Inland Petroleum Distribution System in Kuwait and Iraq.

摘要

On 14 January 2003, the 62d Engineer Battalion (Combat)(Heavy) from Fort Hood, Texas, deployed to the Kuwaiti U.S. Army Central Command (CENTCOM) area of operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The 62d was the first combat engineer battalion in country and was assigned as a direct- reporting unit to the 416th Engineer Command, the theater-level engineer command from Chicago, Illinois. The unit's job would be to construct the Inland Petroleum Distribution System (IPDS) in preparation for an attack on Iraq a mission usually reserved for one or more engineer pipeline companies, which are all reserve units. The IPDS would be constructed from Camp Virginia, Kuwait, to Logistics Support Area (LSA) Adder (near Tallil Air Base), Iraq, a distance of about 224 miles. The pipeline was essential, as one of the Combined Forces Land Component Command s (CFLCC s) prestart conditions for the war with Iraq was the completion of the IPDS to Breach Point West on the Kuwait-Iraq border. Upon receiving the mission, we contacted the 808th Engineer Company (Pipeline) in Houston, Texas, to learn about the construction of an IPDS. They sent us the training manuals and CDs, but we were unable to go to Houston for training due to the short deployment suspense. Eventually, the battalion received the 226th Engineer Company (Combat) (Heavy) and the 808th Engineer Company (Pipeline) in February and March, respectively. The battalion strength averaged 750 soldiers during the time period when the IPDS was constructed.