Combat Engineer Lessons Learned

Combat Engineer Lessons Learned307th EN BN, 82nd ABN DIV

SSG CarterSGT Zavalza

Discuss lessons learned in the Afghan and Iraq AOR with respect to mine and explosive mitigation, cache reduction, and cave demolition.

PurposePurposePurpose

– Acronyms / Terminology– Combat Engineer Organization– Combat Engineer Equipment– Combat Engineer Operations– Questions

AgendaAgendaAgenda

Light Infantry: movement primarily by boots and aircraft, few vehicles

SSE: Sensitive Site Exploitation; searching buildings, caves, etc, for weapons or items with intelligence value

Cache: Collections of weapons and ordinance that had tactical value to the enemy

AHD: Anti-handling devices, boobytraps, commonly put under and around caches to prevent recovery

IEDs: Improvised Explosive Device; any device that is designed to damage equipment or personnel

Acronyms / Terminology Acronyms / Terminology Acronyms / Terminology

Typical Light Infantry Engineer SupportTypical Light Infantry Engineer SupportTypical Light Infantry Engineer Support

Infantry BDE(4500 men)

Combat EN CO (100 men)

Infantry BN(500 men)

INFANTRY ENGINEER SUPPORT

Infantry CO(100 men)

Combat EN PLT (25 men)

Combat EN SQD (7 men)

Combat Engineer Equipment

Engineer EquipmentEngineer EquipmentEngineer Equipment

Aardvark

Mini-Flail

Engineer EquipmentEngineer EquipmentEngineer Equipment

Mine Clearing/Armor Protected (MCAP) D7 Dozer

Engineer EquipmentEngineer EquipmentEngineer Equipment

I-robot (PACBOT)

Engineer EquipmentEngineer EquipmentEngineer Equipment

Engineer EquipmentEngineer EquipmentEngineer Equipment

Minelab

Rock Drill

Binary Explosives

Combat Engineer Operations

CAVE OVERLAY (AS OF: 020600ZFEB03)SSE SUPPORTSSE SUPPORTSSE SUPPORT

• AN-PSS 12 Mine detectors

• Minelabs

• I-Robots

• Well cameras

CAVE OVERLAY (AS OF: 020600ZFEB03)CACHE DESTRUCTIONCACHE DESTRUCTIONCACHE DESTRUCTION

• AHDs / Booby traps• C4 and detonation systems• Munitions • Rounds• Weapons

CAVE OVERLAY (AS OF: 020600ZFEB03)CAVE DEMOLITIONCAVE DEMOLITIONCAVE DEMOLITION

CAVE OVERLAY (AS OF: 020600ZFEB03)CAVE DEMOLITIONCAVE DEMOLITIONCAVE DEMOLITION

• Very Difficult

• 6’ x 6’ opening requires at least 2500 pounds of explosives

• Stereophonics

• Rock Drills

• Binary Explosives

• Air Force Munitions

CAVE OVERLAY (AS OF: 020600ZFEB03)ROUTE CLEARANCEROUTE CLEARANCEROUTE CLEARANCE

• Manual detection and recovery methods• Mine data based on UN database• Indicators• CTF Devil had 2 AP mine strikes, no casualties• IEDs• Electronic Counter Measures

CAVE OVERLAY (AS OF: 020600ZFEB03)MINE CLEARANCEMINE CLEARANCEMINE CLEARANCE• No humanitarian type de-mining

• Clearing land to expand lodgment

• Mechanical clearance

• Mine Dogs proof

• Aardvark, MCAP, Hydrema, several other developing ideas

QUESTIONS

POC INFO:CPT Brent Legreid307 EN BN Operations Officerlegreidbl@bragg.army.mil910.432.7880