text: Chapter 2
  The effects of natural and man-made obstacles are considered during planning at every level of war.
  At the tactical level of war, combat engineers play a prominent role in assessing and predicting the effects
  and integration of tactical obstacles in support of offensive and defensive operations. General engineers may
  also be involved in countermobility operations intended to achieve operational (or strategic) effects.
  Countermobility operations typically reinforce the terrain to block, fix, turn, or disrupt the enemy’s ability to
  move or maneuver, giving the commander opportunities to exploit enemy vulnerabilities or react effectively
  to enemy actions. In stability, countermobility tasks may support missions such as traffic or population
  control. See ATP 3-90.8 for information on countermobility.
  Engineers usually perform these tasks under the first two lines of engineer support (assure mobility
  and enhance protection), although they may also be applicable in selected cases for the other two lines of
  engineer support. These tasks typically support the movement and maneuver and protection warfighting
  functions.
  As of 1 January 2011, U.S. forces are no longer authorized to employ persistent and undetectable land
  mines (land mines that are not self-destructing or self-deactivating). The current U.S. land mine policy
  acknowledges the importance of protecting noncombatants while enabling legitimate operational
  requirements. The United States employs self-destructing and self-deactivating mines (scatterable mines) to
  provide countermobility for the force. Additionally, newly developed weapon systems (called networked
  munitions) provide the flexible and adaptive countermobility and survivability capability required by the
  Army. Networked munitions are remote-controlled, ground-emplaced weapon systems that provide lethal
  and nonlethal effects; they have the ability to be turned on and off from a distance and can be recovered for
  multiple employments.
  Other Tasks Associated with Assure Mobility
  Geospatial engineering provides the necessary geospatial information and products to help combat and
  general engineers visualize the terrain and perform tasks along the assure mobility line of engineer support.
  Geospatial information is the foundation upon which information about the physical environment is
  referenced to form the COP. (See ATP 3-34.80 for additional information.) Geospatial information that is
  timely, accurate, and relevant is a critical enabler throughout the orders process. Geospatial engineers work
  as staff members to aid in the analysis of the meaning of activities and significantly contribute to the
  anticipating, estimating, and warning of possible future events. They provide the foundation for developing
  shared situational understanding, improving the understanding of capabilities and limitations for friendly
  forces (and the enemy), and highlighting other conditions of the OE. Geospatial engineers must possess a
  thorough understanding of tactics and the application of combat power to tailor geospatial information to
  support the commander’s visualization and decision making. Geospatial engineers provide the following to
  the assure mobility line of engineer support:
  * 3-D perspective fly-through views.
  * Mobility corridor and combined obstacle overlays to identify assembly areas, plan air and ground
  missions, and develop EAs.
  * Fields-of-fire and line-of-sight analysis products to locate defensible terrain, identify potential
  EAs, and position fighting systems to allow mutually supporting fires.
  * Urban tactical planners that display key aspects of urban terrain in thematic layers overlaid on
  high-resolution imagery or maps to facilitate mission planning in urban areas.
  * Hydrologic, bathymetric, and gravimetric data analysis to determine soil conditions on land and
  underwater and to verify the depth of the ocean or lake floors in support of surface and subsurface
  mobility within the AO.
  * LOC analysis and overlays to identify structures (roads, airfields, railroads, bridges, tunnels,
  ferries) capable of facilitating the transportation of people, goods, vehicles, and equipment.
  The engineer diving detachment provides equipment and personnel to conduct underwater operations.
  The diver’s unique skills provide critical support to commanders during river-crossing operations by
  conducting nearshore and far-shore reconnaissance; performing hydrographic surveys to depict bottom
  composition; conducting underwater and surface reconnaissance of bridges to determine structural integrity
  and capacity; repairing or reinforcing bridge structures; and emplacing, marking, or reducing underwater
  obstacles. See ATP 3-34.84 and TM 3-34.84 for additional information.