Training Joint Engineers for Deployment

Abstract

In the past year of the nation's ongoing Global War on Terrorism, United States Air Force personnel have been called on more and more to deploy to overseas billets in support of United States Army ground forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. These positions include numerous engineer specialties such as explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), engineer design teams, utility teams, and firefighters. In order to prepare these joint fighters for the complex, dangerous ground combat environment in both Iraq and Afghanistan, the 2d Brigade, 91st Division (Training Support) (2-91st TSB), conducts the Army's 3-week Combat Skills Training (CST) course at Fort Carson, Colorado. The 1st Battalion, 361st Engineer Regiment (Task Force Redhawk), is currently executing its 15th CST rotation, training another group of deploying Air Force personnel how to shoot, move, communicate, and save lives. Task Force Redhawk, the 2-91st TSB's engineer training battalion, was originally designed to help train and advise United States Army Reserve and Army National Guard combat engineer and bridging units in the brigade's area of operations. Following 9/11, the task force observer-controller/trainers (OC/Ts) initially provided mobilization assistance and collective training to many of the engineer companies and battalions. In the 11 months from May 2004 to April 2005, the battalion deployed with the brigade to Fort Bliss, Texas, to conduct postmobilization training for two complete brigade combat teams. While these combined arms teams included organic engineers, the task force s role expanded to encompass urban operations including dismounted infantry and mounted patrol operations for maneuver task forces, supporting engineers and maintenance formations (see Urban Operations Training at the Power Projection Platform Welcome to Al Wadi, Engineer, July-September 2005, pp. 7-10).

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2006
Accession Number
ADA596605

Entities

People

  • John C. Mcclellan

Organizations

  • United States Army Engineer School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Personnel
  • Basic Training
  • Combat Patrols
  • Deployment
  • Engineers
  • Explosive Devices
  • Explosive Ordnance Disposal
  • Global Positioning Systems
  • Grenade Launchers
  • Improvised Explosive Devices
  • Medical Evacuation
  • Task Forces
  • Training
  • United States
  • Warfare
  • Weapons

Readers

  • Military Science
  • Military Training and Readiness Simulation
  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.