U.S. Army Engineers in the Gulf War
cools. In some areas paving plants did not appear until late in the operation. By
contrast, the cold mix could be hauled long distances.25
Troops and contractors sometimes shared the road construction effort. At
King Fahd International Airport, for example, roads were a chalky white dust
that created health hazards. To reduce the hazard, troop units prepared a base
course, and the contractor did the actual paving.26
Engineers at echelons above corps constructed 1,133 kilometers of roads,
and engineers with the two corps constructed 3,209 kilometers of roads. Yet,
the main supply routes the Army built never reached the quality of the existing
paved roads. The Army's roads north and west of King Khalid Military City
were damaged by rain soon after completion. These roads, Cargill concluded,
"were never really able to do what we intended for them to do."27 The roads
served an immediate need but would not hold up in the long term and could
not carry the volume of traffic required.
Dust Palliatives
Besides contracts to construct life support areas and main supply routes, the
Corps awarded contracts to apply dust palliative. Blowing dust in Saudi Arabia
chewed up expensive equipment, created costly maintenance problems, and
threatened the safety of helicopter pilots trying to take off or land in the thick
clouds of dust. The steady winds blew soil particles across the desert surface
"White-out conditions endangered helicopters trying to land.
(U.S.
photo, Center of Military History)
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