MINE AWARENESS

INSTRUCTOR

PURPOSE

To increase individual soldier understanding of the mine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) threat in the former Republic of Yugoslavia and develop countermine skills in order to protect the force while conducting all operations during operation Joint Endeavor.

TRAINING OBJECTIVES“WHAT YOU WANT TO WALK AWAY WITH”

• STEPS TO TAKE WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER A MINE OR UXO

• KNOW THE INDICATORS OF MINES AND BOOBYTRAPS

• KNOW THE V CORPS CONVOY MINE STRIKE DRILL

RISK MANAGEMENT & REDUCTION

HAZARD IDENTIFICATION:

-1 MILLION MINES

RISK MANAGEMENT & REDUCTION:

EXTREMELY HIGH

HAZARD CONTROLS

ONE MILLIONUNCLEARED

MINES

• STAY ON APPROVED ROUTES

• STOP, AVOID, REPORT, MARK

• SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

• LAND NAVIGATION

• DEVELOP MINE SENSE

“A SOLDIER WHO IS NOT ENGAGED WITH DIRECT OR INDIRECT FIRE SHOULD NEVER BECOME A CASUALTY”

MINE AWARENESS

“MINE WARFARE DURING PEACE SUPPORT OPERATIONS”, DISPATCHES, LFC HQ (CDN)

ACTIONS UPON DETECTION

• STOP

• AVOID

• REPORT

• MARK

• CONTINUE MISSION?

EXAMPLE REPORTING FORMAT GREEN 1

1. DTG OBSTACLE LOCATED

2. UNIT LOCATING OBSTACLE

3. OBSTACLE TYPE

4. GRID LOCATION

5. TRIP WIRES (YES OR NO)

6. ANTI-HANDING DEVICES (YES OR NO)

7. LOCATION OF BYPASS/BREACH

8. MINEFIELD MARKED (YES OR NO)

9. REMARKS

ESTIMATED NUMBER OFUNCLEARED MINES IN THEATRES

LOCATION LANDMINES (MILLIONS)AFGHANISTAN 9 -10KUWAIT - IRAQ 5 - 7 + 5 -10ANGOLA 9SOMALIA 1 - 1.5RWANDA UNK - EST THOUSANDSMOZAMBIQUE 2BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA 1CROATIA 1CAMBODIA 4-7

STATISTICS FROM US DEPT OF STATE POLITICAL - MILITARY AFFAIRS REPORT (1993) “MINE WARFARE DURING PEACE SUPPORT OPERATIONS”, DISPATCHES, LFC HQ (CDN)

WAR RELATED CASUALTIESIN IFOR (DEC 1995)

“MINE WARFARE DURING PEACE SUPPORT OPERATIONS”, DISPATCHES, LFC HQ (CDN)

CAUSE

MINES & UXO

INDIRECT FIRE

DIRECT FIRE

WOUNDED

131

162

111

KILLED

12

8

18

MINE TYPES

• ANTI-PERSONNEL - DESIGNED TO KILL OR MAIM DISMOUNTED TROOPS

• ANTI-TANK - DESIGNED TO DESTROY OR DISABLE TRACK OR WHEELED VEHICLES

• CHEMICAL - DESIGNED TO DISPENSE SMOKE, CS OR MORE DANGEROUS BIOLOGICAL OR CHEMICAL AGENTS

FUZE TYPES

• PRESSURE

• OVER PRESSURE/DELAY

• SEISMIC

• MAGNETIC

• CHEMICAL

• TRIP WIRE (PUSH/PULL)

• COMMAND DETONATED

MINE REMOVAL US ARMY DOCTRINE ON HANDLING MINES AND

UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE:

US FORCES SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO DISARM OR PHYSICALLY MOVE ENEMY OR UNOBSERVED US MINES. OUR GOAL IS TO DESTROY MINES IN PLACE.

VISUAL DETECTION

• SURFACE LAID MINES ARE USUALLY VISIBLE• SIGNS OF ROAD REPAIR (NEW FILL, PAVING,

ROAD PATCHES, DITCHING OR CULVERT WORK)

• WIRES LEADING AWAY FROM THE ROAD• ODD FEATURES OR PATTERNS• PIECES OR WOOD OR DEBRIS ON ROAD.• SIGNS TREES, POSTS OR STAKES.• DAMAGED VEHICLES OR DEAD ANIMALS.

LIKELY LOCATIONS FORMINES AND BOOBYTRAPS

• MOUNTAIN PASSES AND NARROW ROADS WITH NO SHOULDERS OR BYPASSES

• OLD CHECK POINTS AND BATTLEFIELDS• ALONG OBSTACLE BYPASSES• OBVIOUS REST AREAS/CLEARINGS ALONG

ROADS• ABANDONED BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES• ABANDONED WEAPONS AND TRINKETS

ATTRACTIVE TO SOUVENIR HUNTERS

OTHER DETECTION METHODS

• LOCAL CIVILIANS MAY KNOW WHERE MINES AND BOOBYTRAPS ARE LOCATED IN THE AO.

• LOCAL MILITIA FORCES MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN LOCATING TACTICAL MINEFIELDS.

• LOCALLY KNOWN MARKING SYSTEMS (ROCK PILES, BROKEN BRANCHES ON TREES, CROSSED STICKS ON ROADS)

MNHE

MINE

MINIRANO

MINEFIELD WARNING SIGNS

MINEFIELD MARKING IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA

EXPEDIENT MARKING IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA

This symbol can be painted on, with or without the triangle.

Three hash marks.

FORMER YUGOSLAVIANMINE EMPLOYMENT

MRUD Command Firing Position

PMR 2

1 M

50 cm

MRUDs

PMA 2s

MINEFIELD PROTECTING A MUNITIONS DUMP

ROAD OBSTACLES

Buried TMA3sBlocking Bypass

SmallRoad

RoadwayBerm AcrossRoad with4 TMA3s.

2 M

1.5 M TMA3

Berm Cross Section

FORMER YUGOSLAVIANMINE EMPLOYMENT

RURAL ROADBLOCKBURIEDTMA 3s

FORMER YUGOSLAVIANMINE EMPLOYMENT

XXX

XXX

PMR 2sIN SERIES

SURFACELAID TMA 3s

FABRICATEDDRAGONS TEETH

CMTC LESSONS LEARNED

• ATTACH TOW CABLE TO THE BACK OF VEHICLES TO EASE EXTRACTION OF CASUALTIES AND DISABLED VEHICLES

• EVERY VEHICLE CARRIES A MINE/UXO MARKING KIT

• LEAD CONVOYS WITH A HARDENED OR MINE RESISTANT VEHICLE

• TIE DOWN EQUIPMENT IN THE VEHICLE

SMALL UNIT METHODS TODECREASE VULNERABILITY

• CHECK WITH HIGHER TO CONFIRM ROUTE IS CLEARED BEFORE MOVING

• AVOID PREDICTABILITY

• SAND BAG AND HARDEN SOFT SKIN VEHICLES

• KNOW UNIT SOP FOR MINE RECON

• MARK AND REPORT!!!

EXPEDIENT MARKING

MINES

MARKING RULES

• CLEARLY VISIBLE FROM ALL DIRECTIONS OF TRAVEL

• SEMI-PERMANENT

• MARKING TECHNIQUE DOES NOT JEOPARDIZE MARKING CREW

• REPORT MARKING TO HIGHER

MINE STRIKE

• IF A VEHICLE IN A CONVOY ON A PREVIOUSLY CLEARED ROUTE STRIKES A MINE, ALL OTHER VEHICLES IN THE CONVOY IMMEDIATELY STOP.

• MOVING OFF THE ROAD OR TOWARDS THE SHOULDERS (HERRING BONE) COULD EXPOSE MORE VEHICLES TO MINES.

• SECURITY IS PROVIDED BY MAINTAINING VEHICLE SPACING AND ALTERNATING VEHICLE MOUNTED WEAPONS.

• DISMOUNTED MOVEMENT SHOULD BE RESTRICTED UNTIL A PATH TO THE DISABLED VEHICLE IS CLEARED AND MARKED.

• METT-T WILL DICTATE WHEN THE CONVOY CAN CONTINUE MOVEMENT.

V CORPS MINE STRIKE PROCEDURESWITH ENGINEERS IN THE CONVOY

• CONVOY CDR HALTS CONVOY AND REPORTS TO HIGHER

• NO VEHICLE MOVEMENT OR DISMOUNTING SOLDIERS

• 360 DEGREE SECURITY PROVIDED FROM VEHICLES

• SENIOR ENGINEER DIRECTS CLEARANCE OPERATIONS THROUGH CONVOY COMMANDER

• SWEEP TEAM CLEARS FOOTPATH TO INJURED PERSONNEL; BEGIN FIRST AID

• SWEEP TEAM CLEARS AN LZ

• LOCATED MINES CLEARLY MARKED

• UNIT CLEARS WRECKAGE AND FILLS MINE CRATER

• ROAD GUARDS GUIDE VEHICLES AROUND MINES

• MINES CLEARED AFTER CONVOY MOVES OUT OF AREA

• UNIT CONTINUES MISSION

SELF/UNIT EXTRACTION

• FREEZE (STOP ALL MOVEMENT IN AREA)• LEADER REPORTS TO HIGHER AND

DESIGNATES PATH TO CLEAR THROUGH MINEFIELD

• EXTRACTION ELEMENT PROBES AND MARKS A CLEARED PATH; CHECKS FOR TRIP WIRES AND BURIED MINES; MARKS PATH AND MINES

• OTHER ELEMENTS PROBE TO CLEARED PATH• EVACUATE CASUALTIES BY PROBING; DRAG TO

PATH AND EVACUATE AS REQUIRED.

MINE AWARENESSTACTICAL HINT

REGARDLESS OF THE ARMORED VEHICLE, WHEN THE MINE THREAT IS HIGHER THAN THE DIRECT FIRE THREAT, KEEP YOUR HATCHES “CRACKED” OPEN AN INCH OR TWO. THAT WAY, IF YOU DRIVE OVER A MINE, THE OVERPRESSURE FROM THE EXPLOSION WILL HAVE AN ESCAPE IF THE HULL IS PENETRATED.

“MINE WARFARE DURING PEACE SUPPORT OPERATIONS”, DISPATCHES, LFC HQ (CDN)

Former YugoslavianMine Employment

AT (Full Width) Minefields

9-12 M

20- 40 M

Former YugoslavianMine Employment

AT (Pressure) Minefields

4-5.5 M

20- 40 M

FORMER YUGOSLAVIANMINE EMPLOYMENT

URBAN ROADBLOCK

PMR-2s

XXX

SURFACE LAIDTMA 3s

FABRICATEDDRAGONS TEETH

TRIP WIRE CONNECTINGMINES TOGETHER

REVIEW•Understand the mine threat risk reduction measures.•Know the indicators of mines and booby traps.•Steps to take when you encounter mines, UXO, or booby traps.•Understand expedient marking systems.•Be familiar with the V Corps convoy mine strike drill.