j. Understand the effects of battle on soldiers, units, and leaders.
The modern battlefield demands continuous operations.
Engineer
units maintain high levels of performance, although they are not
structured for double shifts of operators and key personnel.
Key
personnel can become ineffective quickly due to stress, exertion,
and loss of sleep.
Engineer commanders must keep units effective
and productive in this environment.
1-2. Engineer
Organizational
Principles.
Engineer
organizational
principles complement tenets and imperatives of Army operations.
Engineers must apply the following principles when developing the
engineer architecture:
a. Task-organize engineer forces to meet requirements.
Mission
requirements drive the size and composition of engineer units.
A
mixture of units is often necessary to achieve the proper balance of
capabilities, and the mixture can change as the operation
progresses.
Commanders task-organize engineer units based on the
tactical estimate. An engineer company can receive a maximum of two
additional engineer platoons, and an engineer battalion can receive
a maximum of two additional engineer companies. The companies can
be a mixture of corps and division elements operating under corps or
division engineer headquarters.
b. Give priority to the main effort.
(1) The number of available engineers
on
the
battlefield
is
insufficient to handle all tasks.
(2) Engineers are concentrated with the main effort to assure its
success, and they are usually required to accept risk elsewhere.
(3) The engineer restructure initiative (ERI) changed the engineer
force structure-an armored division now has an engineer brigade.
The engineer brigade increased the engineer capability within the
division so an engineer battalion can support each maneuver
brigade. Under most conditions, the division engineer battalion
headquarters trains and operates continually with its associated
ground maneuver brigade (this does not preclude task-organizing).
When supporting the maneuver brigade's main effort, the division
engineer battalion may have additional elements assigned from the
division engineer brigade or corps.
If this happens, the
normally associated engineer battalion commander remains in
command of engineers supporting the brigade.
The additional
engineer battalion commander and his staff assist the associated
commander in detailed planning.
When supporting a secondary
effort, elements of the division engineer battalion may be
detached and attached to another engineer battalion.
When operating at the TF level, the associated engineer company
commander is the TF engineer if an additional engineer company is
task-organized to the TF.
The additional engineer company
commander and his staff assist the TF in detailed planning.
1-3
EN5483
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