535th ESC Supports Operation Iraqi Freedom
Abstract
Although each unit s deployment is determined by specific mission requirements and the current .situation on the ground, the intent of this article is to help fellow engineer Soldiers understand and prepare for a deployment where they will face a variety of missions and challenges, such as the 535th Engineer Support Company (ESC) experienced during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 535th ESC is based out of United States Army, Europe (USAREUR), and falls under the 54th Engineer Battalion for command and control. The training before deployment took advantage of USAREUR s vast training resources, numerous engineer support requirements, and the number of units that passed through the garrison during annual training. The company s training consisted of four situational training exercises that focused heavily on platoonlevel convoys, battle drills, and weapons training. Engineer skills training included equipment training at USAREUR s two dig sites, support to United States Army Reserve troop construction projects, engineer support to brigade combat teams (BCTs) during deployment preparation, and support to USAREUR by constructing helicopter landing pads and an improvised explosive device (IED) training lane and improving roads. The company s capstone training event was a mission readiness exercise that incorporated battle drills, a convoy live fire, medical evacuation, interaction with civilians on the battlefield, and engineer mission planning.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA559611
Entities
People
- Kurt W. Zwoboda
Organizations
- United States Army Engineer School