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CHAPTER 1

EMPLOYMENT OF ENGINEER DIVERS

Engineer divers support all specialized underwater missions in the TO. The primary mission of engineer diving operations is to support sustainment engineering in the communications zone (COMMZ), providing a means for movement of logistics from port harbors and beach fronts to forward- and rear-area units. The secondary mission is to support maneuver units during water-crossing operations in the forward-battle area, providing maneuver units the capability to cross wet-gap obstacles while minimizing losses. Figure 1-1 is an example of engineer diver deployment in the theater.

COMMAND AND CONTROL

Engineers at the theater army headquarters (TAHQ) engineer command (ENCOM) formulate the plans and determine requirements for port facilities (location, capacity, wharfage, and storage). The theater Army (TA) is responsible for port operations and liaison with the US Navy, US Coast Guard, and other military and authorized civilian agencies from the US and allied countries. General responsibilities of the theater commander, TA commander, and the commander of the Theater Army Area Command (TAACOM) are stated in FM 100-16.

Theater construction and repair tasks that cross service boundaries and require divers will be managed by the regional wartime construction manager (RWCM). ENCOMs perform as the RWCM and provide command and control to the TA engineer force. The ENCOM is the echelons above corps (EAC) engineer headquarters responsible for constructing, maintaining, and repairing the theater sustainment base. When tasked, responsibilities include providing support to other allied military forces in joint or combined TO. The number and type of engineer units in the ENCOM depend on the size of the sustainment base, availability of host-nation support, and perceived threat to the rear area.

Engineer diving units are divided into two distinct organizations. The control and support (C&S) diving detachment provides command, control, and support of diving operations; the lightweight (LW) diving team executes most of the underwater work. The C&S diving detachment is assigned to ENCOM headquarters and may control up to six LW teams. The LW teams may be attached to units requiring prolonged diving support. Chapter 2 describes diving organizations in detail.

Figure 1-2 shows a typical ENCOM and TA interface for a theater Army engineer force.

ENGINEER DIVING SUPPORT PRIORITIES

Engineer diving expertise is required throughout the theater. The ENCOM commander allocates assets in the COMMZ and combat zone (CZ) according to priorities established by the theater commander. Since there are only a limited number of divers, the ENCOM commander may choose to allocate diving assets only to the most critical mission sites.

The majority of underwater work performed by engineer divers requires the use of surface-supplied diving equipment. This requires time to move and set up before diving operations can begin. Once on site, a diving section may need several hours to prepare before deploying a surface-supplied diver into the water. It is critical to include planners from the C&S detachment during early planning stages of an operation to ensure successful diving missions.

The theater commander sets construction priorities and dictates policies which allocate construction assets and materials. The ENCOM commander, as RWCM, applies these policies in assigning diving assets throughout the theater.

Engineer diving tasks in the CZ usually support engineer mobility functions. In the COMMZ, the tasks usually center on sustainment operations such as port construction, harbor clearance, salvage, and ship husbandry. Divers also conduct immediate or emergency diving operations to help save lives or reduce equipment loss plus support interservice recovery operations.

DIVING SUPPORT REQUEST PROCEDURES

After completing mission and situation analyses, the ENCOM commander attaches divers to the appropriate organizational level. Figure 1-3 illustrates request channels for engineer divers.

• Engineer divers may support Navy operational commitments for construction, salvage, or watercraft maintenance. Navy maintenance organizations request diving support from the Army water terminal commander located in the port facility. If divers are not currently attached to the terminal organization, the Army water terminal commander forwards the request through command channels to the ENCOM, detailing the need for divers to support naval operations. If approved, the ENCOM will task Army divers to support the Navy mission.
• If divers are on site supporting Army terminal operations, the Army water terminal commander may task the Army diving teams to support a specific naval maintenance unit. This is based on work priorities and higher command guidance.