Engineer Peacetime Activities
The Military Engineer in Peace--The military engineer should be made an effective instrument for war but he should also be utilized to the limit of his useful capacity in time of peace. There is no conflict of requirements. On the contrary such duty is, in fact, necessary to his efficiency in war. There is a strong family likeness in all engineering and there are few engineering activities in war which are not analogous to the activities in peace. There is no reason why the military engineer, whose primary function is war, should not also be utilized on peace-time engineering work during the intervals between wars, and it is necessary to his efficiency for war that he be given this experience in peace.
"Army Construction
and the Corps of Engineers"
COL G.A. Youngberg and COL C.O.
Sherrill
The Military Engineer, March-April 1920
In peacetime, the military element of power supports the other
three elements in achieving United States (US) national goals.
The actions of US Army engineers can enhance the domestic and
foreign programs of other US government agencies. Army engineer
activities support US security objectives worldwide. They promote
a favorable image of the US and its democratic way of life. US
Army engineers operating in foreign nations improve relations
between the US and host governments. These engineers teach basic
skills to indigenous civilian and military personnel. They work
together on projects that support host-nation (HN) institutional
and infrastructure development. These projects serve as training
opportunities for both US and HN personnel. In addition, the projects
provide social, economic, or other benefits to the HN. This chapter
describes the coordination of US assistance activities within
an HN. It explains several programs that increase the expertise
of local military engineers and associated civilians (transportation
planners, civil engineers, and so forth). These programs transfer
skills through HN interaction with US personnel. US Army engineers
may be asked for input on these programs as part of an overall
developmental strategy for a country.
Nation assistance is not a separate category of activity.
It includes all cooperative actions taken by the US government
and governments of other nations to promote internal development
and the growth of institutions within those nations. "Institutions"
in the context of nation assistance is a broad term, It includes
large national agencies such as the HN's military or ministry
of public works. It also includes smaller organizations such as
local public education and health agencies. The US government
conducts nation assistance activities to promote stability within
specific countries or regions of the world, as well as for humanitarian
reasons.
Nation assistance activities must be a coordinated effort
between the HN and all US agencies involved (Department of State,
Drug Enforcement Administration, and so forth). Coordination is
essential to achieve a synergistic effect rather than isolated
accomplishments. Lack of master planning may result in disjointed
programs. Examples are bridges with no roads between them, roads
without bridges across major gaps, or health facilities with no
water supplies. In each HN, the US Ambassador's country team will
develop a country plan (the country team concept is described
below). The country plan contains a "vision" of what
the US and the HN should do together. The HN must fully concur
with this vision, as well as the method of achieving it, for nation
assistance to be successful.
The HN, in conjunction with the US, must establish objectives
for internal development that meet the needs of the nation's people.
These objectives may include reducing poverty, distributing the
benefits of national development equitably, or taking steps to
ensure continued prosperity within a nation. For a developmental
assistance program in which the US is participating to be effective,
it must meet several criteria. Programs or projects should serve
the entire population, not just a small section of the society.
Project designs must take into account the skill and level of
technology of the recipients. Results must be maintainable (structures
or facilities) or sustainable (technologies or capabilities) by
the people. A key point here is that a program should attempt
to develop an HN's capabilities, rather than simply providing
a temporary solution to a problem. For example, planners should
plan and execute a bridge construction project in such a way that
an HN learns to build its own bridges. The HN should not simply
receive a completed project without developing a construction
capability.
Expectation management is a key aspect of nation assistance.
National development results in rising expectations on the part
of the populace. As the people of a nation see the benefits of
development accrue to others, they will want more for themselves.
While this is understandable, it may not be possible for a government
to meet the people's desires on a schedule that satisfies them.
The government and the people of the HN must not be given any
promises that the US may not be able to fulfill. To do so may
cause (or worsen) resentment toward the US.
Nation assistance should not be viewed only as a counterinsurgency
strategy. However, failure to develop the type of conditions a
nation assistance program promotes may create an environment which
favors insurgency. Nation assistance activities should strengthen
the image of the national and local governments in the eyes of
the populace. This increases the legitimacy of the government,
fosters national unity, and promotes stability. Nation assistance
programs must be designed so that the perception of the HN people
(as well as the actuality) is that their government is the guiding
force. Some of the activities that nation assistance encompasses
include disaster relief, humanitarian and civic assistance (HCA),
combined exercises, deployments for training (DFTs), and some
types of security assistance. Some of these nation assistance
activities are addressed in this chapter and Chapter 4.
COORDINATION OF US ASSISTANCE
ACTIVITIES WITHIN A HOST NATION
US Army engineers operating independently in an HN coordinate
their activities through the US country team in that country.
The US country team consists of the principal representatives
of the US government departments and agencies in an HN (see Figure 2-l).
These may include the Department of Defense (DOD), the US Agency
for International Development (USAID), the Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA), and so forth. The country team is the executive committee
of the embassy. It is headed by the chief of mission (normally
an ambassador). The ambassador is the senior representative of
the US government in an HN. The country team is the principal
organization through which the diplomatic mission conducts operations.
It is an informal organization, however. It has no set size, structure,
or guidelines for operations. The country team functions as the
ambassador's "cabinet." It makes recommendations, but
it is not a decision-making body. The manner in which the team
operates depends on the desires of the chief of mission. Military
representatives on the country team include the defense attache,
individual service attaches, and the chief of the security assistance
organization (SAO).
The term SAO refers to all US armed-forces organizations that
have security assistance responsibilities and are permanently
assigned to an overseas US diplomatic mission. The US tailors
each SAO to the needs of the HN. For this reason, there is no
standard SAO. A large SAO normally has Army, Navy, and Air Force
sections, each responsible for accomplishing its service's portion
of security assistance activities. A small SAO is divided by function
and has no separate service sections. Figure 2-2,
shows the typical organizational structures of SAOs.
The SAO in an HN may be known by any of a number of names.
The specific name will depend on the number of persons assigned,
the SAO's functions, and the desires of the HN. These names include
"joint military advisory group," "joint US military
group," "US military training mission, " "defense
field office," or, "office of defense cooperation."
The SAO oversees all foreign- based DOD elements in the HN that
have security assistance responsibilities. The SAO chief is responsible
to three authorities--
- The Commander in Chief (CINC) of the unified command responsible for the region in which the HN is located.
- The US ambassador in the HN.
- The director of the Defense Security Assistance Agency (DSAA).
Unified commands have a direct role in security assistance
activities. The CINC of a unified command integrates all military
security assistance plans and activities with regional US military
plans. He ensures consistency between the plans. The CINC also
provides SAOs with technical assistance and administrative support.
He supervises SAO activities in matters that are not functions
or responsibilities of the chiefs of US diplomatic missions. He
advises the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on significant activities
in his area of operations from both regional and country-specific
perspectives. Coordination is essential at all levels between
DOD and USAID. This is particularly true at the unified command
level, with USAID officials throughout the command's area of responsibility
(AOR).
As part of the US country team, the SAO chief reports to the
US ambassador. He assists HN security forces by planning and administering
military aspects of the security assistance program. He does this
in coordination with other members of the country team. The SAO
may conduct limited advisory and training assistance. However,
these functions are secondary to security assistance management
functions. Engineer mobile training teams (MTTs), technical assistance
field teams (TAFTs), or technical assistance teams (TATs) may
perform advisory and training missions for the HN under the SAO's
direction.
ENGINEER PARTICIPATION
IN STAFF VISITS
Staff visits between the US and other nations strengthen professional
ties. They also serve to share ideas between armies. These staff
visits range from exchanges at the battalion staff level to visits
between Chiefs of Staff of the US and foreign nations. One current
staff assistance visit program consists of visits by foreign military
personnel to continental United States (CONUS) military installations
and activities. Another example is a US Army Training and Doctrine
Command (TRADOC) program of Subject-Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE).
The US Army attaches or the SAO personnel assigned to a country
team initiate familiarization visits by foreign military personnel.
The program is governed by Army Regulations (ARs) 380-10
and 37-47.
These publications provide formal control of foreign visit itineraries.
They also contain disclosure guidance relating to visiting personnel.
The specific country's military and its attache in the US must
coordinate the visit and gain final approval.
The SMEE program is a TRADOC initiative. It consists of short,
bilateral dialogues between subject-matter experts (SMEs) from
the US Army and military personnel from selected foreign countries.
Its purpose is to exchange information on specific topics. These
exchanges are usually about a week in length. They are intended
to be low cost and have low visibility. SMEEs are a highly effective
method to share the latest thinking on doctrine, training, force
structure, leader development, and so forth. The SMEE is not normally
associated with the security assistance program.
Each staff visit is unique in purpose, scope, and level. Most
can be funded through the above programs or other similar ones.
US military engineers may participate in several ways. They may
be members of the staff involved in US and foreign nation staff
exchanges. They may be assigned to an installation, activity,
or unit that is hosting foreign personnel. In some cases, they
may be the SME involved in information exchanges.
ENGINEER PARTICIPATION
IN THE US ARMY PERSONNEL EXCHANGE PROGRAM (PEP)
The PEP objective is to foster professional military relationships
between the armies of the US and other nations. PEP officers are
fully integrated into the HN's army, usually performing the same
duties that a member of the host army would. PEP officers fill
authorized positions either in the HN or the US. Officers selected
for these positions serve two-year tours and must be language
and specialty qualified. AR 614-10
provides detailed information on this program.
The US government uses two methods to provide security assistance
training. One method is the International Military Education and
Training Program (IMETP), which is funded by the US government.
The other method is IMETP-type training that is funded by foreign
governments and purchased through foreign military sales (FMS).
The objectives of security assistance training are to--
- Develop skills required to operate and maintain US equipment.
- Develop a foreign country's expertise in management of its military.
- Foster development of a foreign country's professional and technical training capabilities.
- Promote US military rapport with counterparts in a foreign country.
- Promote a better understanding of the US, its people, political system, institutions, and way of life.
- Increase the awareness of international military personnel on the US commitment to human rights.
IMETP increases the efficiency, professional performance,
and readiness of the armed forces receiving the training. IMETP
usually consists of training in CONUS, but training may be conducted
in other countries as well. It involves several methods of schooling:
formal courses, orientation tours, and on-the-job training. Students
are often personnel targeted to assume leadership and management
roles in their armed forces and elsewhere in their governments.
IMETP is funded yearly by Congress under the overall security
assistance program, based on requests by the State Department
in consultation with DOD.
FMS allows qualified foreign governments to purchase defense
articles, services, and training from the US. The sale of defense
articles often requires that personnel be trained on operation
and maintenance of the equipment. This is accomplished by two
methods--IMETP-type training (separate from IMETP due to funding
methods) and mobile training assistance. Mobile training assistance
is provided by both MTTs and field training services (FTS). Details
for this program are found in AR 12-15.
An MTT is a group of DOD personnel on temporary duty to train
foreign personnel. MTTs provide the HN requesting the team with
a self-training capability in a particular skill. The team trains
selected HN personnel. They then become an instructional base
within that country. The team's size and composition are based
on the request submitted by the HN. Engineer-specific MTTs may
relate to any aspect of combat engineering, sustainment engineering
(which includes construction), or topographic engineering. Sometimes
the skill may not be purely military in nature, such as training
in locating and developing water supplies. The SAO, working in
conjunction with the country team and the HN, can determine what
specific capabilities the HN requires. MTTs are requested by an
HN through the SAO. MTTs are programmed to last 179 days or less,
including all the time that members are away from their home station.
The SAO controls the operations and the administration of MTTs
while in the foreign country.
An FTS is basically a long-term MTT either using Extended
Training Service Specialists (ETSS) or contract field services
(CFS). ETSS consists of DOD military or civilian personnel qualified
to provide training in installation, operation, and maintenance
of FMS equipment. ETSS personnel are assigned (usually limited
to one year) to the in-country SAO. CFS provides the same services;
however, team members are contracted from private industry. They
are only used when DOD personnel are unavailable or their use
is impractical.
TATs consist of DOD personnel on temporary duty. They provide
in-country technical assistance to the armed forces of a foreign
government on specific weapons, equipment, technology, or supporting
systems. Assistance is provided for a relatively short time and
for a purpose which cannot be satisfied by CONUS training programs
or commercial contracts. The principal purpose is technical assistance,
not training, although some instruction may be provided to HN
technicians. AR 12-7 explains policies,
procedures, and restrictions relating to TATs.
Engineer advisors are individuals who provide assistance to
an HN engineer unit. These individuals advise engineer units to
enable them to train and operate more effectively. Advisors do
not supplement or supercede the chain of command. They are attached
to engineer units to provide assistance on combat, sustainment,
or topographic engineering depending on unit needs. Individuals
in these positions must be able to speak the language of the HN
and understand its political, economic, and social conditions.
Exercise deployments include a diverse group of peacetime
activities conducted by the US Army. Deployments can range from
a Special Forces (SF) team to a well-drilling detachment to an
exercise involving one or more engineer battalions. An example
of this last case is the Fuertes Caminos (Strong Roads) series
of exercises. Deployments are funded through the JCS exercise
program or by individual services to support US security concerns
worldwide. Exercises are planned and directed through the unified
commands and involve the Total Army (Active, Army Reserve, and
National Guard), other services, and allied forces.
Engineer units may participate in major deployments designed
to exercise contingency plans in support of existing alliances.
Engineer training activities in these large-scale exercises often
involve combat engineer support to maneuver units and may occur
in more developed areas of the world. Other deployments may be
smaller in nature and provide a more subtle approach to furthering
US goals abroad. Many deployments to Third World nations fall
into this category.
Deployments for exercises in the Third World environment have
unique characteristics. These deployments will include conventional
and special operations forces (SOF) of the Army and other services.
Engineer units from the US Air Force, US Navy, and US Marine Corps
can often provide capabilities not found in Army engineer units.
These units from the other services will complement Army capabilities.
Nonmilitary agencies including the State Department (such as the
ambassador and country team), the Justice Department, the DEA,
and others also have prominent roles. Exercises in the Third World
often support a government fighting an insurgency or potential
insurgency. This US role is defined as foreign internal defense
(FID). Specific considerations for FID will be discussed in Chapter 4.
The primary objective of these exercises is training. They
will often be joint or combined in nature. Exercise-specific equipment,
residual repair parts, and other supplies must return to the US
with the participating units. However, other security assistance
activities may occur in conjunction with exercises. Activities
such as equipment transfers and HCA take advantage of the US military
presence to help foreign nations. Engineer equipment purchased
through FMS or given to allies from excess equipment stocks can
be deployed with US engineer units. HN units can be trained on
the equipment, and it can be left to improve HN -engineer capabilities.
Exercise-related construction (ERC) principally supports an
exercise but may give an HN a residual benefit. ERC is construction
on other than US-owned or -controlled real property of an unspecified
minor construction project, mainly in support of an in-progress
or planned Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) exercise outside
the continental US, which results in facilities that remain after
the end of that exercise. ERC often includes construction or upgrade
of roads, airfields, and well drilling and construction of rudimentary
ports and pipelines. All engineer sustainment operations that
are a part of these exercises are performed to theater of operations
(TO) standards.
HCA provides a way through which US military personnel and
assets augment other US nonmilitary programs. It improves the
quality of life in an HN through rudimentary construction, health
care, and sanitation programs. HCA may involve the use of a substantial
amount of materials to complete the project. These materials (building
materials, machinery, or other items) result in semipermanent
structures used for schools, community buildings, or medical centers.
They are also used for wells (for communities with pumping equipment)
and medical, dental, and veterinarian services. Materials are
funded through FMS or USAID or other monies available under the
Foreign Assistance Act (FAA). In 1986, Congress modified Title
10 of the US Code to authorize HCA in conjunction with any US
military activity. Before this, it was authorized only during
JCS-directed or -coordinated exercises.
Military engineers have a major role in exercises conducted
in Third World countries. Support to maneuver units may occur,
but often the presence of combat units is not desired due to political
sensitivities. Engineers frequently comprise the bulk of units
involved. They often form a task force headquarters to control
the exercise. (Due to transportation costs and limitations and
HN sensitivities, engineer unit deployments may be limited to
platoon or company (-) in size.) Combined engineer training activities
with the HN military, the civilian authorities, and in some cases
the civilian population include the following areas:
- Road construction.
- Damage control (natural disaster or man-made destruction).
- Production of construction materials (includes crushed rock, lumber, asphalt, and concrete).
- Location of potable-water sources (or water that can be purified). These may be surface or underground sources.
- Airfield construction and upgrade.
- Well drilling.
- Provision of diving teams for all types of operations.
- Pipeline design and construction management.
- Power-plant operation and maintenance.
- Forestry operations.
- Port construction (developing, rehabilitating, and maintaining port facilities).
- Training on the construction, operation, and maintenance of all types of utilities.
- Fire-fighting training.
- Topographic engineering (mapping, surveying, and terrain analysis).
Exercise planning and execution must consider many regulatory
documents such as--
- Joint Staff publications.
- Service regulations.
- US government agency regulations (Department of State, DEA, Customs, and so forth).
- Department of State in-country rules.
- HN laws and Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs)
- Security assistance regulatory controls.
- US laws (such as the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended).
The many regulations and controls make coordination with numerous
headquarters and agencies essential. At the unit level, much of
the coordination will be done by higher headquarters. However,
this does not preclude the need to be aware of all the peculiarities
of these exercises.
Engineers planning for exercise deployments to Third World
countries must address the following issues:
- Unit mission for the exercise. A unit's mission statement and capabilities should match the types of activities it will execute during the exercise.
- Exercise objectives. All exercise objectives must be clearly defined and stated up front. The unified command's and HN's perceptions that the focus of an engineer deployment is either "nation assistance" or "training" must be resolved to the satisfaction of all. This is essential because the focus of the deployment will affect the approach that US participants will take. The primary goal of a training exercise is to train US soldiers. The primary goal of a nation assistance project is to transfer a skill, as well as an end product, to the HN. While the result of each type of deployment maybe a finished project, the approach will be different, based on the focus.
- Exercise focus. The political element of national power has primacy in the exercise area. Close coordination is required, either through higher headquarters or directly to the SAO.
- Area of operations. The exercise area may not correspond to the CAPSTONE assignment (wartime mission area) of the engineer unit. Special language and regional orientation training may be required.
- Force security. Regardless of the expected potential for violence, this is of paramount importance to the political element. The chain of command must clearly state the rules of engagement (ROE). The ROE must be understood by all exercise participants.
- Skill requirements. Planners must identify the required level of expertise in project design, quality assurance, and construction management. The current skill level of unit personnel must be determined and raised (if necessary) before the exercise.
- Equipment requirements. Modification table of organization and equipment (MTOE) equipment may not be adequate for exercise projects. In some cases, additional equipment may be available through temporary loan. If not, commercial equipment must be contracted, as well as operator and maintenance training.
- Logistical requirements. Although these exercises are designed primarily as training events, they are heavily logistics-oriented. This is especially true in the area of contracting.
- Funding issues. Because of the variety of funding methods for exercises, budget and contract issues must be addressed early when planning a deployment. It is essential to use proper funding authorizations. The two major types of funding involved in exercise deployments are FAA funds and operation and maintenance (O&M) funds. Within one deployment, it may be necessary to use more than one source. Funding restrictions are subject to change as legislation and US policy are modified. Commanders must consult their legal staff for current guidance.
- Legal considerations. Claims and HN laws must be addressed in planning and project management.
- Communications. Engineer-unit communications equipment is often inadequate because of dependence on communications assets of higher headquarters. Augmentation must be planned for engineer-controlled deployments.
- Responsibilities. A clear understanding must be developed between the US and the HN as to who is responsible for each aspect of the exercise. This includes design of projects, material procurement, construction standards, quality control, and so forth.
US Army Reserve (USAR) and Army National Guard (ARNG) engineer
units participate in overseas CJCS exercises under the concept
of oversea deployment training (ODT). ODT provides the opportunity
to conduct wartime mission-oriented training and planning in an
overseas location to units deployed in support of JCS-approved
operations plans. It also provides CONUS-based units with the
opportunity to conduct mobilization, deployment, reception, execution
of training, and redeployment activities at outside continental
United States (OCONUS) locations. Another ODT objective is to
strengthen CAPSTONE relationships between units. AR 350-9
outlines policies and procedures relating to ODT.
An exercise involving a major deployment represents one of
the most challenging training events for military engineers. The
opportunity to design, plan, and perform actual construction to
TO standards in peacetime is invaluable to engineer units in the
active, reserve, and National Guard. Exceptions to the "TO
standards" approach to construction will result if the HN
plans to use the finished product of a project for more than two
years. An initial design for a project may be more robust than
the TO standard, or the project designer may develop a maintenance
program for HN implementation.
Engineer-related civic action projects are part of the overall
Military Civic Action Program, which is defined as follows: The
use of preponderantly indigenous military forces on projects useful
to the local population at all levels in such fields as education,
training, public works, agriculture, transportation, communications,
health, sanitation, and others contributing to economic and social
development which would also serve to improve the standing of
the military forces with the population (see Joint Publication (Jnt Pub) 1-02).
This definition distinguishes military civic action from civic
action conducted by the Department of State (through USAID, for
example). The definition also separates military civic action
from humanitarian assistance that the US military conducts in
response to natural disasters. Military civic action will have
a lasting effect only if the local populace feels that it is part
of the process. A completed project has greater impact if the
people feel that they helped identify the need for the project
and participated in completing it. The resultant product of any
military civic action project must be maintainable by the HN.
Projects that deteriorate through neglect (or the inability of
the country to do adequate maintenance) are of no use to the HN.
Military civic action contributes to the development of a
nation and improves the standing of its military in the eyes of
its people. It helps HN forces mobilize the people and other resources
in support of the HN's government. An additional benefit includes
improving perceptions of the US government presence and attitudes
toward US citizens in general. Military civic action may also
serve to transfer US values to the HN military--particularly the
concept of civilian control of the military.
Military civic action manifests itself in many forms. The
US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has a dual role as a military
entity and a public-works agency. This combined military and civil
engineering potential allows USACE to respond to the needs of
the Army and the nation as a whole. In this peaceful international
environment, there are ample opportunities to use both capabilities.
The following are examples of US support to military civic
action:
- Engineer personnel can assist foreign military engineer units with "self-help" programs. HN personnel may learn about building roads, surveying, equipment operations, water supply and distribution, vertical construction, and other skills.
- USACE can establish field offices that serve as a training ground for indigenous engineer personnel. The HN forms a cadre of experts who can administer developmental programs.
- US Army engineer units can directly construct or develop infrastructures. This often occurs as part of some other activity such as a unit deployment for training or a combined training exercise. Military civic action funds are used to pay for portions of small projects built by US forces as part of these activities
The Civic Action Team (CAT) Program is a unique approach to
military civic action. It is a joint service project in the Pacific,
specifically in the Freely Associated States (FAS) and the Trust
Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI). The program is managed
by the Commander in Chief, US Pacific Command (USCINCPAC). It
has two objectives. The first is to assist and train the local
population by undertaking projects that are of particular interest
to the government of the FAS/TTPI. The second objective is to
maintain a favorable military presence in the region. The projects
are executed by detachments that work with the local populace.
A detachment generally consists of an engineer officer in charge
(OIC), a noncommissioned officer in charge (NCOIC), a medic, and
eleven soldiers with carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and equipment-operating
skills.
ENGINEER CONSULTING AND
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Engineer consulting and construction management services in
a peaceful strategic environment are basically military civic
action on a larger scale. They may also be conducted in an area
where a uniformed military presence is not practical or desired.
International construction projects are included in the FMS program.
A foreign country desiring to develop its infrastructure or improve
the quality of life for its citizens can purchase construction
services from the US government under FMS. Funding is accomplished
using a variety of methods ranging from cash payments to US loans
and grants. Overall control of this effort is performed by the
DSAA.
Construction projects are initiated by the HN, included in
the country team's Annual Integrated Assessment for Security Assistance
(AIASA), and funded by the HN or by congressional annual appropriations.
USACE acts as the construction manager for the US government for
these construction projects. The HN gains fringe benefits from
the technical advice and assistance provided by USACE. Primary
among these are the following:
- Untrained local employees, through association with those trained by USACE personnel, receive otherwise unattainable practical on-the-job training in various skills and trades.
- USACE and contractor personnel enhance the economy through local purchase of material and services.
- A sense of pride is instilled in the population through the development of an in-country construction and professional engineer capability that may have been previously nonexistent.
- Resources, previously ignored, are developed and recognized as valuable assets to the nation's welfare.
For small projects, construction is performed by the HN's
military engineers to the greatest extent possible to support
the philosophy of military civic action. For projects that exceed
the capability of the HN's military, HN or US civilian contractors
may be used. Local materials are used whenever possible to ensure
familiarity for HN personnel. (Note: A waiver is required when
non-US materials are used for the project that is funded by the
US.) A comprehensive assessment of the country's military engineer
expertise and capabilities and the availability of construction
materials is a critical step in the management process. An engineer
MTT may be required to increase the indigenous military engineer
capabilities. In many areas of the world, other US military services
are more readily available to provide this engineer training (for
example, Navy or Coast Guard).
When the proposed construction project exceeds indigenous
military engineer capability, then USACE contracts a civilian
construction agency to do the work. As before, local civilian
construction firms are used when possible. High-dollar projects
(over $2.5 million) incur congressional oversight.
There are many examples of US support for international construction.
Long-term USACE involvement in projects in Saudi Arabia is an
excellent example of a long-term, high-dollar- value operation.
The Saudi Arabian government purchased the services of USACE as
their construction management agent. This included the formation
of the Middle East Engineer Division, due to the projects' scope.
At the low end of the spectrum (dollar wise) was a $40,000 medical
clinic constructed in Mali by indigenous military engineers. In
all cases, USACE aids various agencies, both US and HN. It provides
construction management expertise, locates and obtains materials,
and implements quality control.
TOPOGRAPHIC ENGINEERING
SUPPORT
The Defense Mapping Agency (DMA) is the DOD agent responsible for fostering international cooperation and for negotiating and concluding agreements in the mapping, charting, and geodesy field. DMA has contact with mapping organizations in almost 200 countries and has formal agreements with over 70 governments. These agreements can be bilateral or multinational and may involve product exchange, cooperative production programs, technical assistance, standardization, and facsimile reproduction. Field Manual (FM) 5-105 explains responsibilities and definitions for international mapping, charting, and geodesy cooperation. Additionally, it establishes the doctrinal organization, capabilities, and employment of US Army topographic engineer units in a TO.
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