<![CDATA[<P>74The Military Engineer l November-December l 2009
other location. The site had to be secure,
free of established homes, in a position
to protect a main highway and control
the road that leads to it, and allow mili-
tary aircraft to land without obstruction.
Eventually the team decided on an
area close to the existing FOB Wolver-
ine. Admittedly, the site had its own
problems. The land covered valuable
karezes, a system of ancient under-
ground waterways used for millennia by
the local population for drinking, live-
stock and agriculture. Disruption of the
karezes could—and had in the past—
caused tension between local villagers
and coalition forces. But no other areas
nearby were suitable, the site was stra-
tegically advantageous and the karezes,
which in addition to their importance
to the nearby villagers posed potential
drainage issues during construction,
could be relocated.
For 14 straight days the team worked
18-hour shifts, thundering out the engi-
neering blueprints, and Wolverine was
underway.
FOB Dwyer
In addition to the two base expan-
sions, the team was required to plan and
design a third base at FOB Dwyer to host
two infantry battalions, an aviation com-
bat element and an air?eld. The base
would be constructed after Tombstone
and Wolverine were well underway, but
once again competing for resources. The
team worked closely with construction
planners at the U.S. Central Command
to ensure the planning process went as
smoothly as possible.
As with the others, Dwyer had its own
issues. The base was at the end of the lo-
gistical line, making it dif?cult to trans-
port supplies and vehicles. Additionally,
construction at the base would require
construction assets from Tombstone
that sometimes never arrived.
The greatest challenge for the team
was combining the logistical timelines
with the construction schedules. No
matter how airtight the plans and de-
signs were, constant adjustments were
required to accommodate challenges.
In every respect, the projects develop-
ments and designs were done in an ex-
tremely time-constrained environment.
In addition to the mountain of re-
quirements, the team was under the
complete and constant scrutiny of
Brig. Gen. John McMahon, USA, the
U.S. Forces Afghanistan Engineer.
Though he was pleased with the teams
contributions, from the day his boots
touched the ground to the day the
FEST-A team left the country, Gen.
McMahon was personally involved in
every project that was executed.
Aided by Gen. McMahons persis-
tence, the team pushed forward aggres-
sively, and before the ink dried on the
plans, troops started to arrive. Though
he always asked more of the team than
it thought it could give, the team always
found a way to meet the customers ex-
pectations and make the deadlines.
Wrapping Up
In April 2009, the initial FEST-A was
replaced by two Facilities Engineer
Teams and a new FEST-A. Over the
course of the deployment, the engineer
team had completed more than 350
designs and speci?cations, scopes of
work, and estimates for the design pack-
age. Within six industrious months, the
team ?nished overall master plans for
the expansions of three large brigade/
division FOBs, ?ve battalion FOBs and
?ve company outposts—the design for
which eventually became the theater
design standard.
Today, planning and construction ef-
forts continue as of?cials prepare for
the long road ahead. Though at the time
of this writing future troop levels are
uncertain, plans are in the works to de-
velop more long-term improvements.
The mission was a success, though the
potential for failure seemed just as likely.
On a personal note, rarely in a career
does one have an opportunity to plan
and design an entire base, let alone three
very large bases and several smaller
bases. For the members of the FEST-A
deployed to southern Afghanistan be-
tween October 2008 and April 2009,
that opportunity started with trust and
a blank sheet of paper; and I couldnt be
more thankful for the experience.
Maj. Landon M. Raby, USA, is Deputy Area
Engineer, Israel Area Of?ce, U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers Europe District; +972-54-809-
87-47, or landon.m.raby@usace.army.mil.
Roger Smith (left) and Shaun Frost of the USACE Europe District Forward Engineer Support Team-
Advance conduct an engineer survey on Forward Operating Base Sweeny in southern Afghanistan in
November 2008.
U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Gabriel Peterson, USA
Within six industrious months,
the team ?nished overall
master plans for the expansions
of three large brigade/division
FOBs, ?ve battalion FOBs and
?ve company outposts</p>
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