U.S. Army Special Forces - Humanitarian Demining

FACT SHEET

SUBJECT: Countermine Training Support Center (CTSC) and Humanitarian Demining Training Center (HDTC).

1. BACKGROUND. The United States Army Engineer School established the Countermine Training Support Center (CTSC) in May 1996. The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict (SO/LIC) founded the Humanitarian Demining Training Center (HDTC) in September 1996. Both centers were stood up in direct response to the presidential landmine policy directives of May 1996 which called for expansion of the current US global humanitarian demining program. The two centers share facilities and a joint mission statement. They provide support to US governmental agencies and other national and international organizations involved in countermine operations and humanitarian demining.

2. MISSION. CTSC and HDTC serve as training and information centers on countermine operations, humanitarian demining, demolitions, mine and UXO awareness and booby traps. The centers continually research and review latest lessons learned, current tactics, techniques, procedures and use of mines by the US and other countries. They incorporate current data into instruction and provide innovative and realistic training tailored to unit specific needs.

3. STAFF. The CTSC/HDTC staff consists of ten civilian and five military personnel. The USAES traditionally funds four CTSC positions and SO/LIC funds the HDTC positions. The multi-disciplinary staff includes personnel with expertise in Special Forces operations, explosive ordnance disposal and combat engineering. Currently exchange agreements augment the staff with a Royal Engineer major from the United Kingdom and two warrant officers, one from Australia and one from New Zealand. The exchange officers bring real world, hands-on countermine and demining experience to the organization.

4. TRAINING:

     a. Mine & UXO Awareness. The centers integrate mine and UXO awareness into both countermine and demining training. Mine awareness training is also a stand-alone block of instruction available to all military forces and US government personnel deploying to mined regions. Personnel can receive training at Fort Leonard Wood or request a Mobile Training Team (MTT). Units pay TDY costs associated with MTTs.

     b. Countermine. The one-week countermine course provides sustainment training for engineer units from all military services preparing for OCONUS deployment. Units can receive the training at Fort Leonard Wood or request a Mobile Training Team (MTT). Units pay TDY costs associated with MTTs. CTSC averages one MTT per month.

     c. Demining. The two-week humanitarian demining course provides SOF teams with training on the complete demining process. The SOF "A-Teams" trained at Fort Leonard Wood deploy to different theaters around the world to train indigenous populations how to implement demining programs in their own country. The HDTC averages one course per month. With few exceptions, units typically receive the training at Fort Leonard Wood.

     d. Engineer Officer Basic Course (EOBC). CTSC conducts two weeks of landmine warfare and demolitions training for each EOBC class. Instruction covers basic fundamentals of mine, countermine and demolition operations. To reinforce classroom training, students participate in practical hands-on demolition exercises.

5. TRAINING PRODUCTS. The centers develop training products to support mine awareness and countermine and demining operations. They have developed countermine information cards for Bosnia (GTA 5-10-38), Korea (GTA 5-10-39) and Latin America (GTA # TBD) as well as boxes of hand tools, inert mines and mine boards for humanitarian demining. SOF teams receive appropriate demining training aids upon completion of the HDO course.

6. INITIATIVES. HDTC received funding from SO/LIC to implement a pilot study to train non-governmental organizations in mine and UXO awareness. HDTC is also providing input to the United Nations to assist in updating international demining standards and developing a training aid catalog for the international community. CTSC is initiating a proposal to incorporate Skill Level One mine awareness tasks into the Army’s Soldier’s Manual of Common Tasks. To support the field, CTSC is producing a TRADOC mine awareness video and GTA card. The USAEC has an MCA project to construct a new CTSC/HDTC training facility as part of the USAEC Engineer Qualification Range (EQR). The centers are linking their website to international countermine and demining organizations in an effort to improve information sharing.

7. POINT OF CONTACT. The point of contact is Major Randy Glaeser, Chief, CTSC/HDTC at (573) 563-6199. Website address is www.wood.army.mil.