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PREFACE
Antipersonnel (AP) mines, unexploded ordnances (UXOs), and antivehicular mines are emplaced in large numbers in many countries throughout the world. These mines kill and maim noncombatants and slow or prevent growth and development in emerging or rebuilding countries. Currently, land mines and UXOs kill or wound an estimated 150 people every week—most of them unarmed civilians. To help preclude this tragedy, the United States (U.S.) and the United Nations (UN) have made the removal or neutralization of mines throughout the world a priority. To this end, the United States may commit forces in support of demining activities. Army special operations forces (ARSOF) have the unique qualifications of language ability, cultural awareness, and area orientation that make them especially useful in this role.
Decision makers at all levels must understand ARSOF capabilities and limitations in supporting the Humanitarian Demining Program. They must also understand the vast scope of establishing a self-sustaining host nation (HN) program. ARSOF assets, when ordered, establish HN demining organizations and teach demining skills to designated personnel as part of the overall effort to establish a self-sustaining HN element. All ARSOF activities must be thoroughly integrated during all phases of establishing an HN capability. Demining may occur in a permissive or a semi-permissive environment. ARSOF mission orientation and experience in training indigenous personnel are of tremendous benefit in establishing successful demining training programs required for the demining effort. Humanitarian demining operations (HDO) may be conducted as a collateral activity in support of unconventional warfare (UW) or foreign internal defense (FID), or as a humanitarian assistance (HA) activity. The end state of demining is to establish HN organizations capable of achieving 100 percent neutralization of mines and UXOs in a designated country or region.
This publication provides ARSOF units information and guidance on conducting HDO. Its purpose is to assist in operational planning and support and to serve as a quick and ready listing of lessons learned. It provides useful hints, ideas, and information based primarily on lessons learned from demining operations in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Honduras, and Bosnia.
Each demining operation often has totally different organizational structures, training plans, and support structures based on the HN’s strengths, weaknesses, and capabilities. This publication focuses on establishing an HN organization from the ground up using optimal resources (time, personnel, logistics) to accomplish the mission. Its intent is to give anyone without any demining experience a complete representation of the planning process and pertinent factors to consider in demining operations. It will not answer all questions. It will, however, serve as a useful guide in helping you identify the important factors, questions, or issues for your demining mission operation and in leading you to solutions or to knowledgeable sources of information.
The proponent of this publication is HQ, TRADOC. The preparing agency is the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (USAJFKSWCS). Reviewers and users of this publication should submit comments and recommended changes on DA Form 2028 to Commander, USAJFKSWCS, ATTN: AOJK-DT-SF, Fort Bragg, North Carolina 28307-5000.
Unless this publication states otherwise, masculine nouns and pronouns do not refer exclusively to men.