Day 1
Wednesday 26th January
The way ahead: Strategy and developments
Effective military engineering operations require planning, organisation and above all, well trained personnel. This first main day of the conference will focus on the strategy and doctrine necessary for effective engineering operations as well as a focus on an armed forces most important asset – its people.
0815 – Registration and Morning Refreshments
0850 – Chairperson’s welcome and a look at the day ahead
0900 – Keynote presentation – Maintaining effective military engineers for the full range of operational requirements
Contributing to the survival, mobility and combat effectiveness of military engineers: A Canadian perspective
• How to keep your military engineers ahead of the ever evolving operational environment
• Canadian experiences and lessons learned from the front line in Kandahar province
• How will future operational requirements shape our military engineers?
Major General Daniel Benjamin, Chief of Staff (Infrastructure and Environment) and Chief Military Engineer, Canadian Armed Forces, Canada
0930 – Military engineering from a NATO command perspective
How to develop doctrine for joint operation engineering support
• Creating a renewed military engineering vision during continued NATO transformation
• Developing support for NATO's current and developing strategy and policy
Colonel Giuseppe Fabio Carbonara, Chief Engineer, NATO SHAPE, Brussels
1000 – Enhancing engineering capability within the joint force environment
How can military engineers achieve great joint capability when deployed?
• Sustainable engineering as the key to efficient and cost effective deployments
• How will developments in sustainable engineering impact on force structures?
Colonel Pat Fogarty, Chief Engineering Division, Joint Staff (J4), Pentagon, USA***
1025 - Morning Refreshments and Networking
Force Insight session
Flexibility is the key to success and in the current economic climate - flexibility means value for money. This session will focus on the latest changes to operational engineering structures in making our assets more deployable and better prepared than ever.
1100 – US engineer effectiveness and challenges in Europe
Taking a US Army Corps of Engineers Europe approach
• Planning, design, construction, environmental services and project management to meet customer infrastructure requirements
• Campaign Plan: Marching forward with a new campaign plan to transform the way USACE Europe does business
• Supporting contingency operations in the U.S. EUCOM and AFRICOM areas of responsibility
Colonel John Kem, Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District, USA
1125 – The future of high readiness forces within NATO control
A German/Netherlands command perspective
• Insight into the land component element and engineering integration
• Understanding civil liaison and incorporation into the future work of all military engineer development
Lieutenant Colonel Dirk Steinsiek, Chief Engineering Operations, 1 (German/Netherlands) Corps, Germany***
1150 – Gaining insight into Eurocorps engineering structure and its effectiveness
How will EuroCorps foster closer national ties regarding military engineering?
• Gaining insight into Balkans and Afghanistan deployments
• The future: Greater integration and force flexibility for future operations
Senior Representative, Engineering Division, EuroCorps
1215 – How to integrate small armies within a coalition effectively
The Dutch experience working in a multi-service and multi-national environment
• Lessons learned in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan
• What can small armies offer a broad coalition?
Major Stefan Linders, Operations Officer, 101 Engineer Battalion, Netherlands
1240 - Lunch and Networking
Training Insight session
Armed forces train their personnel differently in order to deal with their own unique engineering needs. This session will include presentations and time for interactive discussion from three of the leading nations at the forefront of combat operations.
1340 - Training Insight 1 – How has the UK adapted its mobility support and training from lessons learned during OP MOSHTARAK in Helmand Province?
1405 - Training Insight 2 – Developing USMC Engineers for the conflicts of tomorrow
Learning current lessons from operations in Afghanistan and implementing them into training
• How does the US Marine Corps Engineer School deliver holistic training to its recruits?
• Gaining insight into how USMC training must stay adaptable for the full range of operational requirements
Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Miller, Marine Corps Engineer School, Marine Corps Engineer Center, USA
1430 - Training Insight 3 – Training Canadian army engineers to take on the full range of engineering challenges that lay ahead
1450 – Interactive Panel Discussion - How well are engineers working together in both coalition and joint force structures?
• A focus on ISAF: What successes have there been in PRT and combat engineering operations?
• What else can be done to insure equipment and doctrinal interoperability?
1515 - Afternoon Refreshments and Networking
Innovation Showcase Session
The defence industry is an integral battle-winning element when it comes to the delivery and support of modern military engineering equipment. The following four short presentations are designed to give you a bite sized insight into the very latest innovations offered by the defence industry.
1545 - Showcase I: Pearson Engineering
Complex problems requiring simple solutions
• Vehicle demining equipment and integration: Operational feedback with the lightweight mine roller and mine plough
• Short gap crossing: Fast and effective mobility without the need for bridging equipment
Representative, Pearson Engineering, UK
1610 - Showcase 2 – How effective has Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) been in defeating improvised threats and legacy mines?
1635 - Showcase 3 – Developing the next generation of construction equipment
1700 - Showcase 4 – Keeping the full range of bridging capability relevant into the next decade
1725 – Leading Expert Panel - How has the military engineer’s role changed in regard to current counter-insurgent operations?
• How should combat engineering unit structure adapt to meet the needs of the irregular threat?
• Keeping military engineer training flexible for the full range of tasks
1800 - End of day one and commencement of the evening drinks reception
Now is the perfect opportunity to catch up informally with colleagues, counterparts and new conference acquaintances.
27th January - Conference Day 2
