| Fifteen hours is a tremendous barrier. It is the | | | | of the material being used in the north," It |
| obstacle preventing one village from attaining the | | | | compacts very well, breaks up nicely; there's not |
| assistance of another and surviving a drought. It is | | | | big chucks after you roll it. It gives you a real |
| the reason a trip to the hospital, or receiving an | | | | nice, compacted, firm sub-base." |
| education, aren't realistic options. Fifteen hours is | | | | 1LT Brian Meister, the earthmoving platoon leader |
| what stands in the way of commerce between | | | | in C/864th faces the same challenge from the |
| two provinces. It prevents communication | | | | south. "Finding good material involves identifying |
| between neighbors only 80 kilometers apart. | | | | what soils provide optimal properties for |
| Fifteen hours is the reason for isolation. Before | | | | constructing a road that is both durable and |
| Task Force Pacemaker began work, the drive | | | | smooth, "he says. Once the crews find a material |
| between Kandahar and Tarin-Kowt took fifteen | | | | they think they can use, they send it out to be |
| hours. Upon completion of the road it will take | | | | tested, which takes about three days. Testing is |
| only three. The end of geographical isolation will be | | | | done by Lewis Berger Group, an Indian |
| a new beginning for hundreds of thousands of | | | | contracting company that has become one of TF |
| people in Afghanistan. | | | | Pacemaker's greatest allies. "Working with LBG |
| An international effort, the road connecting | | | | has been great," says CPT Stan Wiechnik, the |
| Tarin-kowt and Kandahar, or theTK road, is a | | | | commander of C/926th,"They have built roads in |
| project involving the support of the United | | | | third world countries with similar geography and |
| Nations, Indian contractors, and United States | | | | technical restrictions. They have been a great |
| Army troop labor. Construction of the road has | | | | asset to me to determine the best method of |
| spanned fourteen months, 117 kilometers, two | | | | construction and the best materials to use." LBG |
| adjustments to election dates, and two different | | | | weighs the mass of material and compares it to |
| Army Engineer rotations. Road construction began | | | | material compacted to 100%. Once they gain |
| during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) 5 with | | | | approval, the earth movers can scrape off the |
| the 528th Engineer Battalion, out of Louisiana. | | | | topsoil in that location and open up a new pit; |
| They competed 46.5 kilometers of road between | | | | ideally close to the construction site. Finding |
| July of 2004 and February of 2005. When TF | | | | resources along the route just ahead of where |
| Pacemaker took over construction during OEF 6, | | | | the road crews are currently working takes both |
| they were told that the estimated completion | | | | luck and timing. TF Pacemaker's ability to |
| date for the TK road was early spring of 2006. | | | | consistently plan ahead and find that balance |
| Since assuming the mission in April of 2005, Task | | | | contributes to their steady speed towards |
| Force Pacemaker has demonstrated a need for | | | | completion. |
| speed and focus on the objective. | | | | The leadership at Pacemaker is all about |
| Road construction in theater involves route | | | | efficiency. With a few key pieces of equipment |
| planning, surveying, jobsite security, sustaining the | | | | driving the construction effort, maintenance is |
| flow of material and water, and continual | | | | critical; conducting regular checks and services on |
| maintenance of heavy engineer equipment. It is | | | | the vehicles are an essential part of the work |
| best described as an endurance sport; not for the | | | | cycle. The Animals have supplemented their |
| faint of heart or the easily distracted. Traditionally | | | | earthmoving platoon with soldiers from |
| progress is made a few hundred meters at a | | | | headquarters and the vertical platoons in order to |
| time, using the same methods and techniques | | | | have enough manpower to support two crew |
| every day. Efficient use of equipment crew | | | | rotations. The first team shows up at 0015 Zulu |
| rotations, establishing and working from Forward | | | | to begin preventative maintenance checks and |
| Operating Bases (FOBs), using material along the | | | | services (PMCS) of the equipment. They receive |
| route, and relying on soldiers to adopt roles | | | | a safety brief at 0040z and roll out the gate by |
| outside of their military occupational specialties are | | | | 0100z to begin work on the road. They operate |
| some of the techniques which TF Pacemaker has | | | | for five and a half hours, from 0130z to 0700z. |
| used to streamline the process. The soldiers don't | | | | From 0700z-0715z the operators of both teams |
| view this road as just another project, and | | | | conduct a fifteen minute shift change; discussing |
| perhaps that's why they've been able to sustain | | | | any problems with the equipment and what |
| such a furious pace. TF Commander, LTC Paul | | | | remains to be completed that day. When the first |
| Paolozzi explains that the attitude of his troops | | | | team returns, they eat lunch and do another half |
| stems from partially from their understanding of | | | | hour of maintenance. Team two's work day |
| the mission's importance. "It's inspiring to be a part | | | | starts at 0500z, when they pull maintenance on |
| of the long-term success of this nation... I can't | | | | any downed equipment. They receive their safety |
| think of a more permanent and significant impact | | | | brief at 0630z, eat lunch, and head to the jobsite |
| than making a road to connect people." No matter | | | | to conduct a shift change with team one. Team |
| the source of their motivation, by | | | | two works until 1430z. This rotation schedule |
| mid-September, TF Pacemaker will have | | | | allows the Animals to get thirteen hours of work |
| completed a remarkable 70 kilometers of road | | | | on the road each day, and pull the necessary |
| work directly through some of the toughest | | | | maintenance, without driving the equipment |
| terrain Afghanistan has to offer. | | | | operators into the ground. As CPT Suitonu tells |
| To finalize the exact path, surveyors and a | | | | me, "A soldier can't sit on a dozer twelve hours a |
| security team are sent ahead of construction to | | | | day; seven hours is okay though." |
| determine which parts of the terrain best | | | | TF Pacemaker began work on both ends of the |
| accommodate the road. The climate and terrain | | | | road with A/864th and C/926th in the North, C |
| of Afghanistan (thick dust, deep waddis, and | | | | 864th in the south, and the support of HSC |
| harsh weather) have presented many challenges. | | | | 864th in both areas. It soon became apparent |
| Often, designs which looked good on paper, | | | | that to maximize time spent working on the road, |
| involve moving mountains on the ground. It is | | | | they would have to minimize travel time to the |
| critical to establish the projected route prior to | | | | jobsite. The Task Force would need to work |
| entering any towns. Soldiers must be able to | | | | from another start point; FOB Pacemaker. 1LT |
| articulate their intentions to the surrounding locals, | | | | Sara Cullen, executive officer of the Animals, |
| in particular the village elder, before barging | | | | explains that," The mission here is to provide a |
| through. There are often different factions within | | | | forward operating base between FOB Tiger and |
| a town and the path of the road has been | | | | FOB Ripley so that we can work from the middle |
| adjusted by mere feet to accommodate the | | | | towards completion of the road... right now each |
| wishes of local farmers. 1LT Brian Meister, the | | | | location is commuting over an hour..." Prior to |
| earth moving platoon leader of C/864th lists | | | | occupation of Pacemaker, soldiers were spending |
| civilians on the jobsite as the single biggest | | | | 90 minutes each way just getting to the jobsite, |
| security challenge in the south. "They are | | | | leaving precious few hours of actual work on the |
| everywhere and impossible to keep entirely off. | | | | road. Since the unit's jump to the FOB, their |
| The enemy is not easily identified, so anyone | | | | production rate has nearly doubled. The same |
| driving a pickup through the jobsite could pose a | | | | increase in efficiency is soon expected from the |
| potential risk." 1LT Patrick Sullivan, the earth | | | | engineers at FOB Kodiak, a new forward |
| moving platoon leader in A/864th has experienced | | | | operating base to be occupied by C/864th. |
| the same type of concerns on the northern | | | | The Alpha Company Animals built FOB Pacemaker |
| effort. | | | | from the moon dust up. A big part of their |
| While we were standing on the hill, looking down | | | | mission included accounting for force protection in |
| at the proposed route, an audience began to | | | | an area new to US Military forces. The First |
| form. The children came out first, and then the | | | | Sergeant of A/864, 1SG Martin Pullman, describes |
| men of the village... as the crowd grew larger... I | | | | their first few days saying, "We didn't know if |
| began to get just a little nervous. I told the | | | | there was enemy in the area, so we had to |
| captain who has been in the country for about a | | | | assume that there was. We had to balance |
| year; he quickly turned around and began shaking | | | | between setting up force protection and pulling |
| hands with the crowd, so I followed... It was an | | | | security ... using over watch positions allowed us |
| event that I will never forget. There are some | | | | to put the maximum amount of effort on building |
| bad people in the area, but for the most part, the | | | | the FOB itself." In less than two weeks, they |
| population is tired of the last twenty years of war | | | | were fully operational. Recently, FOB Pacemaker |
| and corruption. They were just happy to see the | | | | has served another function; supporting combat |
| guys who were building them a road. | | | | arms operations in the area. A small but steady |
| Road work is divided into three basic teams of | | | | flow of Special Forces and Infantrymen have |
| heavy equipment operators. The first team clears | | | | benefited from Pacemaker hospitality, enjoying a |
| and grubs the area with dozers, taking off the | | | | meal, shower, or place to rest between missions. |
| top layers of soil and pushing through hills or small | | | | Though they don't have much, Animal soldiers |
| plants. The dozers are followed by a grader, | | | | don't mind sharing and generally agree that it's |
| which levels off the area. The next team raises | | | | nice to have our comrades in arms in the area. |
| the sub-base with material harvested from the | | | | In addition to security on the FOBs, soldiers must |
| borrow pit, an area determined to have the best | | | | maintain security on the jobsite. This is challenging |
| material for use on the road. Dump trucks and | | | | for a road project because construction requires |
| scrapers are used to put between 8 and 12 | | | | troops to go directly against many of the |
| inches of material on top of the cleared path. | | | | fundamentals of defense. They work in the same |
| Graders then go over the path again to even out | | | | spot, headed in the same direction, using the |
| the road and start putting on the crown, a slope | | | | same equipment rotations day after day. There is |
| off the center of the road for drainage. Finally | | | | nothing covert about the Scraper, a 33,000 lb |
| comes the finishing team. A water truck is used | | | | piece of equipment. Since they can be seen from |
| to wet the soil so that the rollers can compact | | | | kilometers away, the Pacemakers adopt a fierce |
| the material in a series of lifts. Once complete, the | | | | posture. Engineer soldiers man the vehicle |
| soil dries and hardens into a road. In order to | | | | mounted crew served weapons at both ends of |
| reach their deadlines each day, all of these teams | | | | the construction site. They halt vehicle traffic and |
| must work together at a steady rate. As A | | | | search the personnel before allowing passage |
| 864th commander, CPT Chad Suitonu puts it, "It's | | | | around the construction site. A roving security |
| not a question of if we will meet our goals; it's a | | | | vehicle is used to patrol the surrounding areas, |
| matter of how." | | | | and observe the area from different positions. An |
| It is a continuous challenge to keep up the flow of | | | | interpreter and a female soldier are always |
| water and material for compaction. TF Pacemaker | | | | included in the security detail, available to assist |
| has relied on what they could harvest along the | | | | with communication or searching local national |
| way, setting up borrow pits as they move down | | | | females. These measures have resulted in 100% |
| the route and asking local towns to share their | | | | success rate; not a single Pacemaker soldier has |
| wells. The standard for road construction is | | | | been attacked while working on the road. |
| twelve inches of the best available fill material on | | | | Continued development is essential to peace |
| the existing grade of the road. Attaining 95% | | | | building in Afghanistan. The road between |
| compaction of that material is what makes a road | | | | Tarin-Kowt and Kandahar will provide |
| a road. Finding the right material is so critical to | | | | developmental access to rural areas which never |
| achieving compaction that earthmovers have | | | | existed before. As 1LT Sullivan puts it, "This road |
| hauled over five kilometers in order to continue | | | | is not just an engineering feat; it is a show of |
| use of particularly good fill. Earthmoving platoon | | | | political force." The five month reduction in project |
| leaders are primarily responsible for scouting out | | | | duration by Task Force Pacemaker becomes five |
| these potential dig sites. 1LT Sullivan compares | | | | months gained by the new government towards |
| finding the best material to digging for gold. It is | | | | progress. The fifteen hours of travel cut down to |
| either buried somewhere, or covered with | | | | three are hours gained by Afghan citizens |
| something, and you can never be sure what you'll | | | | towards opportunity. Every cut of the TK road is |
| find until you dig. The soldiers do their best to | | | | another blow to the primary weapons of the |
| identify areas with shale along the hillside. After | | | | Taliban, isolation and hardship. When Pacemaker |
| they've identified a potential site, they send a dig | | | | soldiers watch the ribbon cutting on September |
| team to check it out. "The stuff we've found so | | | | 15th, every soldier can exhale with relief, joy, and |
| far that has worked best is a red shale, it's also | | | | pride in a job well done. |
| been black...it's a good material, "said 1LT Sullivan, | | | | |