Building a better future

Nailed: An engineer assists a local contractor on the construction site. Photos by Cpl Bernard Pearson

Smooth: Engineers construct a concrete slab.

By Capt Al Green

WHEN Australian SF troops arrived in Afghanistan, the initial critical engineering efforts to harden an Australian FOB were led by the IRR detachment.

At that stage, one common sight was sandbagging and wiring parties at dawn. This scene was accompanied by the sound of star-pickets being smashed into concrete-hard ground by rotating teams of four with a single dolly. Every improvement to the FOB took sheer hard work.

Basic tools and pure muscle were used to construct everything from security towers to protective barriers fronted by razor wire. Between security pickets, core function and work parties there was little time to rest.

That’s why when a plane load of combat engineers flew in with the heavy equipment to reinforce the Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) engineering effort, they were well received.

The newcomers’ first priority being force protection, the FOB rapidly emerged into a formidable defensive position. This also freed up the SF elements to fully focus on the war against terrorism.

The other long-lasting benefit the engineers brought was sustainment reconstruction covering areas such as water, power and, critically, sewerage. Problems in this area can rapidly deplete force capability through illness. Isolating and treating water and disposal system thus became a priority.

The coordination of the engineering effort also saw efficiency emerge in resource management and priority of effort. As a result, civilian contractors and Army engineers are now integrated into a work plan that focuses on maintaining a safe and functional FOB, with mission success ultimately being the driver for all SOTG effort.