Environment. You, as an Army leader, must be aware of the safety requirements and risks that you encounter
each day. Environmental safety and risk have come about as concerns of Army leaders as well. You must
consider environmental concerns in your operational planning and training execution and develop contingency
plans for potential incidents. You must be proactive and be able to take action as soon as an incident occurs
rather than waiting for guidance from higher headquarters.
You cannot ignore the potential of your training operations to adversely affect the environment. Specifically,
environmental protection laws prohibit the deliberate or inadvertent release of hazardous materials at facilities or
training sites. You can be found guilty of environmental crimes if you willfully ignore these laws. Realistic
training is important, but potential environmental impacts must be addressed in all training situations. This is a
specific responsibility of the commander.
Sketch of Area. Review this section of DA Form 1712-R to get a picture description of the area considered and of
the proposed site layout. Additional sketches may be used to show work required to make the site usable or
recommended site developments. The results of any additional tests performed may be recorded in the "sketch of
area" section.
Selection of the Most Suitable Site. When you have reviewed the results from each DA Form 1712-R, you will
select the best site for the placement of the water point. Where potential water points meet all the requirements
noted in the Quality-Quantity block, base your selection of a water point on the condition of the site. Consider
drainage, security, and adequacy of the bivouac area, in that order of importance.
The number of sites will depend upon the mission requirements. A change in personnel load, enemy attack, or
mission requirements may shift the areas where a site is needed. Keep alternate sites available. Keep informed of
current tactical situations.
The sites which are of lesser quality than the best sites can be recommended as reserve sites. Although such sites
may have been water sources requiring an extensive commitment to resource to improve the site conditions, they
are important sites. Enemy sabotage or a change in environmental conditions can make the water unusable or
cause the source to dry up. Considering the need for flexibility under adverse conditions typical in combat,
having reserve water sites makes good management sense.
Do not assume that because a possible site was used once or twice before, it passes the test as your choice. Look
at the facts first. Weather conditions or enemy sabotage may have altered enough of the site to make it
completely unacceptable. If you plan to move a team to a previously occupied water point, back up your site
selection with a new reconnaissance. A once desirable site can turn into a quagmire with serious maintenance
problems.
QM4916
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