After Action Report, 403rd MP PW Camp

File: 980227_sep96_decls1_0004.txt
Page: 0004
Total Pages: 8
Box ID = BX005618

Folder Title = AFTER ACTION REPORT 403D MP PW CAMP                                                             

Unit = MISC        

Parent Org = MISC        







     AFKB-AC-CA                                                        2 April 1991
     SUBJECT: After Action Report, 403rd MP PW Camp


          h. Although the 403rd accepted EPW on 17 February, construction was
     not completed. Gates, including sally parts, were a particular problem.
     Material for the gates had to be scrounged and the unit lacked the
     equipment needed to install the gates in the soft sand and hard sandstone.
     The gates and sally ports eventually constructed were satisfactory +or
     temporary use but would not have been acceptable over the long term. As
     originally constructed each EPW camp consisted of 30 compounds spacially
     organized into three enclosures of ten compounds each. However, the
     compounds were not connected by barrier material. Even while housing EPW,
     the 403rd continued to work on compound security. The exter4@ors of all
     compounds in an enclosure were tied together with concertina. Sally ports
     were constructed and concertina wire laid within the commons area of each
     enclosure. Permanent lighting was not completed until 23 February 1991,
     six days after we first began accepting EPW.

          1. The goal of the 403rd was to have the camp operational before the
     start of the ground war. This timeline was met. However, in order to meet
     the timeliness resources of both the 403rd and all subordinat-- units had to
     be dedicated to the construction of the camp. This included all vehicles,
     material and personnel. The construction process took its toll on all
     units involved and was accomplished at the expense of improvements in life
     support areas for US personnel.

          j. The end of the ground war was followed by a large influx of EPW.
     The 403rd received 9,853 EPW in a seven day period beginning on 27
     February.    With this influx internal priorities shifted from construction
     of the camp to life support for the EPW and inprocessing operations. The
     rate at which EPW were arriving was too fast for inprocessing to keep up.
     Compounds were challenged to get tents url fast enough to keep the EPW
     covered at night and mess operations started to keep them fed. The initial
     shortage of tentage was solved in early March. Food problems were solved
     through the establishment of a supplemental mess to prepare food for the
     compounds.   The supplemental mess was initially set up by the 400th MP
     Camp. EPWs   were used as cooks and KPs. The supplemental mess was only
     operational  for about five or six days, but it was a critical five or six
     days.

          k. Sewage removal and water distribution remained problems. The water
     problem was made more difficult to manage because of a decision by
     supporting engineers not to construct roads around and through the
     enclosures (a resource allocation decsion). Without a working water
     system all water had to be delivered by truck. The soft sand made
     traf-Ficability in parts of the camp impossible except for four wheel drive
     vehicles. Much time was wasted and energy expended pulling two wheel drive
     water vehicles out of soft sand. In retrospect the water problem could
     have been most easily been solved with a complete TWIDS System to include
     both the wholesale components, which were on site, and the retail
     components which were-not rn site. The retail components include the two
     inch hosing and fixtures needed to get water from the big line to the
     compounds. The sewage lines needed to be buried and laid out with a 4%
     downhill slope towards the lagoon.

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