Engineer Field Squadron: A New Engineer Organization for Operations Other Than War (OOTW).
Abstract
During the closing days of the Cold War, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reorganized the combat engineer units in support of the armored and mechanized divisions. The collapse of the Soviet Union and her proxy allies left the U.S. Army increasingly confronted with emphasis on Operations Other Than War (OOTW). This created a dilemma: new types of operations and organizations optimized for the old, Soviet, threat. This monograph asks the question: Which engineer organization is better suited for OOTW, the U.S. or the British? The organization and capabilities of the two engineer units are analyzed to determine which organization is better suited for OOTW. Fist, current U.S. Army doctrine is examined, specifically the tenets of army operations and the principles of OOTW. These establish the criteria for units involved in OOTW. Second, three OOTW operations are studied to identify the OOTW requirements placed on engineer units. The case studies: Lebanon, 1958; Dominican Republic, 1965; and Bosnia- Herzegovina, 1982-83; show that versatility is the principal criteria for engineer success in OOTW. Next the U.S. and British engineer organizations are examined-their personnel, equipment, structure , and capabilities. The fourth part of the study compares the combat engineer company and the field squadron using the criteria established by theory and historical examples. The last section summarizes the results and answers the thesis question. The U.S. divisional combat engineer companies have become too narrowly focused; they have lost much of the versatility and capability for which the engineers are justifiably famous. The Royal Engineer Field Squadron is a better organization for the types of operations the Army is likely to be facing in the future.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 16, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA300989
Entities
People
- Lou L. Marich
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College