older method, 

called electrical resistivity, consists 

of sending an electric current 

through the ground and then recording the return, much the same 

way a meter can read the amount of 

current passing through resistors in 

a circuit hoard. 

The other method, Transient EM, 

is rnuch newer. "Instead of generating a current through theground, 

Transient EM creates a magnetic 

field," DeWall said. "When the current thatcreates the field is shut off, 

the field collapses, generating 

another current in its wake. We 

measure that current asit dissipates 

into the ground." 

THF: DRILLING SITE 

At Gallant Eagle, thc team chose 

a closed basin where the water was 

likely to flow in from all sides. They 

felt almost loopercent sureofhitting 

water here, since there were two 

existing wellsin thearea.The water 

they expected to find had collected 

over many years to form an underground lake, or aquifer. 

The process of finding water, 

however, is never a certainty. "All 

we can deal in is probabilities." 

1)cWallcautioned. "Wecan say that 

there's an 80 percent probability 

that a location has water, hut we 

just don't know unless drilling is 

successful." 

To drill and find nothing is not an 

infrequent occurrence. As for the 

team at Gallant Eagle 86 site, the 

Theonly sure way to find out if a formation holds water-drill for it! 

water rising at the desert well was served mith the 82d Airborne Diuiample evidence that their search sion at Fort Rragg, North Carolina, 

techniques could be real thirst and with the 32d Army Air Defense 

quenchers. Command in Germany. He is currently commander of the 13th Public 

CPT Michael G. Monnett was Affairs Detachment, Fort Hood, 

commissioned as an Air Defense Texas. 

Artillery Officer in 1987. He has 
Repairing Historic 


Gold Camp Road 


The worst washouts had eaten 25 feet into the road's 

outer edge; they bottomed out anywhere from 40 to 70 

feet below the road 


by 11.1' Jeffrey P. Lee 

X Five relentless hours of 

summer rain pour 8 inches 

of seething liquid erosion 

onto a crumbling mountain roadcould you repair thedamage quickly 

if that road was a critical line of 

communication? C Company, 52d 

Engineer Rattalion (Cornhat Heavy) 

of Yurt Carson. Colrrrado, found they 

could. 

Seven miles of Gold Camp Road 

had been closed For nearly a year 

after just such a storm. At the request 

of the U.S. Forest Service, C 

Company repaired the damage and 

completed a new drainage system in 

just :iweeks, reopening the road for 

travel in August, 1986. 

Originally built as a standard 

gage railroad in 1901, Gold Camp 

Road hauled the half-billion dollars 

of gold ore mined at Cripple Creek, 

Colorado The 45-mile-long railroad 

ran to Colorado Spr~ngs at a 3.8 

percent grade. It hoasted 9 tunnels 

and S1 trestles. This made it the 

steepest stnndard gage railroadand the most expensive-of its time. 

The railroad also attracted a 

booming tourist business. Its most 

famous rider was Vice President 

Teddy Roosevelt, who called his scenic passage"the trip that hankrupts 

the English language." 

After the Cripple Creek lode played 

out and the train stopped running, a 

Colorado Springs husinessman 

bought the railroad for its tourist 

potential. He tore out the trestles 

The worst washouts had eaten 25 feet into the road's outer edge. 

Engineer 27 
A D-BK dozc.~ huilt ;I pioneer road to gain safe access to thc* hot ton^ 

of each washout. 

and tracks, making the route into a 

toll road. In 1939, the road became a 

free highway known as Gold Camp 

Road. 

The U.S. Forest Service and El 

Paso County have maintained Gold 

Camp Road ever since. But when 

they found contract repair of the 

1985 washouts would cost an estimated $250,000, it became clear the 

road would be repaired later-or 

never. Then the Forest Service 

turned to the U.S. Army engineers. 

Assessing the damage 

The damaged section of Gold 

Camp Road was comprised almost 

entirely of weathered and disintegrated granite. The road grade 

rises smoothly, consisting of an 

unusual amount of cut and fill 

construction along the contour of 

the rugged mountains-the railroad's builders chose to work along 

mountainsides and canyon walls, 

rather than along a streambed. 

The through fills were the most 

fragile. Eleven washouts-five of 

them major-had occurred along the 

road. The worst washouts hadeaten 

25 feet into the road's outer edge; 

they bottomed out anywhere from 

40 to 70 feet below the road surface. 

Washouts occurred where theinslope 

of the road reversed and the outside 

edge of a through fill eroded, leaving 

huge chasms in the road (two of 

28 Engineer 

these were only passable by trail 

hike). 

It was critical to redirect 

the drainage-otherwise 

new washouts would 

OCCUP. 

The culverts had almost all failed. 

Built Der~endicular 

. . to the road at a 

2 percent slope and at small diameters (18 inches), most were choked 

with disintegrated granite. 

The disintegrated granitehad very 

few fines and was extremely susceptible to erosion. This soil was 

made up of Pike's Peak granite, a 

soil that correlates toa Unified Soils 

Classification System type SP. In 

its unweathered state, the granite is 

characterized by large phenocrysts 

of flesh-pink microline in a ground 

mass composed of quartz, oligoclase, 

and abundant biotite, with numerous trace minerals. 

Working closely with a U.S. Forest 

Service Civil Engineer, C Company 

decided to install 25 culverts, construct 16 rolling dips, grade 7 miles 

of road, dig ditches, and repair all 

washouts. 

Rebuilding the road 

C Company deployed almost all 

equipment and personnel from the 

Heavy Equipment Earthmoving 

Platoon. The company was supported by two general construction 

squads, two mechanics, a mess section, and a medic. The unit set up a 

bivouac at the project site. 

The Forest Service supplied culvert and explosives. The Forest Service's civil engineer also surveyed 

borrow sites, culvert locations, and 

washouts in coordination with the 

52d's staff and surveyors. 

Work began immediately on the 

threelargest washouts. A D-8K dozer 

built a "pioneer road" to gain safe 

access to the bottom of each washout. Once trafficability was established around each work site, the 

D-8Ks and MW-24 bucket loaders 

opened borrow sites, and the M-929 

5-ton dump trucks began haul and 

fill operations. Engineers placed 

boulders carefully to build shelves 

from the washout bottom upward, 

filling voids in the shelves with 

disintegrated granite material. 

Using a 6,000-gallon water distributor and a K-300 high-speed compactor (BOMAG), they added moisture and compacted the material in 

layers 1to 2 feet deep. 

The 52drepaired all washouts this 

way. Soldiers used a nuclear densometer to test compaction. Samples 

taken at most sites surpassed the 

90-percent CE-55 goal, and often 

reached 100 percent compactive 
Soldiers drill 4-foot-deep holes in 

effort. The few sites that were below 

specifications werereworked to meet 

the 90-percent goal. The unit nearly 

doubled the road width at each 

washout and raised the outside 

shoulder to create an inslope-this 

would carry water past the repaired 

washout. Workers also excavated 

the inside wall to widen theroad and 

create an insloping surface. 

Demolition served to loosen more 

rockat high elevationsin the borrow 

site, to widen the road through solid 

rock outcroppings, and to open space 

for a culvert in solid rock. The unit 

arrived at a suitable charge after 

initial tests showed that civilian 

explosives were relatively weak. The 

unit used two-component explosives 

ammonium nitrate and nitromethane. Soldiers drilled holes 1% 

inches to l'hinchesin diameter with 

a 250-cubic-foot-per-minuteair compressor and rock drill. The most 

effective charges were set 4 feet deep 

and weighed 4 pounds each. These 

charges were placed along natural 

joint patterns and in structural 

deformations, to take advantage of 

weaknesses in the rock formations. 

The charges were packed and 

tamped with moistened soil. 

It was critical to redirect the 

drainage-otherwise, new washouts 

would occur. The 52d insloped the 

entire stretch of road to protect the 

griinitr for demolition charges. 

fragile through fills. They used 

130-G graders except on the upper, 

rockier sections, where D-8K dozers 

cut the initial rough inslope. 

The unit installed culverts where 

existing culverts had failed or where 

drainage already flowed from the 

inslope to the outer shoulder. To 

enhance self-cleaning of disintegrated gravel, the engineers set 

the new culverts at a 10-percent 

slope and at an angle instead of 

perpendicular to the road. The new 

culverts were also 24 to 36 inches in 

diameter-wider than their predecessors. The unit placed culverts in 

stable natural drainage channels. 

Theinlets werecovered to a depthof 

at least half the culvert's diameter, 

and both inlets and outlets were riprapped with granite. A D-8K dozer 

with a single ripper dug culvert 

trenches in rocky areas: otherwise, a 

backhoe was used. Culverts became 

the most time-intensive aspect ofthe 

project. 

The engineers built rolling dips 

with a 621-B scraper. The scraper 

excavated the outer shoulder and 

used the fill to build a berm just 

below the dip. A grader worked the 

material into a crest toprevent water 

from passing the structure. The rolling dip would then act as a culvert, 

forcing theinsloped drainage across 

the road to exits in level areas that 

would allow water to dissipate 

naturally. 

Upper stretches, where rough 

rocky outcroppings were the road 

surface, were resurfaced using 621-B 

scrapers to spread lifts of select 

disintegrated granitematerial. Final 

work included leveling and landscaping all borrow sites. Damaged 

trees were removed and culvert inlets 

cleaned and widened. 

On August 7, 1986, Gold Camp 

Road reopened. The52d finished the 

project on schedule in just 26 days, 

23 of which were spent on construction operations. The equipmentintensive project gave operators and 

supervisors invaluable experience of 

engineer tasks they'd have to perform in a wartime mountain road 

construction or repair mission. 

lLTJeffrey P. Lee is currently the 

Heauy Equipment Earthmouing 

Platoon Leader for C Company, 52d 

Engineer Battalion (Combat 

Heauy). He has worked on projects 

in Honduras and at Fort Carson, 

Colorado. He has alsogiuen tactical 

engineer support to brigade-size 

elements. ILT Lee holds a BS in 

geophysical engineering from the 

Colorado School of Mines. 
Engineer 


Cellular 


Teams 


by CPT Steven R. Steininger 

Some specialized tasks are 

beyond the capability of 

standard unit organizations. Forthese tasks, the Army has 

created theEngineer Cellular Teams 

(TOE 5-500 series) to beemployed on 

an "as-needed" basisin any theater. 

The TOE 5-500 Series 

The complete Tables of Organization and Equipment for these units 

are often hard to obtain in the field. 

Field Manual 5-100, Enginerr Cornhnt Opernlionr, describes many of 

the cellular teams. This article 

focuses on construction.oriented 

teams: TOES 5-520-H and 5-530-H. 

Several common planning factors 

affect engineer teams, andshould be 

known to commanders and staffs 

alike. 

Construction team 

planning 

Some engineering missions of the 

combat heavy battalions will be 

deleted when the!: reorganize in 

mid.I.'Y 88. The Army recognizes the 

importance of retaining such engi~ 

nccr skills as quarrying and paving, 

forestry, power distribution, and 

diving. Rut we cannot dedicate units 

to these missions in every brigadeor 

hattalion. 

Some cells deserve separate discussion, but most share common 

resource and management needsespecially maintenance, supply and 

logistics, and personnel and administration. All havesomeoperational 

limitations. To integrate a detachment successfully, managers must 

contact the cellular teams and investigate their needs. 

Maintenance. Someofthelarger 

detachments have anorganicmaintenance crew. Often the crew (or 

mechanic) works only on equipment 

unique to the team. Repairs to engineer vehicles and equipment (radios, 

weapons, cargo trucks) must be 

made by some other element. 

The simplest way to deal with 

maintenance needs is to attach the 

team to a support or line company. 

This approach challenges the supporting company-the organizational shop is now responsible for 

more equipment and vehicles. The 

prescribed load list (PLL) will be 

drained faster, so stocks should be 

beefed up before a team arrives, and 

needed P1.I. item lines should be 

added to accommodate unusual 

equipment needs. 

A higger workload means the 

direct-support shop has to alter its 

scheduled services. Priorities will 

change (Engineerteams havea high 

visibility-everyone wants to see 

them work). Leaders will have to he 

resourceful to overcome the challenges without seriously hampering 

operations or affecting morale. 

Special detachments can also be 

sent to the team from the directsupport shop. This works well when 

the team is away from its support 

unit. Problems can arise with POL 

and PLL supply and personnel and 

tool loss to the direct-support shop. 

Logistical support. Since many 

teams have no organic supply sections, cellular teams are totally 

dependent on the unit to which they 

are attached for logistical support. 

This is true of all classes, especially 

Classes 111, IV, V, and IX. POL is a 

major item. Heavy equipment burns 

diesel fuel quickly, and requires 

quantities of lubricants and fluids, 

some of which are unusual. 

Major end items (Class VII) may 

also present challenges. If an indispensable element of the team's 

system becomes a total loss, the 

whole operation may collapse unless 

a suitable replacement is available. 

Detailed coordination and planning that includes representatives 
from operations, logisitics, and 

maintenance can forestall crises by 

ensuring that a team andits support 

unit are not hampered by supply 

interruptions 

Personnel support. Personnel 

support and administration often 

get overlooked. Contact between the 

S-l (XO/ISGT at company) of the 

host unit and the inbound attachment is critical. For the duration of 

an operation, a team is dependent 

on the unitto which itis attached for 

finance, replacements, personnel 

actions, and for legal, mail, religious, 

medical, and food service. Nothing 

is so painful as a soldier with a 

problem. An early list to the S-l 

(XO/lSGT) of names, rank, SSN, 

MOS, and next of kin can avoid 

trouble later. 

Security. Several common 

threads also run on the operations 

side. Teams do not have crew-served 

wcapons. Their only self defense is 

small-arms fire. If a team is to be 

included in a larger defense plan. 

remcmher its limits. If weapons are 

providrd, training must be provided 

too. 

Camouflageand NRC areanother 

grave concern. Only a few teams 

can conceal themselves. This is 

partly because they have no screening systems, but mostly because of 

the nature of their work (quarries 

are hard to hide). These engineer 

crews are highly susceptible to 

attack. Most are equipped to detect 

NRC weapons and protect their 

people, but not to decontaminate 

and/or continue operations in an 

NRC envirr~nment. 

Communications. Although 

some cellular teams have organic 

communications, many do not. S-3s 

like teams to have radios. Communication gear and personnel are prized 

commodities throughout the Corps. 

It is likely that the supporting unit 

will have to eve up gear, if outside 

assets are not brought in. 

Transportation. Some units 

have enough vehicles; some can 

hardly even move theirpeople. Most 

require assistance-much of the 

machinery is oversized and has 

special movement problems. A few 

items will not fit on any available 

USAF planes. Transport planning 

must start early. 

Cellular teams 

The teams designated under the 

5-520H/530H TOE series are built to 

work in forestry, quarrying, well 

drilling, concrete paving, equipment 

support, pipelines, power lines. 

power plant operation/maintenance, asphalt mixing and paving, 

diving, utilities, and real estate. 

Engineer teams perform many 

integral unit functions. The tasks 

that set them apart can he found in 

ARTEP 5-500, Engineer Cellular 

?'cams. Thongh aging, it still provides good information to the operational planner. ARTEP5-115. Engi~ 

nvcr Combat Hmuy Battalion, will 

define quarrying and asphalt mis~ 

sions until a new ARTEP 5~500 is 

published. Some detachments deserve a closer look. 

Forestry. Attached to an engineer group, a service and support 

battalion, or operating semiindependently, this platoon-size 

section produces rough lumber and 

timber piling. It cannot deliver its 

products without added transportation support. With small maintenanceandsupply crews, the forestry 

crew functions better. 

Quarry. Only the 225-ton-perhour (tph) quarry unit is currently 

organized as a team. Once the combat heavy battalions surrender the 

remaining 75-tph sets, another 

quarry team will becreated(2capacities will beavailable until standard 

new equipment is in place). Both 

types are similar to current 75-tph 

squads found in the combat heavy 

units. Actual sizes of specific 

machines vary. 

All units require transportation 

support and need numerous trips to 

haul everything. The 225-tpli crush/ 

screen/wash unit exceeds IJSAF 

capacity. Quarry units are normally 

attached to an engineer group, but 

can he expected to move down to 

battalion level in the future. 

Well drilling. These are some of 

the most active teams today. For a 

complete picture, see "Army Well 

Drillers." on p. 23. 

Concrete mixing and pauing. 

Normally attached to a combat 

heavy battalion or construction support company (CSC), this team has 

its own 100- to 125-cubic yard-perhour (cyh) central mix plant, a 200- 

to 225-cyh central mix plant, a 200- 

to 225-cyh slip form finishing 

machine, and rrrganic maintenance. 

'I'he team does not, however, have 

all the laborers needed to run a 

concreteoperation. Added transport 

is needed to move the finishing 

machine. 

Equipment support. These one^ 

to two-man teams with either a 

dozer, scoop loader. or grader can be 

attached to engineer linecompanies 

working with maneuver units. All 

require support because of their size. 

Asphalt pauing and mixing. 

Two new cells are now available. 

One is the asphalt mixing team, 

built around the 100- to 150-tph 

asphalt plant, which produces as^ 

phalt cement concrete (ACC). It 

requires significant t,ime, labor, and 

support to transport and erect. 

The second is the asphalt paving 

team. It primarily places hot mix 

ACC to yield a quality surface for 

roads and airfields. The teiun ran 

placecold mix materialsandsul~port 

bituminous surface treatment 

operations. Although it is selfmobile, the cell lacks dump-truck 

assets tomove paving material. Both 

teams will br attached to groups, 

battalions. or CSCs. 

Diuing. Divingdetachmcnts may 

bc placed almost anywhere, but 

normal engineer assignment is to a 

group or brigade involved in major 

port or underwater pipeline projects. 

The teams can dive in both SCUBA 

and deep sea underwater surfacesupplied diving equipment in support of numerous tasks. These teams 

are currently under reorganization-organicsections in fixed units 

will disappear and hecome part of 

the modular concept. 

Utilities. These cells sustain 

base-camp operations and fixed 

Engineer 31 
I installations by providing facilities 

Q. How can my unit obtain the Engineer regimental crests? How should and engineering(FE1support. Three 

the crest be worn with the uniform? teams-HD, HE, and HF-are deA. Corps crests are currently only available through the Army-Air Force 

Exchange System (AAFES) military clothing sales stores. If a unit desires 

to purchase crests for its soldiers. it should place a local purchase order 

w~than AAFES clothlng store. Units may also contract with private 

vendors: however. crests may not be purchased with appropriated funds. 

Ultimately. enlisted personnel will receive the crest as part of the~rinitlal 

Issue through the supply system 

Males must wear the crest centered and '/8 inch above the top of the 

right pocket flap or '/? ~nchabove unlt awards or foreign badges on the 

Army green. blue. and wh~teuniforms. On the blue mess unlform. the 

crest is worn centered on the satin facing and % inch below the notch in 

the lapel. On the wh~tetness uniform, it is worn 'h Inch below the notch 

I and centered on the lapel. The vertical axis of the crest must be 

perpend~cularto the ground 

Females will wearthecrest centered and %. ~nchabavethe nameplateor 

'1.inch above unit awardsor foreign badges on the Armygreen, wh~te,and 

blue un~forms.It 15worn centered on the r~ghts~deof the whtte. blue, and 1 black 

'mess . jackets between the lapel and shoulder seam with the top of 

I thecrestal~gnedwiththetop rowof m~ntaturemedals.On mess uniforms 

thecrest is not worn on thelapel or the lapel faclng.The vert~calaxls of the 

crest wrll be perpend~cularto the ground^ 

All members of the Corps who have completed advanced individual 

tralnlng, warrant officer certificat~on,or englneer off~cerbasic course are 

author~zedto wear the crest All personnel who held an engineer MOS 

before 23 June 1986 are automatically members of the Corps and 

author~zedto wear the crest 

Q. How can my unit get an 80-foot timber trestle training bridge? Can 

this bridge be requested by national stock number? 

A. The Englneer School's Department of Milttary Engineering. Brldging 

Branch, responds that the costs and natlonal stock numbers for trestle 

tralnlng brldges are available in Army Facil~tyComponents System 

manuals Although plansfor an 80~footbr~dgeare not available, the costs 

for a 60~footspan and for two 40-foot spans w~thtntermed~atesupport 

appear below. 

A 60-foot steel stringer span, mil~taryload class 60, timber plle 

abutments. 

#85120AE Superstructure $48.1 29 

#85120CJ Abutments (2 eaj 7,872 

Total Cost 556,001 

Two 40-foot glue laminated stringer spans. 2 lanes, military load class 

60. timber pile intermediate support abutments: 

U85120BG Superstructure (2 ea) $1 10.656 

#85120EW Intermediate support 4.720 

20 feet high 

#85120CJ Abutments (2 ea) 7.872 

Total Cost $123.248 

These amounts are in 1986 dollars as referenced from TM 5-301-1. 

Army Faciliries Cornponenr Sysrem~Planning(Temperare). pages 10-56. 

Q. When M-ltanks cross an AVLB 60-foot span bridge, do the curbs 

have to be removed? 

A. The curbs remaln on the bridge to guide the veh~clesacross. The 

maximum span of the AVLB 1s 15 meters for support of M~1tanks 

' signed for installations of up to 

2,500, 2,500-4,000, and 4,000-10,000 

personnel. The teams have some 

construction capabilities, though 

their main mission is to maintain 

existing systems, health, and welfare. They can also maintain their 

own equipment. All are found in 

facilities engineer groups (TOE 5-

2035)hut may also appear elsewhere. 

PourerLine. Sincethe power distribution section of combat heavy 

support companies is disappearing, 

this team will take over general 

engineering tasks such as airfield 

lighting systems and exterior electrical distribution. Normally allocated to an FE group or power 

generating plant (often with team 

HG, Power Plant Generation and 

Maintenance), these hlgh-voltage 

specialists may be attached to comhat heavy battalions. 

Other Construction Teams. 

Teams HC (Real Estate), HG(Power 

Plant),and HJ(Welding Inspection) 

also assist the construction effort. 

Their contributions are often critical 

to overall success. 

Engineer cellular teams deserve 

more attention. As the role of the 

component-like detachments increases, we must learn to integrate 

them smoothly into other units. The 

thinking behind the teams is good: 

Ifcommanders, staffs, and planners 

manage them correctly, cellular 

teams can make vital contributions 

to engineer missions. 

CPT Steven R. Steininger is currently assigned to the54th Engineer 

Battalion in W~stGermany. He has 

also served wit/?the 802d Engineer 

Battalion in Korea. CPTSteiningrr 

holds a BS in mining engineering 

from the cJn.iversity of Pittsburgh. 

and is an EOBC and EOAC graduate. 

32 Engineer 
The Three-Phase 

Inspection SystemThe Corps Guarantee of 

~uifi-inQuality 

by CPT Thomas P. Reed 

The U.S.Army Corps of Engineers 

has been in the construction business since the birth of our nation. 

Fort McHenry and Fort Meigssturdy monuments of the Corps' 

reputation forexcellence-date from 

before the War of 1812. 

Today, the Corps of Engineers' 

work includes a hroad variety of 

civil and military construction projects, and a comprehensive system 

of quality assurance for its worldwide construction program. Billions 

of dollars worth of structures now 

uphold the Corps' standard of excel^ 

lence in dozens of nations. 

The three-phase inspection system 

is an important part of the Corps' 

quality assurance program. Common practice in the construction 

industry, the system is simple to 

understand and to implement. It 

can be applied to any construction 

project regardless of its size or 

complexity. 

The three-phase system 

The three-phaseinspection system 

includes a preparatory, initial, and 

follow-up inspection: 

The preparatory inspection. 

The first and most important phase 

ofthe three-phaseinspection system 

is the preparatory inspection. It 

takes place before each distinct 

feature of the project is begun. In 

this phase, the supervisory and 

quality control personnel agree on 

the plans and specifications. They 

review construction methods, and 

ensure that personnel, equipment, 

and available materials comply with 

the project specifications. 

Inspectors review plansfor quality 

control tests or samples, and any 

documentation-such as certifications of the quality of materials to be 

used. They inspect the work site, 

and settle all issues surroundine 

plans, personnel, equipment, and 

materials before construction 

begins. 

The initial inspection. The 

second phase takes place as construction begins. Inspectors take 

samples, perform control testing, 

andexamine the workto ensure that 

the quality of construction is in 

accordance with plans and specifications. Construction methods can 

be adjusted to meet time limitations 

or other conditions that arise during 

the initial inspection. 

The follow-up inspection. The 

third phase of the inspection goes on 

continuously until the construction 

sequence is complete. The work is 

inspected daily, using the same 

procedures established during the 

initial inspection. Deficiencies are 

corrected immediately. 

A typical project 

Here's how the three-phase inspection system is implemented by 

an engineer squad as they build a 

concrete tank pad. This projectlike many other engineer construction tasks-requires prepared formwork and placement of concrete. 

A three-phase inspection has 

already assured the formwork is adequate. The second sequence will he 

concrete placement. A day before 

the ready mix concrete is delivered 

and placed, the platoon sergeant 

holds a preparatory inspection 

with the squad leader. 

During this inspection, the platoon 

sergeant reviews the requirements 

for concrete, personnel, and tools. 

He ensures that the process for 

placing, finishing, and curing the 

concrete will be in accordance with 

the appropriate technical manual 

(FM 5-742). He decides with the 

squad leader how many sample 

cylinders and slump tests are to he 

taken. Finally, the squadleader and 

platoon sergeant discuss any questions or doubts either may have 

about the concrete placement. 

The platoon sergeant conducts an 

initial inspection during the first 

concrete placement. He ensures the 

methods used to place, finish, and 

cure the concrete are proper. He also 

checks the concrete's temperature, 

slump, and drop height. The squad 

leader takes sample cylinders as 

planned in the preparatory inspection. This inspection is complete 

after the methods used to place, 

finish, and cure the tank pad are 

verified. 

The platoon sergeant conducts a 

daily follow-up inspection, continuing to monitor the temperature, 

slump, drop height, and the quality 

of the finish for each concrete placement. The squadleader continues to 

take samples on a regular basis. His 

test cylinders are broken 7 days and 

28 days later to check thestrength of 

the concrete. 

TheresultY-a structureguaranteed 

to stand up under the wear and tear 

imposed hy heavy loads. 

Thethree-phaseinspectionsystem 

provides a systematic approacli for 

quality control. It assures quality 

products by requiring detailed 

preparation, review, and inspection 

of each step toward a completed 

structure-whether that structure is 

as simple as a sidewalk-or as 

complex as the Grand Coulee Dam. 

CPT Thomas P. Reed is currently 

assigned to the US. Corps of Engi~ 

neers, Greenwood Area Office, 

Vichsburg District. He has also 

served with the 237th Engineer 

Battalion in West Germany. CPT 

Reed holds a BS in civil engineering 

from Louisiana State Uniuersity, 

and is an EOBC and EOAC 

graduate. 

Engineer 39 

armor unitsto pn~vide work-sitesecurity. The (i'2d Kngineer Ratt, 'I I. ]on 

(I,i(:) found that land-clearing 

operzitions worked best as coordi~ 

nated enginecr~infantry-armor 

o~~crations.l'heunitp~isted
 two infan. 

trymen on the lead tractor during 

r~perationsto recon ihc junglc by 

fir,,. 

Kotnc Plow riperotors i~ftf'n frlund 

tht,msclvcs clearing the jungle far 

ahead of Lhrir inftintry security. 

they formed the lrnding edge of the 

infantry assault in (1per;rtion Cedar 

Falls (January 1!167). The 168th 

Engineer Combat Rattalion, with 15 

bulldozers and 2 Rome Plows, was 

joined in the attack by :I5 bulldr~zers 

and 2 Rome Plows from the 1st. 

27th, Mth, and .iHi(th Engineer 

Battalions. 

The operation's mission was lo 

drive the enemy from the Iron 

Triangle, northwest of Saigon. TracThey carried .45~calihersub~n~1chinr tor trz~ms plunged into the jungle t~ 

guns to protect themselves against open n path for mounted and disenemy r~ttack. sinrr the standard niount.ed infantry assault forces. As 

issuc MI6 wrrs too long for the dozer and infantry columns a& 

encli~srd cnh. vanced, theengineers leveled enemy 

Most c;rsu;lltirs suff(~rrd Ihy iand- base i:;imps r~nd supply areas and 

clt~aring companivs were inflicted established h(,lic:i>pt~rIandingranes 

dear, so the 1J.S. Army learned to 

avoid unwarranted destruction of 

wooded arras. Ilnits in the Mekong 

Delta found thiit thr, \iietnamese 

custr~marily buried their dead in the 

woodlines on high gr<)unrl. Such 

locations were left undisturl~cd. 

Tactical land-clearing operations 

were a valuable resource to n1;incuver commanders in Vietnam, and 

occasionally benefited the economy 

of South Vietnam and farmers in 

the countryside. Tactical planners 

at first believed that land-clearing 

opi3rations could deny ambush sites 

and sanctuariesindefinitely, accomplishing what repeated infantry 

<~pcrationscould not. 

Bill 1110 jungle quickly returnrd. 

by niinrs. huohy traps, and mortar for rcsitpply and casualty evacua~ and with it tlii~rne~i~y. ;% few months 

attacks on Nl)l's. Nc~rlrly tw<,-thirds 

of the men in thcsc companies were 

wnunded by eneiny ;ict.ion during 

their lyear tours. In asingiv. 7.5-day 

operation, almost 50 percent ol'onr 

1;ind~clcaring unit was noundrd. 

0therhaz;nds included falling trres 

and limbs, bamboo slivers. snakes. 

swrirms of bees, and extreme heat. 

Maintenance and transportation 

Maintenance problems abounded. 

It was common for one-half to twothirds of the plows to suffer severe 

damageduringan operation. Repair 

parts were in short supply, and frequently had to be flown in hy helicopter. Heavy monsoon rains, thick 

dust, and constant mortar attacks 

on the NDPs made maintenance 

more than a challenge. Most maintenance was done hy the company's 

organizational and direct-support 

mechanics at the cutting site or in 

the NDP. 

Lack of transportation assets for 

the Kome Plows limited company 

mobility. Assigned ten semitrailer 

lowh~ds.a land-clearing company 

could move only one-third of its 

plows at a time. In the Mekong 

l>elti~,where roads were ~mpassahle 

much of the. year and the main 

supply routes were canals, landclearing compnnies used U.S. Navy 

landing craft and Arrny M.IT6 rafts 

to move hetween work sites. 

Operation Cedar Falls 

Almost immediately, thenew units 

hecame an innovative assault tool. 

In the first use of land cleiiring as 

direct support of an infantry thrust, 

tion. Cl'hcn Ced;rr Falls ended, landclearing cr~mpnnies had cleared 

2.711 acres of junglr zind hid given 

rnaneuver con>mande~s an impressivefirst look at the valueoftncticnl 

land clearing. 

Other operations in which tactical 

land-rlei~ringteams wcrc part 01' ii 

maneuver assault fnrce includrd 

.Tunrtion City (February 1967). in 

War Zone C. northwest of S;ligon. 

;in11 the Cambodian incursir~n in 

M:iy iind June 1970. In the (:ambodian oyt~rrlti~rn. the C2d led the 

way with lan(l-c1e;iritlg operations 

to ))n~videaccess tr,suspected enemy 

hase arciis. 

Civic action applications 

Tactical I~ind-c11:nring ~~peratians 

provided more thnn just a mc:ms fur 

penetrating the jungle or for tnakinp 

roads and trails sac<,from aml~ush. 

Strip clearing along main supply 

routes aided villagers ,>ntheir way 

to market hy eliminating hiding 

places for the Vict Cong highway 

"Lax collectors." 

Resides providing sccuritg for 

military bases, area clearing ol~criltionsopened heretofore uncultivated 

land. Vietnamese farmers tnovcd 

ontoclearcd land, particularly along 

~.ond\vii.vs,as soon as dehris was 

remtived. In one civic action project, 

the 20th Engineer Battalion cleared 

more than 2 square miles of forestto 

make way for Montagnard farmlands and homesites. 

Land-clearing units operating 

near villapes had to take care not to 

disrupt the lifestyle of the inhnhitants. The Virtnamrse hold land 

after oprrzition Cedar I.'alls. the 

junglc ;lnd the Vi<,t Cony had 

returned to the Iroti'l'rianglr. \I'ithin 

a year. thr enerny usc3d the area as 

its hase for the l!)fi8TE'I' Oi'fcnsive 

:%itarkon Saigon. 

For further rc,;lding. src.: M(: 

Robert K.Ploger, Vi~tnam Stirriir~s. 

CIS Army Et~gi,is~ra, 191i5-1!1711. 

Dr. ,Inrncs W. Dun11 is i)ir,'ctor, 

lltslory Office, Office of ih~, Chiefof 

n i r A I957 grnduatf, of 

IJSMA, Dr. Ilunn rrtirc~cl lronl t/~.r* 

[J.S. Arm,y ns n Cmlonc~l aftc~r 27 

yenrs ufsc~ruicc. Hc lzolds an MA in 

history f~utn :Vc.~c 1'0t.k Unit~ersity 

rind a Ph1)in Ani,~ricmi sti~diesfrorn 

the lit~it~~rsily of Hni~mnii. In nddi~ 

tion to srr~,ici,in P,'uropc, Vii'tnnm. 

and Hownii. I)r I)li,,~n 1;as.surt.rr~dns 

an inslrlicLi,rn,i~/iissi::taritprufe,s.sor 

ofliistr,rynt file USMA. i~,sproft~s.~or 

and H~rrd of rh? ,tlilitar,y Sricjncc 

Dcpurfmc,r~t ol St. Hrinnt,entur~ 

l:,iicer.sily, and as ('i~icf. /fi.isiories 

Ilivisio,~, a1 tile US, Arniy ('6'nfr.r 

fi~rMilitary History. 

Cf>TKod,zc.~ II' Grftig is currot tly 

assigi~ctl to HFIC, tlzc, 249th Engiveer ilnttnlio,~. in M'c,st G~rninny. 

C:PT Gcttig hhols a BS ir~forestry 

s(.i~,tr,' from P~~,insylunnia Stntc 

L'niocrsity. He hns seen service at 

Fort Ord. California, andisan EORC 

and EOAC grati'i~ote. 
We the People of the United States, 

in order to form a more perfect 

union, establish justice, insure 

domestic tranquility, provide 

for the common defense ... 


by Penelope Schmitt 

Tacatalogueoftheexcellent 

odav. the Preamble ofthe Constitution reads like 

- habits which ourgoverntnent 

has stcadily improved through practice. Habits. But thinkperfect union makes your family's trip from Niagara to 

Yellowstone a long, unbroken road'without border guards. 

Justice means that ;I random inspection stop in your home 

state is just to check for worn tires. not to scru1inii.c your 

idcntitypapers. Amcricsn nights are rranquil-you travel in 

your camper. stopping at park after national park with a 

delicious shiver ahout hears-but you never worry about 

roaming guesill;~~. You calmly share the road urith a convoy 

of National Guardsmen-in another country they might he 

an army of occupation. or worse.yourcountrymen engaged 

in anything BUT the common defense. 

It might seem to you that the nightmare possibilities 

suggested ;$hove are purely imaginary. Perhaps you believe 

that when our founding fathers sipncd the Dcclal-ation of 

Independence. tllcy merely ratified a way of life Colonial 

American5 had heen living out sincc the Pilgrims set foot on 

Plymouth Rock. Not so. 

A short tour of the Confederation in thelate 1780s shows 

us the results oigovern~nent under The Articles. Relations 

among the states were deteriorating into a series of trade 

wars. Merchants couldn't send their products across the 

Hudson from New Jersey to New York without paying 

import duties. Rhode Island was printing currency that 

wouldn't buy a glass of water. 

1erritorial contests abounded. Pennsyl\,ania and Virginia 

stood nose to nose ovcr ownership ofthe Pittsburgh area. 

Vermont blackmailed Congress into granting it statehood 

by leaking news of secret annexation talks with Canada. 

Pat.1~of North Carolina iindre~it~essee sceded. temporarily 

forming the state of Franklin-a Balkan nation on the 

outposts of the frontier. So much for ;!perfect union. 

As for justicc. domestic tranquility. and the common 

defense. an!. leehle illusions the tie\\# nation ,night have had 

about itselfsoon shattered. The final blow camewhen Shays' 

Rebellion shook Ncw England in early 1787. Cash-poor 

farmers rose agoinst the state of Massachusctts by the 

thousands. When neither Congress nor the state could offer 

thcm rclief. they rnovcd to capture a lcderal arsenal in 

Springfield. The uprising was put down by a small cadre of 

loyal militiamen and a hastily assembled army raised by 

Generzil Ben,iamin Lincoln. formerly of the Cantioental 

Armv. 

The incident riveted thedetermination of leaders who had 

been pondering the need for a new instrument ofgovernment. 

George Washington and others saw that a congress with no 

military or fiscal might was pou.crless to act for order or 

justice. "influence." Washington said. "is no government." 

In May. 1787. the Constitulional Convention mctto begin 

writing the document which 11;~s stecred our nation through 

200 years of peace. war. prosperity, depression. turmoil. and 

tranquility. 

Twenty-two of the thirty-nine mcn who would sign the 

Constittltian had served in the Continental Army during the 

War for Independence. Their conviction of the need to 

prn~idefov the common defense was founded on LI solemn 

knowledge ofthe potential for violent disorder. These men. 

with George Washington as their preeminent leader. ensured 

that the Constitution was written so as to bent protect the 

people from internal slrife.aswcllas From external intrusion. 

Themilital-yenvisioned hythe foundinglathers was-and 

is-a citizen soldiery bound to servcthc needs of the nation. 

obedicnt to the will of its own people. Wc came to enjoy 

pcrlect union. justice.and tranquility largely becausc military 

men saw our need lor a common defense. We continue to 

enjoy those privileges because our Armed Forces still 

willingly defend and uphold the Constitution ofthe United 

States. 
-- 

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---'c-.. -----' --A -.--; - - -- ' -- ... r " ? I -'.-,# ,<-, miTnefile.ld:--;I.--__ aby CPT Wayne Whaley 

Let's not waste words. We need a 

standard tactical minefield that reduces time and logistics requirements. Such a minefield has been 

developed by the 1st Engineer Battalion (Mechanized) at Fort Riley, 

Kansas. 

This minefield can he easily laid 

from an M113 armored personnel 

carrier (APC) or a 5-ton dump truck. 

It is simple to record and clear, 

though enemy forces find it hard to 

breach. Adaptable to most terrains, 

it accommodates both buried and 

surface-laid mines. 

The minefield is more than 100 

meters deep, and cannotbe breached 

by standard line charges. It has 

three belts, and offers the option of 

variable density without a change 

in its pattern. It can serve as a 

building hlock for longer linear 

obstacles, and can accommodate a 

variety of deception patterns. 

Finally, it is standardized so taskorganized units can work together. 

Laying the minefield 

After a site is selected, break the 

engineer platoon into teams. Each 

squad works as a team to lay, bury, 

and arm mines. The platoon leader 

and platoon sergeant supervise the 

- , 


operation, record the minefield, 

make progress reports, and provide 

local security with the M2.50-caliber 

heavy machine gun on the platoon 

leader's APC. 

Two squads are broken into subteams as follows: an APC driver, 

two minelayers (one inside the APC 

and one outside), a burying team 

with enough personnel to bury 

mines, an arming team of two men, 

and thesquadleader. If enough men 

are available, the assistant squad 

leader can art as the track commander, man the M2.50-caliber, and 

direct the driver and laying team 

members. 

The third squad can provide local 

security and supplement the working squads, or take the place of 

working squad members who need 

to rest or eat. Using the third squad 

thisway enables the platoon to work 

nonstop, limited only by supplies of 

fuel and mines. The third squad 

may also make logistics runs between the work site and the ammunition supply point (ASP) or lay out 

another minefield under the supervision of the senior squad leader or 

platoon sergeant. 

The direction of layout is decided 

upon by the OIC or NCOIC, and a 

'.-, L."\.-,. 

/--.. .' .. ., 

base line is established at the starting side of the minefield. A rope 120 

meters long, marked with engineer 

tape at 10,35,45,55,6FiFiI)0,100,and 

110 meters, is laid on the base line 

and staked down. 

The minefield is constructed in 

three belts. The first belt has two 

rows; the second and third belts 

have four rowseach. The first squad 

lays odd-numberedrows, the second 

lays the even-numbered rows. Rows 

are 10 meters apart; belts are 25 

meters apart. The first mine of the 

first row of each belt is laid 10 

meters from the base line. The 

second row begins 15 meters from 

the base line; the third row, 12.5 

meters; and the fourth row, 17.5 

meters from the base line. Other 

mines are laid at 10-meter intervals 

within rows. 

To ensure the APC drives in a 

straight line, the squad leader 

chooses a landmark as an aiming 

point. If no landmark is available, 

the squad leader can erect au-shaped 

picket for the driver to sight on. The 

distance from the base line to the 

landmark depends on local visibility 

conditions and the size of the feature. 

The landmark should be narrow-a 

building 300 meters away is not a 
Previously Sand Laid Mine 

Assistant Squad Leader 


Ootional 


ine Layer 

ee 

t Burying Team 

Number depends on 

Driver 1 number of available Mine Dispenser ~ersonnel 

Equipment and personnel positions during minelaying 

good feature to choose, since a variance of' :i tu 4 degrees in sightings 

c.,~uld lei~d the driver to veer off 

c(iursr and run intoapreviouslylaid 

row. 

To measure distances between 

mines, attach a rope to the rear of 

the APC, and tie a sandbag or other 

weight 10 meters down the rope. As 

the sandbag passes by the previously laid mine, themine-dispensing 

soldier inside the APC hands 

nnother mine to the minelayer outside the APC, who can then lay the 

mine at a 10-meter interval. The 

rninl-layer must lay the mine to the 

side of'the rope so that the sandhag 

does not drag over a previously laid 

mine. The soldiers proceed in this 

way until they reach the end of the 

minefield. At the end of the minefield, the squad leader directs that 

minelaying stop. 

The APC drivcr moves forward 

another 20 to 50 meters before returning to the base line to begin 

another row. He disguises theend of 

the minefield by varying thelocqt' lon 

at which he makes his turn. As in all 

minefields, rows are laid from the 

enemy side toward the friendly side. 

Up to 40 mines may be stored in 

the APC. After returning to the 

base line, thesquad removespacking 

material and reloads the APC with 

mines. A well-trained unit can move 

with an APC at a speed of hetween 2 

and 4 miles per hour. The platoon 

can emplace ahout 200 meters of 

minefield front per hour, depending 

on conditions. 

'I'he burying team follows the 

laying team. They dig holes for 

mines and put the soil in sandbags, 

to be removed after minelaying is 

done. Depending on vegetation or 

snow cover. 10 to 30 percent of the 

mines are buried. To avoid a pattern 

of buryingeveryother or third mine, 

the squad leader decides how many 

mines per row will he buried, and 

designates an appropriate number 

of holes in random sequence. 

The arming team arms the mines 

and installs tilt rods and antihandling devices. They then emplace and ci~mouflage the mines. 

The squad leader directs the arming 

team to install antihandling devices 

in random sequence to avoid creating a detectable pattern. He must let 

the platoon leader know which 

mines in the row are buried or 

equipped with antihandling devices 

for recording purposes. 

Recording procedures 

The recording team (platoon 

leader or platoon sergeant) records 

the minefield on DA Form 1355, 

Minefield Record. The diagram 

showing the minefieldlayout can be 

Arming Team 

2 men 

preprinted. Mines that are burled 

and/or have antihandling devices 

are noted. Since each row holds the 

same number of mines, the platoon 

leader necd only keep track of which 

rows are con~pleted to report the 

percent of minefield complete. ,$lnce 

minefield recording is simplified, the 

platoon leader and platoon sergeant 

can spend more time supervising 

their platoon, and less doing paperwork. 

Variations 

The minefield can he modified to 

include turning points, antipersonnel (AP) mines, different densities, 

and irregular inner rows (IIR), as 

desired. To include turning points, 

all rowsmust turn in the samedirection at once, at the same point, and 

proceed in thesame direction for the 

same distance. If AP mines are to he 

added, they areemplaced as in the 

current standard pattern minefield 

to form clusters. Ifclustersareadded 

to the minefield, the distance hetween rows should increase by 10to 

15meters. 

To alter the density of the minefield, the distance between belts 

should be increased from 25 to 50 

meters, or the third belt should be 

eliminated. The field's density can 

be decreased where the harassment 

or protection of unlikely enemy 
avenues of approach is intended. 

Adding minesin an irregular pattern 

between belts may confuse the 

enemy. Mines can also be added to 

the leading edge of the minefield, as 

in an IIR. This creates an irregular 

outer edge (IOE). The IIR or IOE 

should he laid by hand after the 

minefield is complete. It need not 

follow any pattern, as long as it is 

accurately recorded on DA Form 

1355. Adding an IOE or IIR slows 

down the clearing and recovery of 

the minefield by friendly units. 

Field experience 

The 1st Engineer Battalion minefield has been successfully employed 

in the field, including at the National 

Training Center. Several engineer 

units that have evaluated ARTEPS 

or have been trained with or evaluated by the 1st Engineer Battalion 

havedecided to adapt this minefield 

in various degrees into their SOPS. 

These include the 4th ENG BN at 

Fort Carson, CO; the 8th and 17th 

ENG BNs at Fort Hood, TX; the 7th 

ENG BN at Fort Polk, LA, and the 

10th ENG BN in Germany, all of 

whom are now using this minefield. 

The minefield can be used by both 

wheeled and mechanized units, 

although it is more suited to mechanized units, which have better 

cross-country mobility. It can be 

emplaced quickly and can be used 

by engineer units on the move to 

enhance flank protection. 

On the AirLand Battlefield, where 

speed and time are critical, the 1st 

Engineer Battalion minefield is 

superior. The Army should adopt 

it-now. 

CPT Wayne Whnley is currently 

serving with the 82d Engineer Battalionin West Germany; he hasnlso 

serued with the 1st Engineer Battalion at Fort Riley, Kansns. CPT 

Whaley holds a BS in architectural 

engineeringfrom Kansas State University, and is a graduate of EOBC 

and EOAC. 

Configuration ofrevised standard pattern minefield 

a 

a a a 

a a 

a a 

• • IOE 

a 

a 

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Belt 1 

a a 

a 

a a 

a a 

a IIR 1 

a0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Belt 3 

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Minefield with irregular inner and outer rows 

Field Circular 5-71-2. Engineers in the Tank and Mechanized Infantry 

Task Force. (Coordinating Draft). U.S. Army Engineer School, Fort 

Belvoir, VA, July 1986. 

First Engineer Battalion Battle Drills. Fort Riley, KS, June, 1986. 
Space: The new high ground 


for engineers 


by MAJ Thomas C. Suermann 

36 The Army is rapidly expanding its horizons from 

terrestrial operations to 

space-based solutions for strategic, 

operational, and tactical missions. 

This commitment to space is not 

new, but renewed-the Army has 

been active in space programs since 

the Redstone rocket was developed. 

America's first satellite, the Explorer 

I, was built by an Army team and 

launched aboard a four-stage, modified Army rocket, the Juno. 

When the National Aeronautics 

and Space Administration (NASA) 

was created in 1958, it acquired the 

Army'slaunch vehicleprogram and 

the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 

Pasadena. As a result of this and 

other program transfers, the Army's 

leadership role in space programs 

soon diminished to ballistic missile 

defense proponency. The Army became a user of systems developed 

and controlled by other services. 

Recent initiatives 

In the mid-1970s, the Army began 

to reverse this trend by taking the 

lead in the Tactical Exploitation of 

National Capabilities Program 

(TENCAP). This program provides 

national level systems support to 

battlefield commanders. 

In 1983, the Army took further 

steps to shape its future in space. In 

quick succession, the Army formed 

the Army Space Council, the Army 

Space Working Group, and the Army 

Space Office. In 1984the Army Staff 

Field Element was created at the 

U.S. Air Force Space Command. 

Then in September 1985, this 

organization became the Army 

Space Planning Group (ASPG), 

serving as the Army element in the 

new unified U.S. Space Command 

(USSPACECOM). 

In July 1986,the U.S.Army Space 

Institute (USASI) was established 

at Fort Leavenworth as TRADOC's 

40 Engineer 
Space construction m;ty lrrco~ncan Army engineer task on such 

sites as this conceptual "luna~. colony." 

focal point for space training and 

doctrine development. In August 

1986, the U.S. Army Space Agency 

(USASA) was provisiona~ly activated in Colorado Springs as the 

Army element of USSPACECOM. 

The USASA will provide the 

Army's perspective on planning for 

DOD space systems support to land 

forces and strategic defense. The 

Agency will integrate Army needs 

into USSPACECOM planning and 

operations and-in the future-will 

provide operational forces for Army 

space missions. 

Current initiatives in the Army 

Space community include developmentofan Army SpaceMasterPlan. 

This plan is the blueprint for Army 

exploitation of space. It is also the 

basis for efforts which will support 

programs such as the Strategic 

Defense Initiative (SDI), the Air 

Defense Initiative (ADI), and the 

theatermissilewarninganddefense 

system. 

Engineers in space 

Opportunitiesfor Army engineers 

are expanding with the Army's 

"Future Army operational 

doctrine must capitalize on 

emerging space 

capabilities." 

ARMY SPACE POLICY 

growing participation in space programs. The Army's NASA detachment, which is under thesupervision 

of the new Space Agency, already 

has engineer officers on board at the 

Johnson Space Center in Houston. 

They are carrying out valuable geological analysis and space system 

experimentation. As the Army refines its space operations, demand 

for topographers, geologists, and 

structural engineers will increase. 

The Army will also need more mission specialists familiar with satellite operations and the orbital 

parameters that affect their specialties. 

The Army and Air Staffs have 

recently approved assignment of an 

operational Army detachment to the 

Consolidated Space Operations 

Center (CSOC) at Falcon Air Force 

Station near Colorado Springs. This 

detachment will operate and 

manage satellite constellations. 

Army engineers are likely to be 

included, but they must begin planning and training for their specialized missions immediately. 

Engineer space projects cover a 

full spectrum of disciplines, including extraterrestrial terrain 

analysis, digital imagery target 

recognition, and synthetic aperture 

radar (SAR) data exploitation. As 

artificial intelligence(A1) androbotics applications increase, so will the 

need for engineers who can 

effectively manage space systems 

and issue commands to orbital platforms that are capable of increasing 

the effectiveness of ground forces. 

Army space engineers must be 

prepared to use the NAVSTAR 

Global Positioning System (GPS), a 

satellite system that pinpoints location and tracks speed of vehicles, 

aircraft, and individual soldiers far 

more accurately than present means. 

(continued on page 43) 
Trends in Engineer 


Officer Training 


by MAJ Edward Hayes and Penelope Schmitt 

The Kngineer Officer Basic and 

Advanced Courses (EORC and 

EOAC) have been evolving towards 

a new format since 1985. Let's look 

at the program that is shaping the 

future of the Corps-How do the 

courses of 1987 differ from the old 

curriculum? In what roles can we 

expect graduating officers to be 

strongest? How can graduates of the 

new curriculum expect their careers 

to develop? What can they do to 

determine the direction of their own 

career paths? 

A changed curriculum 

The redesigned curriculum for the 

EOBC and EOAC courses hasintensified training for the colnhat missions of the Army Engineer. The 

goal is clear: Make engineers vital 

players on thecombined arms team. 

Missions primary to Air1,and Rattle 

(loctrine-mobility, countrrmobility, 

and survivability-arealso primary 

in the clt~ssroom. Young officers 

learn to manage the engineer mission interface with other hranches 

of the Army in low-, medium-, and 

high-intensity conflicts. 

'I'he EOBC/EOAC curriculum has 

been streamlined to eliminate duplication of effort in the two courses. 

EOAC will no longc!r repeatmaterial 

taught in EOBC. Course designers 

have also excised intensive training 

in some technical engineering tasks. 

especially in heavy construction and 

other general engineering areas. 

Less timeisspent in learning how to 

lay pipeline, analyze soils, and 

design drainage. Materials on concrrte production and construction 

management have been reduced by 

half from the former curriculum. 

Reshaping the engineer 

officer corps 

Such changes in the structure of 

engineer officer training are intended to produce a reshaped officer 

corps. Let's look at the intentions, 

and at the near term results. 

The Engineer School aims to produce officers who think clearly and 

solve problems readily in a wide 

variety ofenvironments. To thisend, 

the technical side of military engineering has heen hrought into better 

halance with the needs of a modern 

army-our engineers can no longer 

he walking repositories of all the 

engineering tasks. There's just too 

much to know. Instead,officers must 

learn to access, manage, and employ 

information and resources effectively. 

Here's what the changes in curriculum havemeantin theEOBC and 

EOAC courses: 

yet still competent in the required 

military engineering skills. 

In the EOAC course, however, 

technical instruction has heen cut 

by 126 hours. This change reflects a 

conscious effort to excise technical 

material unneeded by engineers in 

wartime conditions. Theater of 

operations construction standards 

are stressed. Less time is spent on 

engineering theory and design, and 

more timeon the procedures to adapt 

to sites and construct from existing 

designs such as those found in the 

Army I:acilitiesComponentsSystem 

(TM 5-300 series). 

The goal of the EOAC course is to 

Trends in Engineer Officer Instruction, 1979-1987 

EOHC COURSE EOAC COURSE 

Content 	 FY 79 FY 87 FY 80 FY 86 

hours '%) hours 'L hours WI hours '70 

Technical* 151 26 159 20 348 33 222 20 

Nontechnical** 420 74 656 80 1040 67 1093 80 

Total 571 815 1388 1315 

technicali instruction includes structures andutilities, roadsand airfields, 

and nonstandard fixed bridging. 

** Nontechnical instructi~jn covers combat survival skills, logistics, leadership, administration and training, and mobility, countermobility, and 

survivability missions. 

Technical instruction as a proportion of course content has fallen 

from abouta quarterin EOBC and a 

third in EOAC, to a fifth of the 

instructional time in both courses. 

The actual amount of technical 

instruction has changed very little 

in EOBC. The main change is that 

officers in EOBC now receive over 

200 hours more instruction in the 

nontechnical areas than in the old 

EORC course. This new emphasis 

on combat missions, logistics, 

leadership, and management skills 

is creating junior officers who are 

hetter prepared forcombat missions, 

give officers the informational tools 

to execute combat-critical engineering missions. general engineering missions in the theater of 

operations (see FM 5-104. General 

Engineering), and the management 

and leadership skills to solve problems collectively 

In reducing technical instruction, 

the Army Engineer School has not 

abandoned high standards-it has 

recognized that educating expertsin 

an age of rapidly expanding knowledge is a job for universities and 

technical institutions. (For example, 

see special training programs de- 
scribed in "Space: the New High 

Ground for Engineers," p. 40.) 

There is room for both specialists 

and generalists in today's Engineer 

Corps. In FY 1979, almost half the 

students in EOBC held a degree in 

engineering. By FY 1986, only 26 

percent had an engineering degree. 

The number of students with degrees 

unrelated to engineering (liberal 

arts, psychology, business, and the 

like) rose from 23 percent to 39 percent. Although the number of students in EOBC who have no degree 

has risen from 10 to 14 percent, it 

remains low. 

In EOAC, very few students hold 

no degree-only 7 percent. Among 

the others, the proportion of degreed 

engineers is greater than in 

EOBC-40 percent. Another 22 percent hold engineering-related 

degrees in physics, math, geology, 

biology or chemistry. Theremaining 

38 percent hold degrees in other 

areas. Ten percent of eachclass hold 

MA or MS degrees. Though advanced technical expertise is by no 

means a prerequisite for success as 

an engineer officer, EOAC graduates 

Space (continued frompage 41) 

NAVSTAR will let combat forces 

record minefields and locate enemy 

obstacles while performing mobility 

and countermobility missions in 

support of tactical commanders. 

Space engineers must also be 

familiar with designing and erecting 

large space structures capable of 

satisfying on-orbit logistic functions 

in support of AirLand Battle doctrine. There are many hurdles to he 

overcome before such engineering 

challenges can be met. The Corps, 

true to its motto, "Essayons," has 

already begun to explore solutions. 

The Construction Engineering 

Research Laboratory (CERL) at 

Champaign, IL, and the Engineer 

Topographic Laboratories (ETL) at 

Fort Belvoir, VA, areexploringideas 

that will allow the Army to use 

space to improve support to ground 

forces. 

Building for the future 

As thespace Institutedevelopsits 

training base requirements and the 

Space Agency develops operational 

support planning for Army field 

remain a more technically oriented 

group than the typical EOBC class. 

After EOAC-choosing your path 

How will the changes in the cur. 

riculum affect the military careers 

of engineerofficers? Those who seek 

careers in troop leadership, staff 

positions, or in combat engineering 

will find that EOBC and EOAC 

dovetail perfectly with theirtraining 

needs. The EOBC course is a better 

school for leadership than ever, and 

EOAC has been redesigned to focus 

more precisely on solving military 

engineer problems in the theater of 

operations. 

Engineer officers who plan to 

specialize in technical areas should 

seek additional training on their 

own. Options include professional 

cngineer certification (see 

ENGINEER, Fall/Winter 1986, pp. 

41-42). enrollment in advanced 

degree programsor locally available 

seminars and classes, and active 

membership in professional 

societies. Regardlcss of their area of 

expertise, officers should maintain 

active reading programs to stay 

forces, personnel managers will be 

searching their files for qualified 

people to lead the Army in space. 

The U.S. Air Force already administers an Undergraduate Space 

Training (UST) program. Although 

the Army will use UST as part of a 

joint trainingeffort,itwill still have 

to develop a program particularly 

suited to its own needs. 

Several civilian and military 

schools help Army engineers to 

bridge the professional space education gap. Excellent graduate programs at the Universities of California, Colorado, and Illinois, at 

Stanford. Texas A&M, Georgia 

Tech, the Naval Postgraduate 

School, and the Air Force Institute 

of Technology are preparing engineers to confront new challenges in 

space. 

The leadership challenge 

Our sister services and several 

hundred defense industries have 

alreadybegun expandinginto space. 

The Army-particularly the Corps 

of Engineers-must plan for the 

informed of developments in their 

fields. 

Whatever their career goals, graduates of the redesigned engineer 

officer training program at the U.S. 

Army Engineer School are better 

equipped to manage information, to 

execute comhat engineering missions, and to lead effectively in 

today's Army of excellence. 

MAJ Edward Hayes is currrntly 

Chief, Structures and Utilities 

Branch, Departmr~ttofMilitary Engineering, U.S. Army Engineer School. 

HFholdsa BSfrom Norwich Uniuersity, an MSin ciuil engineering from 

Purdue, and an MS in systems 

mmzage~nentfrom USC; he is also a 

CGSC graduate. MAJ Hayes has 

served with the 23d Engineer Hat. 

talion in Uresi Grrmany und the .52d 

Enginrer Hattaliori at Fi. Carson, 

Colorado. He Aas also s(>rued as 

proj~act r3ngineer and Air Force 

liaison officer for t/7r Europe Diuisiorr. Corps of Engineers. 

Penelope Schmitt is Featrcres 

Editor for ENGINEER. 

future in spacenow. Army engineers 

have always been proud to be the 

"first in and the last out." We have 

consistently and valiantly helped to 

secure the high ground. 

Space is our new high ground. 

Destiny beckons us. 

MAJ Thomas C. Suermann is a 

staff officer with the Space Plans 

and Policy Division, U.S. Army 

Space Agency. He has served with 

engineer units in the 82d Airborne 

Diuision and in Germany. He has 

also served as a command engineer 

in Korea and as an instructor at 

West Point. Most recently, he was 

Brigade Operations Officer for HQ 

Command, XVIII Airborne Corps, 

during operation Urgent Fury in 

Grenada; he was also Chief of 

Operations in the Corps Engineer 

Section. He holds an MSE in Aeronautical Engineering from 

Princeton Uniuersity, and is a 1971 

USMA graduate, a graduate of 

CGSC, and is a registered professional engineer in Virginia. 
Discipline and 

unit Performance 1 

bv MAJ C'harles G Kershaw 

Soon after I arrived at my new 

duty station, I donned my 

load-carrying equipment 

(LCE), and headed to the range to 

requalify with my individual 

weapon. 

At the range, soldiers stood in 

concrete foxholes, zeroing their 

weapons. The range NCOIC and 

two other safety NCOs walked the 

firing line while small groups of 

officers, NCOs, and soldiers milled 

in the background, waiting their 

turns to fire. 

The safety NCOs wore their LCE 

hanging open and loose as they 

pried pebbles from the ground with 

M-16 cleaning rods. A bareheaded 

master sergeant, whose LCE also 

draped open, briefed second firing 

order, as they lounged on the 

bleachers. Others around me, including a young captain, had not 

fastened their equipment. 

I asked several individuals what 

the unit policy was regarding wear 

of the LCE. The captain said he 

wore his open because everyone else 

did. The master sergeant grudgingly 

responded, "Sir, if that's what you 

want, I'll fasten it." 

/ i: 

The sergeant's exasperated reply 

to my queries hothered me. I expect 

to see soldiers wearing their uniforms smartly, even in the field. 

Precision in training fosters success 

in combat. Soldiers become accustomed to workingin an environment 

of excellence characterized by pride, 

discipline, and attention to detail. 

Military leaders judge units by 

how well they execute the small 

details of tactics, gunnery, maintenance, and appearance. In other 

words, they look at the basics. 

According to a study conducted at 

the Naval Post Graduate School 

entitled "Excellence in Combat 

Arms," senior commanders commented that they could not tell if a 

unit was excellent in just a few 

minutes, but they could usually 

determine whether it was good or 

not. Appearance ranked high as an 

indicator of discipline. 

The Army rests on the foundation 

of discipline. Units cannot and will 

not accomplish their missions without it. Discipline trains soldiers to 

react properly in the absence of 

leaders and orders. It enforces adherence to unpopular decisions. 

/'/:o!<, I,>' PI.'( ' fl:c/>c,,(1 -11 <<,,I/7,.,r,,. 

Tough, demanding tasks hecomr 

easier to accomplish. Discipline 

prepares soldiers to endure the confusion and stress of combat. 

What disturbed me most about the 

scene at the zero range was the 

sloppiness of NCOs and officers 

charged with responsibility for enforcing policies and standards. 

Leaders establish standards of performance by what they do, not by 

what they say. I felt that the standard being set by their example 

undermined the fabric of unit 

discipline. 

Ardant du Pirq wrote thattime-a 

long time-is needed to give leaders 

the habit of command and confidence in their own authority and to 

give soldiers confidence in their 

leaders and in their fellows. 

Itis notenough to order discipline. 

The chain of command must continually practice it. 

MAJ Charles K~rshaw, formerly 

an instructor in thr Conzmand and 

Leadershi11 Branch, Depurtn~ent of 

Comhinrd Arms, USAES, is now 

the brigade 54 of thu 193d Infantry 

Brigade in Pnnama. 

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY 


ENGINEER PROFESSIONAL 8ULLLTIII 


US ARMY ENGINEER SCHOOL 


ATTII: AT=-TO-P. STOP a- R 


FORT BELVOIR, VA RpO.O-SRY1 


OFFICIAL BUSl1LSS 


W*UNcon DmvAim YO& ma0 


7 . 

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*~utomhting the DEH 

jr~acilities Technology Application Testing 

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