Why Bulldozers, Not Tanks, Win Wars
The underappreciated job of combat engineers
The main battle tank has had an air of mystique since World War I. In every war, tanks make headlines. They are large, powerful, and seen as a decisive force in battle. While tanks are definitely impressive weapons systems, they would not be able to move a single mile without combat engineers working outside of the limelight. Combat engineers are one of the most integral parts of warfare, and they rarely get the attention that they deserve despite often working under fire and on the front lines next to the tankers that everyone seems to idolize.
War is destructive. Modern war, especially so. In just weeks of fighting, artillery will chew up roads, sappers will bring down bridges, towns will be turned into rubble, and roadblocks will be erected everywhere. Without combat engineers, modern battlefields turn into impassable quagmires.
Combat engineers are responsible for clearing rubble, rebuilding airstrips, erecting new bridges, spanning gullies, rivers, and craters, clearing mines, and making the roads usable for armor. Combat engineers drive bulldozers and tractors instead of tanks and APCs, but they are just as important (if not more important) than the front line troops they are working for.
