Engineers Build Capacity in Stability Operations
Abstract
It has been more than a year since the United States Army published Field Manual (FM) 3-07, Stability Operations. Army engineers continue to conduct operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as support geographic combatant commands. For most units, nothing has changed. Commanders still must balance the demands for clearance of routes, construction of combat out-posts, protection of the force, execution of projects for the Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP), training of host nation security forces or local officials, and support for brigade combat teams (BCTs). The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) element in Iraq -- the Gulf Region District -- actively executed projects, and commanders balanced similar activities, but the district also supported capacity-development activities. This experience in the 21st century has taught us that we must do more than simply complete construction projects and execute missions in support of maneuver units. Success in the new environment requires the United States to build capacity in partner nations, and the Engineer Regiment is an indispensable component of capacity building. In keeping with the regimental motto of Essayons, this article examines the role of United States Army engineers in capacity building and recommends a framework to integrate it into engineer mission planning.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA518176
Entities
People
- Jeffrey R. Eckstein