Grafenwöhr invests in natural barriers to protect against threats

Grafenwöhr invests in natural barriers to protect against threats
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
European edition,Sunday, December 6, 2009

GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — Army engineers are using trees, ditches, swales and rocks to make it harder for terrorists to attack this U.S. Army post.

Natural force protection is being encouraged at Army posts worldwide not only because it’s more aesthetically pleasing, but also because it is cheaper that traditional measures.

In recent years, the Army has spent about $1 billion to expand the base at the Grafenwöhr Training Area, including millions of dollars in landscaping that includes hundreds of trees and rocks strategically placed around the new buildings.

"The emphasis is to do as much natural-looking force protection as possible so it doesn’t look like you are in a prison or gulag," said Andy Spendlove, a Directorate of Public Works engineer at the base.

These natural barriers can effectively prevent cars or trucks from reaching buildings, Spendlove said, and they usually are much cheaper to build than traditional force-protection structures.


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