Kowadlo -What to Do When First to Arrive.pdf

Engineering Challenges in the Middle East -What to do WhenYou’re the First to ArriveKeith Kowadlo, PE

Background - End of the Cold War…

Background – …and the beginning of something new.

Background – Going to War“After the demise of the best Airborne plan, a most terrifying effect occurs on thebattlefield. This effect is known as the ‘Rule of LGOPs.’ This is in it’s purestform, Large Groups Of pissed-off, 19-year old American Paratroopers who arewell trained, armed to the teeth and lack serious adult supervision. Theycollectively remember the Commander’s intent as ‘March to the sound of theguns and kill anyone who isn’t dressed like you’ . . . or something like that.Happily they go about the day’s work.” Unknown

Background – A clarification...the “first” engineers to arrive…“One hundred and thirty-seven strong, with no tools or engineer equipment.”LTC Ron Stewart Cdr, 27 th Engineer Battalion (Combat)(Airborne)

Engineering Challenge – Mission Planning“It was one of those mission unspoken, destination unknown, things.We didn’t know where we were going to land. We didn’t have a specified task.”LTC John R. VinesCdr, 4/325 PIR

Engineering Challenge – Be prepared for “lack of answers”“Be prepared to live out of a rucksack” Col Zannie Smith, XVIIIAirborne Corps G-3

Engineering Challenge – The “thin line in the sand”But the difficulty of the open terrain was not the only problem. Like DRB 1, theunits of the 1 st Brigade Task Force were limited to the supplies they brought withthem. “In deploying over there with ninety C-141 loads, we had very little initialammunition that we went in with. We didn’t expect to get help from anybody.There was nothing to give. We had virtually no ammunition, we had only thebasic load that we carried.”Maj Tim Scully 1 st Brigade S-3, 82 nd Airborne Division

Engineering Challenge – Where do I dig in?”“We really started from zero on this one.”BG Edison Scholes, Deputy Commander, XVIII Airborne Corps

Engineering Challenge – Make yourselves at home, takeyour shoes off“If you can keep your head while all those around you are losing theirs, thenyou obviously don’t understand the situation at all” Anonymous

Engineering Challenge – Where’s Lowes?Ye Engineer must have labor and transport with which to do his work, and beprovided with a horse to inspect and speed its progress. He must serve many andaccomplish much with little, yet since he cannot do everything for all, he is belovedby none.” - King Charles I, Articles of War 1625

Engineering Challenge – Be prepared for almost anythingKnowledge of the trade is essential, but it is the work of an apprentice. Thetask of the journeyman is to utilize what he has learned. But the master aloneknows how to handle all things in every case.” - General Von Seeckt

Engineering Challenge – How do I achieve “stand off”“Know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will never be endangered;know the weather and know the ground, your victory will then be complete”Sun Tzu, 400 B.C.

Engineering Challenge – Learn from others“The Defence of Duffer’sDrift”ByCaptain E.D. SwintonLaterMajor General Sir EarnestSwintonUS Army Engineer SchoolFort Leonard Wood, MissouriOriginally printed in the INFANTRYJOURNAL, 1905“Don’t sleep past dawn. Dawn’s when the French and Indians attack.”Standing Order #15, Roger’s Rangers 1759

Engineering Challenge – Gone with the wind“One of the most serious problems in planning against American militarydoctrine is that most American Officers do not read their manuals nor do theyfeel any obligations to follow their doctrine.” From a Russian document

Engineering Challenge – The helicopters keep stealing myhelipads!“If it’s stupid, but it works – it isn’t stupid.” - Murphy’s 2 nd Law of Combat

Engineering Challenge – Roads in the sand“Sometimes you can observe a lot by watching” Yogi Berra

Engineering Challenge – “Where do I land?”If a builder builds a house for a man and does not make it’s construction firm andthe house collapses and causes the death of the owner – that builder shall be putto death. - Code of Hammurabi (2200 BC)

Engineering Challenge - Essayons!Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing ismore common than unsuccessful men of talent. Genius will not; the world is full ofeducated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. Theslogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the humanrace.” - Calvin Coolidge