OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD 82D ENGINEER BATTALION 28 AUG 91

File: 971208_sep96_decls2_0004.txt
Page: 0004
Total Pages: 57
Subject = OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD    82D ENGINEER BATTALION  28 AUG 91   

Box ID = BX000301

Folder Title = 82D ENG BN AFTER ACTION REVIEW COMMENTS  5 APR 91                                               

Unit = VII CORPS   

Parent Org = ARCENT      





                                       I

        maneuvered under the control of the Battalion Executive Officer(XOJ
        Major James Parker. The Battalion's first and most critical mission
        was the combat breach and subsequent clearing of the double berm
        along the Iraq and Saudi Arabia border. The success of this breach
        was critical not only to the 2ACR's initial assault, but to the
        entire VII Corps which had to pass through the lanes created by the
        Blue Babe sappers. To command and control the assault of this first
        barrier system, the 2ACR divided the mission between 2/2 and 3/2.
        To facilitate the engineering operation in support of the assault,
        the 82nd Engineer Battalion assigned the breach of the western
        sector (2/2's) to A and D companies under control of the Battalion
        XO. C and B companies were in the eastern sector (3/2's) under the
        Battalion Commander's control.   Because of the no-fail nature of
        this mission, the Battalion planned for all possible contingencies:
        landmines, indirect and direct fires, unknown soil conditions, and
        equipment failures. Two of D Company's D7F dozers were protected
        with a special metal box (adding three tons of metal to the dozers),
        engineer recons were done of the berms, and Regimental rehearsals
        were conducted to ensure the success of the breach.

            Three days prior to Ground Day (0-3), SFC Rivera and SSG Potter
        of C Company accompanied K Troop during berm recons. Subsequent
        berm recons were conducted by ILT Mead and SSG Marshall, of C
        Company, with L Troop and on 20 Feb. SGT Wallace and SOT Harmon of
        A Company accompanied E and G Troop on their respective recons on 21
        Feb. On 23 Feb 91, the day before the ground offensive started
        (G-1), A Company and C Company breached the berms. Both companies
        were reinforced with the three M-9 ACE each, from the 84th Engineer
        Company. It took A Company a mere seven minutes to complete the
        firs* assault breach. 2LT Adams led his platoon to recon a route
        intersection near a Saudi Arabian police station reportedly blocked
        by dragons teeth, but found none. At the same time, C Company
        breached the berm with M-9 ACE, at three sites - one in each troop
        sector - then proceeded ten kilometers into Iraq. After the initial
        assault breaches, the berm mission was passed off to B Company and D
        Company. In all. 43 lanes were constructed with six main supply
        route (MSR) lanes. D Company was responsible for 25 of them. The
        berm breaches were completed and marked by 0330 on G-day, 24 Feb 91,
        finishing twelve hours early. The only hitch to an otherwise
        flawless mission was that lane #24 had to be closed due to
        unexploded ordnance from the artillery preparation fired on G-1. D
        Company moved forward with eight M916/920, four D7F and two bucket
        loaders. The remaining Battalion heavy equipment was sent back to
        Saudi Arabia under the control of SFC Williams and SFC Schnorbusch,
        in order to increase the speed and mobility of the force. The
        morning of 24 Feb, A and C Company took up offensive positions
        behind Phase Line (PL) Bud, while the rest of the Battalion crossed
        the berm and border into Iraq and occupied a position just north of
        the border. At 1315 hrs, the 2ACR received a FRAGO to attack into
        the Iraqi 26th Infantry Division sector. The attack commenced at
        1500 hrs. The Battalion(-) moved with the 2ACR which only
        encountered light resistance in sector. Because of poor
        tralficability, the Battalion(-) moved late into the night and set
        at 250130 Feb at NT 586636. A Company and C Company set at PL