Selected Aspects of Military Geology Applied to Ukraine Barney Paul Popkin Consultant
Military decision makers have been considering terrain in their military action plans for thousands of years. By terrain herein is the very broad, detailed, local, and real-time consideration of: water, oil and gas, rock, mineral, forest and other resources; land suitable for tunnels, trenches, and rock walls; topography and landforms in the interest of mobility and ground control; access to safe and protective shelter, stable transportation routes; and other issues. It’s clear to the everyday observe that: water is vital; excavatable rocks are easier for tunneling, diggable soils are suitable for trenching, and large rocks are suitable for wall- making than otherwise; flat open or valley lands are easier to conquer than hills or rugged mountains; high ground capture can control surrounding low ground; sand dunes and mud are more difficult to travel over than hard ground; safety behind high, leafy, and dense vegetation is more secure than an open meadow; and seasons and weather may make terrain conditions more or less favorable.
