29
Shaping the Engineer Force
States launched a major air offensive against Iraq, called Operation DESERT
STORM. At the time, 93 percent of the XVIII Airborne Corps' engineer force
and 54 percent of the VII Corps' engineer force were in place. By contrast, only
18 percent of the echelons above corps engineer force had arrived in the
theater. ARCENT remained gravely concerned about the deployment of combat
engineers. Further delays in transporting these units (particularly the 844th
527th and 365th combat heavy battalions), it warned, would hurt its ability to
support future offensive operations and develop the sustainment base.43
The engineer priorities in late January were building and repairing roads,
moving troops forward, and developing logistics bases in the north. Preparation
for a possible ground offensive required the construction of 1,000 miles of
main supply routes and Logbases Echo (to support VII Corps) and Charlie (to
support the XVIII Airborne Corps).
M1A1 tank in Saudi Arabia.
Other types of construction were critical as well. After the rains began in
January, soldiers found themselves living in mud holes. Wooden stakes for tents
did not hold in the sand. Engineers had to put down large quantities of gravel
and marl (a clay-type soil) to make conditions livable.44
Coalition partners launched the ground offensive on 24 February. During
the ground war, engineers at echelon above corps continued their efforts in
support of troop operations, while combat engineers who were far forward
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