23
Shaping the Engineer Force
Force's RED H ORSE civil engineering squadron. No Army engineer units at
echelons above corps had arrived in Saudi Arabia, though four combat heavy
engineer battalions were en route.27 The only Army engineer units in Saudi
Arabia were the 618th Engineer Company (Light Equipment) and the 27th
Engineer Battalion (Airborne) from Fort Bragg, and the 887th Engineer
Company (Light Equipment) from Fort Campbell.28
Soldiers of B Company, 5th Engineer Battalion, attached to the 24th Infantry Division use the
M-9 armored combat earthmover.
(U.S. Army photo by SPC Henry)
Engineer Preparation for Offensive Operations
The United States initially committed only one Army corps to defend Saudi
Arabia and deter Iraqi aggression, but after the first few months, the strategy
changed. In October CENTCOM developed a plan for a two-corps attack deep
inside the vast Iraqi desert west of Wadi al Batin. General Colin Powell and
Secretary Cheney selected the armor-heavy VII Corps from Europe as a good
match for Iraq's heavily armored forces. On 8 November President Bush
announced that roughly 145,000 troops from the VII Corps would reinforce
American troops in Saudi Arabia. This announcement was the first public
indication that the United States was considering a ground offensive to liberate
Kuwait. Theater priorities shifted to receiving incoming forces and moving
forces, equipment, and supplies forward. VII Corps lacked robust combat
support and combat service support, so it needed augmentation in engineering,
heavy maintenance, supply, and transportation. Additional reserve units would
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