Civil Engineering Combat Experiences During the Vietnam War: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

This thesis was an exploratory study designed to identify important aspects of the combat experiences of Air Force Civil Engineering (AFCE) personnel in Vietnam. A lack of previous research on Air Force ground combat experiences required the collection of original data. A 56-question structured questionnaire was used to interview seventeen AFCE Vietnam veterans about their combat experiences. Research results describe the Vietnam combat experience in terms of AFCE leadership, cohesion and combat motivation. Tentative conclusions are offered on the worst problems that were encountered (from a human element standpoint) by AFCE in Vietnam as well as how Civil Engineering personnel could have been better prepared for the combat they experienced. Recommendations are made for further research. (KR)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1989
Accession Number
ADA216355

Entities

People

  • Gary B. Lauson

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Air Force Personnel
  • Civil Engineering
  • Combat Areas
  • Combat Support
  • Construction
  • Instructors
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Personnel
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Psychology
  • Second World War
  • Vietnam War
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Engineering

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies
  • Organizational Psychology.