FM 3-34.22 - Army Electronic Publications & Forms - U.S. Army

Engineer Support to the Brigade Combat Team
1-44. An emergency or immediate requirement for infantry may not require reorganization as engineers are
simply committed to the fight, to fight as engineers, and understanding their limitations. Reorganization
occurs when time allows, moving unneeded engineer elements and equipment from the battlefield and
augmenting the engineer structure with additional capabilities. A commander normally considers
reorganizing when forecasting a shortage of infantry before a future operation or phase of an operation.
The commander makes a decision after weighing METT-TC factors and determining an acceptable risk
level. Reorganizing engineer units as infantry requires resources, time, and training.
General Engineering
1-45. Support to movement and maneuver includes the support of tasks exceeding the capability of the
combat engineering force and more extensive upgrades or new construction of LOCs (see FM 3-34.400).
General engineering support is typically applied through the sustainment warfighting function, but may
include many of the following tasks that also crossover to support movement and maneuver:
� Construct and maintain combat roads and trails exceeding the capability of combat engineering
assets.
� Provide forward aviation combat engineering (FACE) exceeding the capabilities of combat
engineering assets, to include the repair of paved, asphalt, and concrete runways and airfields.
� Install assets that prevent foreign object damage (FOD) to rotary-wing aircraft.
� Construct tactical and LOC bridging.
Intelligence
Fires
1-46. The warfighting function is the related tasks and systems that facilitate the understanding of the OE,
enemy, terrain, and civil considerations. Commanders make decisions and direct actions based on their
situational understanding (SU). They keep their SU current by continuously assessing the situation and
stating the information they need in the commander’s critical information requirements (CCIR). The
required information is obtained through various detection methods and systematic observation,
reconnaissance, and surveillance. (See chapter 3 for engineer support to ISR operations.)
1-47. Engineer capabilities can be employed during key activities in the operations process to add to the
commander’s SU. Engineers play a major role in the intelligence preparation of the battlefield (IPB)
process by anticipating and providing terrain analysis products of likely contingency areas. Geospatial
support assists in describing the effects of the OE on enemy and friendly capabilities and broad COAs.
1-48. Engineer reconnaissance (see chapter 3) can provide data that contributes to answering the CCIR.
Most tactical engineer reconnaissance capabilities enable the collection of technical information in support
of the combat engineering function. Reconnaissance in support of M/CM/S operations is conducted
primarily by ERTs comprised of combat engineers and focuses on the collection of tactical and technical
information to support the BCT freedom of maneuver and protection of friendly forces and facilities. FM
3-34.170 provides a detailed discussion of reconnaissance support for the five areas of mobility operations,
obstacle integration and turnover in countermobility operations, fighting and other protective positions, and
other tactical operations in the BCT.
1-49. The fires warfighting function is the related tasks and systems that provide collective and
coordinated use of Army indirect fires, joint fires, and C2 warfare through the targeting process. It includes
tasks associated with integrating and synchronizing the effects of these types of fires with the effects of
other warfighting functions. Lethal and nonlethal fires (including C2 warfare) are integrated in to the
concept of operations during planning and targeting, based on the targeting guidance. Engineer operations
contribute significant combat power (lethal and nonlethal) to all elements of full spectrum operations.
(Engineer participation in the targeting process for the use of lethal and nonlethal fires is discussed in
chapter 5.)
11 February 2009 FM 3-34.22 1-11