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Subject: 92ND ENGR CBT BN HVY UNIT HISTORY                               

Unit: XVIII CORPS 

Parent Organization: ARCENT      

Box  ID: BX000072

Folder Title: PROBLEM WITH NBC PB PILLS-2 COPIES                                                              

Document Number:          1

Folder Seq  #:         19












                A combat heavy engineer battalion is short radios. Greater
            problems surfaced in getting radios repaired and having to loan
            equipment to other units. The COSCOMS, in both Corps, couldn't
            keep up with the demand for radio repair parts. Radios would go
            down and, in some cases, the turn around time for repair would
            take two months. So, the battalion would have to move radios
            around to stay in contact with key personnel.     Sharing vehicles
            and travelling in pairs was also common when radios were needed.
            Another dilemma that impacted on the battalion's ability to
            communicate, was having to loan equipment to other units. Being
            the only battalion under the Group, the Group tasked the
            battalion to provide them with radios, antennas, and VINSONS.
            go, at any one time, the battalion was short six to ten radios
            from its authorization due to maintenance and radios on loan.


                The desert is so vast and huge, the battalion had to get used
            to working beyond its ability to communicate. The battalion
            couldn't rely on FM radios. There were dead spots and normally
            project sites were too far apart to communicate by FM radio. The
            battalion had to look'for alternate means to communicate.
            Communicating with messengers, radio wire integration (RWI), and
            digital secure voice telephones (DSVTS) were the norm. In
            selecting a bivouac site, one of the considerations was the
            distance from a signal node. Before the war, the battalion was
            informed that, it could only use the RATT rig in listening
            silence. The battalion couldn't use AM radios at all, due to the
            signature they would give off. AM radios, by MTOE, are the means
            to communicate in a combat heavy engineer battalion. Subordinate
 designed to operate independent from the battalion.
            So, normally a vehicle from the S-3, especially during the war,
            was on the road gathering required reports and needed status to
            update higher headquarters. The battalion also kept testing
            radios for distance so one could drive back to that point and
            talk to the battalion or a subordinate unit.


            RECOMMENDATIONS: Communications and electronic maintenance units
            need to deploy with larger stocks of CL IX repair parts. Field
            MSE and this will solve a lot of the communications problems.
            Look to alternate means of communication like messengers, RWI,
            and using DSVTS.    Until then, set up a good training program
            with rehearsals covering radio operation, care and cleaning,
            trouble shooting, and use of secure gear.




            ISSUE: Host Nation equipment support during Operation Desert
            Shield and Desert Storm-





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Document 60 f:/Week-48/BX000072/PROBLEM WITH NBC PB PILLS-2 COPIES/92nd engr cbt bn hvy unit history:01289718521931
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-48
Box ID = BX000072
Unit = XVIII CORPS
Parent Organization = ARCENT
Folder Title = PROBLEM WITH NBC PB PILLS-2 COPIES
Folder Seq # = 19
Subject = 92ND ENGR CBT BN HVY UNIT HISTORY
Document Seq # = 1
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 28-JAN-1997