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Chapter 7

Contingency Operations

Contingency operations are military actions requiring rapid deployment of the full spectrum of military forces in support of national policy short of war. These operations are normally undertaken when vital national interests are at stake and when direct and indirect diplomacy or other forms of influence have been exhausted or need to be supplemented by either a show of force or a direct military action. The ability to respond to these crises will be based on two factors: the judicious forward presence of US military forces and the strategic response from continental United States (CONUS)-based forces.

US divisions may be required to respond rapidly to a variety of contingencies anywhere in the world. The division may deploy to conduct operations where there may or may not be any existing US or allied presence. Conflicts in these areas may be at any level of intensity and are characterized by little or no predeployment warning to the assault force. Upon arrival in the theater, the division will normally become part of a larger force, commonly the corps to which it is assigned or a JTF.

Because of their rapid deployability, the airborne, air assault, and light infantry divisions are uniquely qualified in reacting and conducting contingency operations. Armored forces, also an important element to contingency operations, are usually task organized into the force packages based on METT-T, unless they are already forward deployed close to the contingency area. Armored divisions require the dedication of substantial amounts of sea, ground, and airlift assets, and routinely follow a light force into the AO at a later date.

Division and corps engineer forces provide critical support to contingency operations. To provide this support, the division engineer must understand the characteristics, mission types, and doctrinal fundamentals of contingency operations. Regardless of the type of division, he must appreciate how these factors apply to engineer missions and how engineer missions and forces are integrated into contingency operations. The engineer estimate process is the principal planning tool for the division engineer to integrate with division contingency operations planning.

Contingency operations such as Urgent Fury, Golden Pheasant, Just Cause, Desert Shield/Storm, and Restore Hope clearly illustrate how contingency operations require the full spectrum of engineer forces. The challenge facing engineer force planners at all levels is to maximize the combat potential of the force, balanced against the many uncertainties of a rapidly developing operation. Planners meet this challenge by synchronized, coordinated, and detailed planning.

CHARACTERISTICS AND TYPES OF CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS

The division engineer must understand the characteristics and importance of contingency operations as outlined in FM 100-15. While there is a variety of contingency operations, the focus of this chapter is on contingency operations which involve combat operations, such as strikes and raids. FM 5-114 provides additional information on engineer support to contingency operations in peacetime and during conflict. Characteristics of contingency operations are--

• US interests are at stake.
• Crisis generated.
• Time sensitive.
• Political pressure for a quick, clear victory.
• Uncertainty of the situation on the ground.
• Joint and combined operations.
• Political situation may impose a degree of centralized control.
• Forces may be constrained by sea and airlift.

There are nine major types of contingency operations:

• Show of force and demonstration.
• Noncombatant evacuation operations.
• Rescue and recovery operations.
• Strikes and raids.
• Peacemaking.
• Unconventional warfare.
• Disaster relief.
• Security assistance surges.
• Support to US civil authorities.

The versatility of the division presents war planners with multiple employment options for responding to the variety of contingencies. The selection of the preferred option or a combination of options is based on consideration of METT-T and guidance from corps. This option, once selected, becomes the planning, execution, and synchronization framework for the operation. Division employment options are discussed in FM 71-100. The corresponding division engineer employment options include--

• Employing the division engineers as organized.
• Augmenting and task organizing the division engineers after deployment. Division engineers normally require augmentation from division or echelons above division (EAD) engineer elements to increase their capability to support the mission.
• Augmenting and task organizing the division engineers before deployment. Division engineers are augmented with EAD engineer elements before deployment due to the lack of forward-deployed engineer forces or to meet operation-specific requirements.
• Designating selected items of pre-positioned equipment in the theater for issue or procurement for division engineers.

Any of the options selected must support a combined arms force organized into three echelons: assault, follow-on, and rear. The division commander designs his forces around METT-T, ensuring that it allows the deployment and proper employment of each echelon. The division engineer conducts parallel planning with the division staff to develop a corresponding echeloned engineer task organization that supports the echeloned division forces. To do this, he sequences related engineer activities with the maneuver plan. These activities and related functional and unit duties and responsibilities should be laid out in the division, DIVEN headquarters, and division engineer battalion readiness SOPs.

During planning, the division engineer has two overriding goals: maximizing the combat capability of the division and reducing support requirements to essentials. While the division engineer uses METT-T analysis to determine the exact mix of engineer forces in each echelon, the influence of these two goals on planning is extremely crucial. Contingency operations are characterized by uncertain and rapidly changing situations, coupled with the operations's unknown duration. Engineer planners must be able to evaluate the possibilities and support the maneuver commander in overcoming them while allowing him to adapt and remain proactive during the entire operation.

The following sections of this chapter will use the five phases of contingency operations and a CONUS-based force as a vehicle to address division engineer planning considerations and functions.

CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS PHASES

There are five phases to contingency operations:

1. Predeployment and crisis action.

2. Deployment and initial combat actions.

3. Force buildup and combat operations.

4. Decisive combat operations.

5. Redeployment.

These phases provide the basic planning and execution structure and can be adjusted or modified to fit the needs of any particular contingency operation.

FM 71-100 outlines division planning considerations for all phases of a contingency operation. The engineer estimate provides the planning framework for the division engineer to integrate into the division's command estimate process for contingency operations planning. It provides a systematic procedure for developing the engineer task organization and scheme of engineer operations to support all phases of the contingency operation.

Predeployment and Crisis Action

At the onset of the predeployment and crisis action phase, alert notification is made to the division, brigade, and lower levels. Division personnel are assembled and moved to marshaling areas where final unit deployment preparations are made. Mission analysis is also initiated, as well as the development of tactical concepts and required force structures, to accomplish the mission. Figure 7-1, shows an example of a phase 1 analysis by a CONUS-based contingency force. A similar analysis is also conducted by a forward-deployed contingency force.

This is the critical phase of a contingency operation. Success during the other phases is predicated on the successful planning conducted during this phase. The division commander and his staff must anticipate the requisite military conditions for success, sequence activities that will achieve those conditions, and resource accordingly. They must synchronize and sequence activities that rapidly transition the division into the deployment and initial combat phase.

The division engineer conducts a detailed engineer estimate during this initial phase to develop the engineer force allocation and support for each phase of the contingency operation. Figure 7-2 shows an example of engineer functions for this phase. The division engineer begins the engineer estimate by analyzing initial mission guidance and information contained in the corps or JTF OPLAN and OPORD. Based on the identified missions, the division engineer sup ports the division's development of facts and assumptions. Engineer integration into the IPB is vital during this phase. The division engineer conducts the EBA to provide the G2 with the critical aspects of terrain and enemy engineer activity which impact on the maneuver plan. The division engineer works closely with the topographic terrain team to analyze ports, airfields, and other aspects of terrain. At this point, the division engineer normally has extensive information requirements, which stem from the uncertainties of the area of operations. His involvement in the IPB ensures that engineer specific PIRs, IRs, and NAIs are incorporated into the collection plan and used in the four principal templates. These are developed to support all three echelons of the division and are synchronized for the five phases of the operation. If the PIRs and IRs are accepted, they are forwarded through corps to be collected by SOF assets, allies, or other sources in the AO. (Some of these PIRs may have already been developed by higher headquarters and the information readily available). Examples of PIRs developed by engineers are--

• Locations and capabilities of host-nation engineer equipment sources and the availability of Class IV and V supplies in country.
• Capability of road network and bridges to support MSRs and requirements for improvement. Locations of materials to support maintenance.
• Anticipated condition of the airfields or ports after seizure and repair or upgrade requirements to support force buildup. Locations of materials to support maintenance.
• Ability of the lodgment area to support force buildup. Upgrade and sustainment engineering requirements.
• Extent of enemy obstacle and fortification preparations around the airfields or ports to be seized. Assessment of the force's ability to breach enemy defense.
• Enemy engineer capabilities and forces in the objective area.
• Enemy's ability to launch a counterattack on the airfield or port and the requirements for a hasty defense to assist in repelling a counterattack.
• Critical facilities and assets that must be protected and made survivable.

Additionally, special forces reconnaissance efforts can be used to identify mobility/countermobility missions that may be beyond the capability of the assault force and require additional engineer augmentation. This helps drive the allocation of engineer forces/assets to the assault force, which would normally have to execute its own mobility/countermobility missions using organic assets.

Host-nation engineer equipment and Class IV/V (mines and demolitions) resources are a potentially valuable resource for the division. Critical engineer equipment is generally lift intensive. A major issue in contingency planning is identifying what engineer assets are mission essential and what host-nation support is available to the division. These host-nation resources are critical to reducing the lift assets consumed by engineer equipment and to trimming the engineer force and division Class IV/V supply requirements within transport constraints.

The division engineer continues the engineer estimate, developing a scheme of engineer operations for each phase and war-gaming them in order to finalize the engineer plan. This initial METT-T analysis is one of the most critical planning activities of this phase. The division engineer works with the G3 and corps to resource shortfalls in mission-essential engineer assets. When all available resources are allocated, the division engineer task organizes the available assets, balancing the required engineer force with lift constraints. Echeloning the engineer force ensures flexibility arid contributes to mission success.

Engineer C2 requirements are also vital areas of consideration during this phase. The division engineer war-games each operational phase of the contingency and develops echeloned engineer C2 packages that best augment and support the maneuver commander. Augmentation from corps engineers will be common, if not essential, to all phases. Therefore, the echeloned engineer C2 system must be designed to accommodate additions and deletions from the engineer force without disruption or degradation of operations. Considerations must address C2 of activities ranging from sustainment engineering to offensive and defensive support for both light and armored task forces.

Deployment and Initial Combat Actions

This phase initiates the operation and includes the establishment of and movement to an initial lodgment in the objective area. The strength and composition of the first elements to arrive in the AO will depend on METT-T, to include friendly host-nation forces which could provide security, enemy strength and capabilities, and the availability of forward-deployed US forces to provide support. Depending on the crisis, the division may follow forced-entry operations conducted by another force or conduct their own forced- or nonforced-entry operation. Figure 7-3 shows a phase 2 analysis.

Forced-entry operations are frequently conducted by Ranger assault forces, with the division's assault echelon conducting a relief of the forced-entry force. The relief in place is planned during the predeployment phase of the contingency mission. The ADE and the assault-echelon brigade engineer (and supporting engineer battalion or company commanders, if available) attend coordination meetings during planning and throughout the execution of the mission. Critical engineer-specific information must be collected, developed, and passed from the Ranger regimental engineer cell or Ranger battalion engineer cell to the relieving division. This information is passed to the division or to the echelon commanders as it becomes available. This is accomplished either at the staging base, at the intermediate staging base (ISB), en route to the objective area, or at the arrival airfield, lodgment, or port. Examples of information to be passed are--

• Current airfield and port operational conditions: usable length, width, surface condition, and composition.
• Initial airfield and port repair and upgrade estimates.
• Obstacle plan or overlay of obstacles in lodgment area: planned, plotted, and executed, to include plans for obstacle turnover from relieved force to relieving force.
• Enemy obstacle and counterobstacle capabilities, including description, location, and employment techniques of mines and explosives encountered. (UXO information is also included.)
• Location and condition of engineer equipment secured or located by the assault force and subsequent turnover of engineer-specific items left or seized by the relieved force.
• Class IV/V (mines and explosives) stockpiles in lodgment area.
• Engineer characteristics of the AO.
• Engineer contact point for the final exchange of information during the relief.

When the division conducts its own entry operations (forced or nonforced), this same information must be developed by the assault force engineer (usually the brigade engineer for the assault echelon) and passed to the engineer in the TAC CP.

A brigade headquarters serves as the base for each assault force and is complemented with appropriate combat, CS, and CSS units (Figure 7-4). Missions and objectives are assigned to the assault force based on METT-T. The assault force secures its initial objectives to establish and maintain a secure lodgment and to protect it from direct land follow-on forces during the next phase of the operation.

A fully staffed division TAC CP normally accompanies the assault echelon. Its purpose is to provide division-level C2 and to interface with corps and EAC elements prior to the arrival of the main CP. The ADE or the DIVEN Operations and Training Officer (US Army) (S3) (with selected members of his staff) normally serves as the initial base for division-level C2 within this element. He fulfills all duties and responsibilities as laid out in Chapter 2 as well as being the center of C2 until the division engineer arrives in and observed indirect fires in order to safely the contingency AO. It is important to note that this engineer cell in the TAC CP is providing the initial division-level engineer C2 and conducting critical synchronization and coordination with corps or JTF headquarters. Brigade headquarters, with its associated brigade engineer, provides the C2 base for each assault force.

Securing and sustaining the lodgment area is critical to phase 2 and to the success of the contingency operation. The assault force must be prepared and resourced to repel a mounted or dismounted counterattack quickly. Based on coordination with the G2 and G3, the division engineer plans obstacle zones to support emplacement of situational obstacles. The assault echelon is resourced with required Class IV/V supplies and scatterable mine assets.

The lodgment will be either a port, airfield, or beachhead. Repairing, improving, and sustaining the lodgment is vital to allow force buildup, regardless if the assault echelon conducts a forced or nonforced entry. During the initial phases of a contingency operation, the division is responsible for lodgment sustainment. These activities require specialized equipment that is not organic to division engineers and must be resourced by corps. If the lodgment is an airfield, follow-on responsibility of the arrival airfield must be coordinated between the division and with the JTF air component commander during phase 1.

Also during phase one, the division engineer develops requirements for division and EAC engineer support. Because of the criticality of these specialized engineer assets in sustainment engineer missions, they are commonly task organized with the assault echelon. Corps is the provider of these engineer assets for division engineer resource shortfalls, and these assets are initially under a command relationship to the division. As the contingency operation progresses through the phases, these corps and EAC engineer assets are phased to a support relationship, releasing command responsibilities from the division commander to a corps or JTF C2 package upon its arrival.

While the DISCOM controls the feeding, fueling, arming, maintaining, and loading of the assault force, the division engineer uses this time prior to deployment to ensure that all last-minute, engineer-specific details are addressed for the assault echelon. Intelligence summaries (INTSUMs) and information collected on PIRs and IRs developed during phase 1 are disseminated. Significant changes to the flow of the assault echelon are difficult to effect once the flow has begun. Quick, yet detailed, engineer estimates based on these INTSUMs (and by contingencies developed during phase one planning) can allow the division engineer to recommend changes of engineer support to any of the three echelons. Any changes to logistic requirements and assault force task organization should also be resolved.

Force Buildup and Combat Operations

This phase begins with the division's introduction of follow-on forces into the contingency area airfield, port, or beachhead (Figure 7-5). Division staff planners must ensure that the assault echelon is fully resourced for all likely contingencies. Its primary focus is to build up combat power as quickly as possible and to expand combat operations rapidly. The objective is to place a force on the ground that can take the fight to the enemy while follow-on forces continue to arrive and prepare for subsequent operations. These follow-on forces reinforce and support the assault force.

Support to combat operations in this phase is decentralized. The division engineer ensures that freedom of action and initiative is maintained by his subordinates. This is accomplished by issuing clear mission guidance and intent and also through his staff's detailed and integrated mission planning. In doing this, the division engineer maintains his staffs mission planning focus, decisive combat operations can hinge on the allowing the brigade engineers to focus on mission execution. This also ensures division's engineer mission guidance and intent does not conflict with that of the maneuver brigade commanders.

During force buildup and initial combat operations, engineer priority shifts to supporting offensive operations in expanding the initial lodgment area as well as sustainment engineering required for the lodgment area (Figure 7-6). The ultimate goal of engineer support during this phase is to maintain the speed of the force buildup and ensure the speed and flexibility of the committed maneuver forces. The success of ability to accomplish this mission, ensuring the division does not lose the initiative.

Engineer forces supporting combat operations are task organized to maneuver units to support assault breaching and hasty defensive operations. Forces task organized with maneuver brigades must be compatible with each type of maneuver force in capabilities and requirements. These combined arms forces must be capable of self-sustainment (from the supported force) for the duration of force buildup. In the assault echelon, a light engineer company or task-organized team supports each deployed light maneuver brigade while another engineer company (usually corps or EAC) conducts sustainment engineering in the lodgment area.

LOC maintenance becomes a critical mission as force buildup is completed and the force begins conducting decisive combat operations. This becomes particularly true as armored forces are employed with the light forces in the AO. A method of support is to consolidate available blade assets under the light engineer battalion and form them into LOC maintenance teams. Some blade assets may be required for survivability effort of critical assets in the lodgment area.

Decisive Combat Operations

This phase is an extension of the force buildup and combat operations phase (Figure 7-7). Combat forces and a logistic base are concurrently established and expanded to support decisive operations. As the situation in the lodgment area is stabilized, the division performs expanded combat operations as directed by higher headquarters from the lodgment area, then continues to eliminate the enemy force.

The priority of engineer effort shifts to supporting the brigades involved in MTCs, sets, HATKs, and DATKs (Figure 7-8). Maneuver CSS structure, which is beyond its brigades are commonly task organized with a mix of light and armored maneuver forces; likewise, engineer forces task organize with an appropriate mix of armored and light forces, capitalizing on the strengths of each type of engineer force. The light division engineer company, task organized with critical equipment and light or armored elements, is the base organization supporting a light maneuver brigade. A mechanized engineer battalion is the base organization supporting an armored maneuver brigade. Task organizing an armored division engineer force to a light task force (brigade or battalion) requires that a CSS package accompany the armored engineer force. If this is not accomplished, it will shift the armored engineer's logistical burden to the light force capability. Armored and light division engineer company commander's receive planning guidance from the light brigade staff engineer.

An armored brigade task force should be supported by an armored division engineer battalion. An armored battalion task force should be supported by an armored division engineer company. By design, armored engineer forces have the requisite mechanical breaching capability, assault bridging assets and obstacle emplacement capability required to support an armored force. The armored division engineer battalions are dependent upon the supported armored brigade's FSB for sustainment.

While the priority of engineer effort is brigade task force combat operations, the importance of sustainment engineering to the success of the division lodgment cannot be underestimated. The mission requires the division engineer's dedicated efforts to monitor all assets that will be operating in the division lodgment area, while ensuring that the maneuver brigades have the required forces to conduct combat operations. Engineer support in decisive combat operations is developed in depth in Chapters 3 and 4.

Redeployment

There are three objectives in the final phase of a contingency operation. The first is to consolidate friendly control of the operational area; second, to redeploy the force as rapidly as possible to home station, an ISB, or another theater of operation (reconstituting the division for other contingency missions); and third, to shift operations from combat to nation assistance (Figure 7-9).

The division engineer's principal focus during this phase is sustainment engineering missions aimed at facilitating the division's redeployment (Figure 7-10). Examples of engineer missions and responsibilities are--

• LOC maintenance, repair, upgrade, construction, and sustainment.
• Departure airfield and port maintenance, repair, upgrade, construction, and sustainment.
• Area damage control.
• Turnover of obstacles to stay-behind forces or host-nation forces.
• Obstacle removal or clearance.
• EOD-supervised assistance with UXOs.
• Possible involvement in nation assistance operations.

The relative level of responsibility devoted to these areas by the division engineer is dependent upon the level of violence and duration of the operation; the size and established force composition of the division, corps, and JTF; and the maturity of the contingency operation area. Corps and EAC engineers, when available, will have the overriding responsibility for these missions, since the division engineer brigade (armored) and battalion (light) assets are limited in capability in providing the requisite level of support required.

A high level of violence and duration for the contingency operation will commonly dictate that the division engineer's functional responsibility will be low, with the corps or JTF having overall C2 of the phase. Forces at that level will conduct the sustainment engineering missions characteristic of this phase. Coordination between the division engineer and the corps engineer will verify the division's involvement and level of responsibility for engineer missions.

The division engineer then focuses on those actions directly related to the redeployment of the division and organic engineer assets. Division engineers will normally redeploy with their supported brigades, leaving the contingency area the same way they entered. Engineer mission requirements may require that some assets (particularly equipment) be redeployed later in the redeployment flow, remaining in the contingency area to provide support as required.

In those contingency operations where the duration of the mission is relatively short and the predominance of forces in support of the operation are division engineers, the division engineer's involvement and responsibility are proportionately high. The presence of a corps or JTF engineer is key to the division engineer's level of responsibility.

While the division's focus will be on the redeployment of units, the division engineer focuses on the missions that facilitate and support the operation. Corps and EAC assets under a command relationship to the division are vital to this support. Assets organic in the division engineer units are limited in capability to provide mission support for redeployment.