AFIT’s newest course at the Civil Engineer and Services School provides critical training for deploying forces. ENV175, Environmental Management in Deployed Locations, prepares deploying civil engineers to handle the myriad environmental problems they will face in the AOR.

In the past, neglecting environmental concerns resulted in troops being exposed to harmful levels of hazardous materials such as Agent Orange in Vietnam. Today troops are facing even more potentially harmful environmental issues: a solid waste burn pit and poor air quality at Balad; wastewater disposal problems at Kirkuk; depleted uranium exposure, hazardous material storage, and hazardous waste disposal across the AOR.

“I kept getting calls and emails from deployed lieutenants and commanders in Iraq asking me what they were supposed to do,” commented course director and primary instructor Capt. Hans Anker. “They are being asked to tackle environmental problems at their bases and are not adequately trained to handle them.” Capt. Anker contacted the CENTAF environmental program manager and arranged to assist with an environmental survey and training visit to most of the major Air Force locations in Iraq and Kuwait. He used that opportunity to get hands on experience and brought that knowledge back to AFIT to create the ENV175 course. “There is no substitute for being there and seeing how it is. It really gives you credibility as an instructor and the perspective to tailor the training to meet their needs,” Capt. Anker said of his experience in Iraq.

The ENV175 course trains deploying civil engineer officers and NCOs, applicable contractors, and joint service equivalents to preserve the health and safety of our deployed forces as well as the environment. The course teaches procedures for updating environmental baseline surveys and how to employ environmental guidance such as AFH10-222 Vol. 4: Environmental Guide for Contingency Operations and the Overseas Environmental Baseline Guidance Document. In addition, deploying troops are given training involving procedures for expedient hazardous material and waste management. Capt. Anker emphasized, “The focus of the course is to give these deploying personnel exactly the tools they need to do their job. I’m going to make every lesson as applicable as possible.” The capstone lesson for the course will feature a visit from the CENTCOM program manager and/or recently deployed CE personnel to discuss current issues at specific bases.

Capt. Anker said, “It’s great to feel like you’re really contributing and making an impact. This course is going to provide critical training to the deploying forces that need it most. Hopefully we can fix some of these problems in the AOR and keep supporting our deployed troops. Most of our bases are joint locations, and I am getting inquiries from the Army on what I’m working on. There’s no telling how far this will go.”

In order to maximize effectiveness, ENV175 will be periodically offered as a one-day course to be delivered by satellite through base education centers. The satellite delivery method allows for rapid dissemination of information to a large audience. For those who are already deployed or don’t have access to the satellite feed, DVDs will be recorded and distributed to ensure everyone is getting the required training. This course is just one more example of how AFIT is providing critical support to our deploying forces.