Engineer

MAY-AUG 2013

Engineer presents professional information designed to keep U.S. military and civilian engineers informed of current and emerging developments within their areas of expertise for the purpose of enhancing their professional development.

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By Major Christopher W. Pierce R ecent world events have provided the opportunity for U.S. military forces to engage in operations that require cooperation and partnership with allied militaries. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was established in 1948 with the members agreeing to a philosophy of collective defense. NATO member countries work to establish military and political interoperability. NATO defnes interoperability as ". . . the ability for Allies to act together coherently, effectively, and effciently to achieve tactical, operational, and strategic objectives."1 Interoperability is realized through exchange programs and multinational training exercises. Through the Military Personnel Exchange Program, the U.S. Army has furthered its relationship with the Canadian Army. (Further information on the program can be found in Army Regulation 614-10, Army Military Personnel Exchange Program With Military Services of Other Nations.2 The knowledge, information, and hands-on experience gained through exchanges allow militaries from both countries to share common doctrine and procedures and to communicate more effectively. The result is an effective application of the collective defense concept. The exchange program with Canada is composed of 21 U.S. Army commissioned and noncommissioned offcers (NCOs) who have been assigned to the Canadian Army. These offcers and NCOs serve in leadership positions, as instructors, and as liaisons between U.S. and Canadian 28 Engineer forces. The purpose of this article is to provide a baseline of knowledge to U.S. Army engineers who could work side by side with our Canadian allies in the future. One of the exchange positions has been allotted to support interoperability between U.S. Army and Canadian Army engineers. The home of the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering (CFSME), at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, New Brunswick, conducts 85 courses that span all ranks and military engineering specialties. CFSME is the Canadian Forces center of excellence for engineer training and the home of the engineers. The U.S. exchange position is located in the CFSME tactics cell, which is responsible for training and mentoring Canadian Forces offcers and NCOs. The exchange program requires that each exchange position have a reciprocal position with the host country. Currently, Canadian Army Captain Mathew Berry serves as the exchange offcer at the U.S. Army Engineer School at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, where he teaches, mentors, and trains junior offcers attending the Engineer Basic Offcer Leader Course. U.S. Army and Canadian Army doctrine and procedures are very similar compared to many of our allies around the world, as confrmed by joint exercises. However, there are minor differences in terminology for units and positions within engineer elements. Understanding these differences is a key to effective communication between U.S. and May–August 2013

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