|
RDL Homepage |
Table of Contents |
Document Information |
Download Instructions |
LESSON 1
THE ARMY, THE SOLDIER, AND THE ENVIRONMENT
LESSON DESCRIPTION:
This lesson discusses the US Army's environmental position and explains the four environmental pillars as they relate to training and operations.
TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
ACTION: |
You will learn to describe the Army's environmental position as it relates to Army training and operations. |
CONDITION: |
You will be given the material contained in this lesson. You will work at your own pace and in your own selected environment with no supervision. |
STANDARD: |
You will correctly answer questions on the practice exercise at the end of the lesson. |
REFERENCES: |
The material contained in this lesson was derived from AR 200-1, AR 200-2, FM 3-100.4, FM 6-22, TC 3-34.489, US Army Environmental Strategy into the 21st Century, and TVT 5-56P1. |
To accomplish environmental responsibilities effectively, you must know what it takes to be a good steward in the environmental awareness program. To be a good steward, you must learn and understand not only how the environment affects everyday training and operations, but also how everyday duties affect the environment. Soldiers must train to fight a war anywhere in the world, without causing or by minimizing harm to the environment. The military must confront its environmental responsibilities. Currently, the Department of Defense (DOD) must clean up more than 20,000 sites suspected of being contaminated with toxic materials. The Army is responsible for many of the sites that are littered with hazards such as paints, solvents, ammunition, and fuel. Preventing this damage would have been far less costly than cleaning up these sites.
1-1 Environmental Vision. Caring for the environment begins with the Army's vision of environmental responsibility. The US Army Environmental Strategy into the 21st Century describes what the Army expects of soldiers:
"The Army will integrate environmental values into its mission in order to sustain readiness, improve the soldier's quality of life, strengthen community relationships, and provide sound stewardship of resources."
a. Taking care of the environment protects human health and safety and guards natural resources. For example, when fuel spills on the ground, it soaks into the soil, poisons plants, and eventually enters streams and lakes that supply drinking water.
b. Caring for the environment also supports the Army mission. Costly environmental cleanups detract from Army readiness. During war, many wise tactical, medical, or operations security (OPSEC) practices are also good environmental practices. Handling fuels safely, maintaining vehicles, disposing of solid waste/hazardous waste (HW), and managing and turning in ammunition properly are sound environmental and tactical considerations that carry over from training into combat operations.
c. Many practices that damage the environment waste time and do not lead to success in combat. One example occurred during the Gulf War when Iraqi soldiers set fire to Kuwaiti oil fields and poured millions of gallons of crude oil into the Persian Gulf. The Iraqi Army deliberately damaged environmental resources and wasted valuable time and effort on activities that did not stop the allies' advance. Remember, environmental stewardship does not prevent the Army from fighting and winning wars; it supports the Army mission.
1-2. Environmental Ethic. FM 22-100, Army Leadership, defines ethics as principles or standards that guide soldiers and professionals to do the moral or right thing. The environmental ethic is as follows:
"We will take care of the environment because it is the right thing to do."
a. The Army's environmental ethic is the operating principle and value governing soldiers, units, and the entire Army. Damage to land, water, and air can be reduced by considering the effects of training, operations, and logistical activities on the environment and by properly managing hazardous material and waste properly. Doing what is best for the environment helps ensure that space will be available to conduct future training. Soldiers put this ethic into practice by—
Complying with installation environmental policies, unit standing operating procedures (SOPs), AR, and environmental laws and guidelines.
Preventing environmental damage and pollution by making sound decisions that will not harm the environment.
Advising the chain of command when unit actions do not comply with environmental guidelines.
Supporting the Army recycling program.
Reporting hazardous material (HM) and HW spills immediately.
Making sound environmental decisions in the absence of a supervisor or proper guidance.
b. Stewardship is the key element in the Army's environmental ethic. The Army's leaders, from squad leader to company commander, serve as basic environmental stewards. They have a professional and personal responsibility to understand and support the Army's environmental program. The Army is charged with protecting and defending the nation and its people, including safeguarding the environment. The Army is entrusted with more than 12 million acres (almost 19,000 square miles) of federal land. The American people expect the Army to use and manage these resources wisely. Environmental stewardship must be built into everything that units and soldiers do to—
Enhance combat readiness.
Ensure mission completion.
Conserve the fighting strength.
Protect the environment.
Reduce current and future costs for environmental restoration.
1-3. Strategy. Based on the vision and the ethic, the Army seeks to conduct operations that are environmentally sustainable, enhance the quality of life, and improve national security. The Army's strategy is to—
Comply with all environmental laws and regulations.
Prevent pollution at the source by reducing, reusing, or recycling materials that cause pollution.
Conserve and preserve natural and cultural resources so that they will be available for present and future generations.
Restore contaminated sites as quickly as possible.
Figure 1 shows the Army's environmental strategy model. This strategy is founded on the bedrock of shared national values, which ties the Army to the nation and gives it stability. The key building blocks—people, resources, communication, management, and organization—provide the foundation for all Army activities, including environmental stewardship. These building blocks support the Army's tradition of leadership. Strong commitment to each part of the foundation is critical to ensure a solid base for environmental initiatives and long-term success. Army leadership, coupled with the building blocks, provides a sound footing for the four pillars of compliance, restoration, prevention, and conservation. These pillars represent parts of the environment that must work together.
Figure 1. Army's environmental strategy model
The environmental model shows how these four pillars support environmental stewardship. The Army mission, at the top, requires the Army to manage and use natural resources wisely. Just as a building's walls support its roof, the model's four pillars support environmental stewardship. Environmental stewardship, in turn, supports the Army mission.
a. Compliance. Compliance with environmental regulations is now a necessary cost of doing business. The Army expects soldiers to obey local, state, federal, and host nation (HN) environmental requirements. By following the unit environmental SOP, the environmental guidance that leaders publish in operation orders (OPORDs), and installation environmental regulations, soldiers can help the Army meet its compliance goal.
b. Restoration. Most soldiers do not have any restoration responsibilities. However, to make the installation a safer place for soldiers and their families, the Army is cleaning up its contaminated sites. By following the principles under the other three environmental pillars, soldiers can help the Army eliminate the need for a restoration pillar.
c. Prevention. Prevention is the Army's attempt to reduce or eliminate pollution. Preventing pollution is always more effective and less costly than cleaning up polluted sites. Soldiers can support prevention efforts by reducing, reusing, or recycling waste products.
(1) Reduce. If soldiers perform a job carefully, they can often reduce the amount of pollution produced. For example:
Storing cans of paint properly prevents the paint from ruining and prevents pollution.
Using floor sweep compound carefully reduces the amount of floor sweep required to clean up oil spills.
Using less harmful products reduces the toxicity of the waste generated.
Using soap and water instead of harmful solvents reduces the amount of harmful materials produced and prevents pollution.
(2) Reuse. Reusing products reduces the amount of trash that must be taken to commercial landfills. Instead of throwing things away, reuse them. For example:
Use both sides of notepaper before throwing it away.
Select products that have refillable containers.
Collect and reuse rags in the arms room or the motor pool.
(3) Recycle. Prevent pollution by recycling. Many products the Army uses can be recycled. These include paper, aluminum cans, radiators, batteries, pavement, and scrap metal. The installation can often sell recyclable materials and raise funds for things like recreation facilities.
d. Conservation. Included in the conservation pillar are two different types of resource management—conservation and preservation. Conservation focuses on responsibly using land to ensure long-term, natural resource productivity. Preservation, which focuses on resource protection, is essential for ensuring the future integrity of valuable national resources. The Army exercises numerous preservation techniques and programs. These programs are exercised in concert with programs of the Soil Conservation Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and other federal and state agencies. All are devoted to land use and conservation, training area maintenance, and preservation of natural resources and historic and cultural sites. Preservation is needed to ensure the future integrity of valuable national resources such as species' habitats and historical and cultural sites. As stewards of natural and cultural resources, the Army practices preservation.
1-4. Stewardship. Along with the Army training on a vast amount of acreage, comes the responsibility of stewardship—safeguarding and enhancing our vital resources. The Army must guarantee the continuing usefulness of land by protecting the environment from the effects of current and future training operations.
a. The following environmental elements could potentially be affected through Army training and operations:
(1) Forests. The Army is responsible for approximately one million acres of timberland. These forests provide realistic training environments and are a valuable source of wildlife habitat. Over 100 installations have programs for land use, conservation, and maintenance to keep training areas healthy.
(2) Natural bodies of water and wetlands. Many Army installations include wetlands. In recent years, we have learned just how crucial wetlands are to the nation's environment. They are highly sensitive and productive areas that provide breeding, rearing, and feeding grounds for fish and wildlife.
(3) Rangelands. Keeping training areas healthy is a top priority. Over 100 major Army installations have special management programs devoted to land-use conservation and maintenance. The Army works closely with the Soil Conservation Service and the Forest Service to improve soil, rangeland, and forest management. Farming and grazing are important parts of land revitalization. Land revitalization projects benefit the Army and the local farming communities. Grazing helps reduce hazards from fire, while agriculture restores and controls erosion.
(4) Threatened and endangered species. The Army plays an important role in protecting and managing threatened and endangered plants and animals. Military leaders should take steps to protect and manage the habitats that these plants and animals need to survive and flourish.
(5) Wildlife. The Army is working with other government agencies to provide a foundation for wildlife and nature studies on Army lands. Through the Watchable Wildlife Program, the Army is developing a national network of wildlife observation sites.
(6) Historical and archaeological sites and structures. The Army manages and protects national cultural resources such as buildings, landmarks, and Native American archaeological sites.
b. These are just a few examples of how the Army affects the environment. It is difficult to live or train in areas that have been destroyed, but it is equally difficult to prevent this destruction from happening. Maintaining an environmental balance on a military installation is a difficult task. The Army employs highly trained specialists to manage these areas, but they cannot do everything required. A soldier's contribution can make a big difference in environmental matters.
c. If Army members are not good stewards of the environment and their training facilities, the Army will face increased scrutiny by environmental groups, Congress, and local, state, and federal regulatory agencies. Your compliance with regulations will enhance training areas and the Army's readiness. It will also ensure that land is available for Army operations and training.
1-5. Summary. The Army is integrating environmental considerations into its approach to warfighting. This ensures that as the Army fights and wins future conflicts, its approach will strive to protect and preserve valuable resources (soldiers and materials) and the natural environment.
