text: Engineer Support to Shape, Prevent, and DSCA
  Often, stability operations are required to meet the critical needs of the populace. Engineer forces may
  be critical enablers in the provision of essential services until the HN government or other agencies can
  provide essential services. Engineer tasks primarily focus on establishing or reconstructing infrastructure to
  provide essential services that support the population. The effort is typically conducted in conjunction with
  civilian agencies and other engineer support of U.S. forces. The support for infrastructure development may
  be extended to assist the HN in developing capability and capacity. Essential services for engineer
  consideration include food and water, emergency shelter, and basic sanitation (sewage and waste disposal).
  Engineer stability tasks are similar to those required during DSCA, except that engineer stability tasks are
  conducted overseas. Engineer DSCA tasks include—
  * Constructing and repairing rudimentary surface transportation systems, basic sanitation facilities,
  and rudimentary public facilities and utilities.
  * Detecting and assessing water sources and drilling water wells.
  * Constructing feeding centers.
  * Providing environmental assessments and technical advice.
  * Constructing waste treatment and disposal facilities.
  * Providing base and base camp construction and power generation.
  * Conducting infrastructure reconnaissance, technical assistance, and damage assessments.
  * Conducting emergency demolitions.
  * Conducting debris- or route-clearing operations.
  Engineer support to stability operations may include the typical integration with, and support for,
  combined arms forces in their missions. Combat engineer route clearance and other close support capabilities
  may be critical tasks that are applied through the movement and maneuver warfighting function. Geospatial
  engineer support continues to provide SSGF that supports the COP. General engineer support may be
  required for the sustainment and protection requirements of the force. However, during stability, a focus of
  the engineer effort is likely to be the general engineering capabilities applied to restore essential services and
  support infrastructure development.
  Many of the technical capabilities only found in the institutional force are essential to providing
  engineer reachback. Many of the engineer capabilities sought are provided through for specialized expertise
  and capabilities only available through reachback or forward USACE contingency element. Stability
  operations tend to be of a long duration compared to the other unified land operations. As such, the general
  engineering level of effort is very high at the onset and it gradually decreases as the theater matures; support
  is required to some degree for the duration of stability. Preparation activities include the identification of
  significant infrastructure and base development construction projects and the nomination of those projects
  for funding. The highest priority projects may be executed using military general engineer capabilities, while
  others may compete for contingency funding and execution through a contract capability. As the AO matures,
  the general engineering effort in support of sustainment requirements may transfer to theater or external
  support contracts (logistics civil augmentation program, Air Force contract augmentation program, Navy
  global contingency construction contract).
  Engineer support may be critical to civil affairs activities, enabling the relationship of military forces
  with the civil component of the OE, including inter-governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations,
  the interagency, indigenous populations and institutions, and the private sector. Similarly, engineering
  capabilities may be applied to provide specific construction and other technical support integrated within the
  commander’s plan. Integration occurs throughout the operations process, and it is facilitated by coordination
  between the engineer staff officer and civil affairs staff at the civil-military operations center.
  Preparing for stability operations may be more difficult than preparing for combat operations because
  of the technical nature of the requirements and the broad range of potential engineer missions associated with
  them. An early, on-the-ground assessment can be critical to tailor the engineer force with required specialties
  and engineer resources. The results of this assessment are passed to planners to ensure that an adequate
  engineer