U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center

Hercules Engineering Solutions Consortium (HESCO) Barriers HESCO Barriers are a modern type of gabion currently employed in the battlespaces of Iraq and Afghanistan. HESCO barriers are constructed of Galfan coated steel welded mesh and lined with non-woven polypropylene geotextile. They are then filled with local dirt and rock. The use of these barriers had reduced the amount of time and manpower needed to build defensive positions and they are generally sturdier than those constructed of sandbags.
Structures like the one you see before you have been used by the US Military for additional security at permanent traffic control points in places as the Green Zone in Baghdad and various locations in Afghanistan. Typically this configuration would be manned by two or three Soldiers equipped with a medium to heavy machine gun with additional support provided by the Soldiers' personal weapons. These structures would provide protection from small arms as well as limited protection from explosions.
Field Works on the Army Heritage TrailThroughout American history Soldiers have built structures to serve as strong points on the battlefield and in their area of operations. These have ranged from simple ditches and earth works to wayside stations, block houses and forts. On the Army Heritage Trail you will encounter recreations of some of these structures that point to key experiences in Army history. Many of these structures incorporate similar features that have been in use around the world for centuries. One such feature that has traveled through time is the gabion. A gabion began as a woven basket of branches filled with earth. Use of gabions can be seen on the Army Heritage Trail in the recreation of Redoubt 10 (Yorktown) as well as in our recreated WWI trench line. During the American Civil War gabions were extensively used in both Federal and Confederate fortifications, most notably at the siege of Petersburg.
(Inscription below the photo in the upper left) A front end loader fills HESCO barriers during construction of a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Iraq.
(Inscription below the photo in the upper right) Gabions being built for the Federal trenches at Petersburg, Virginia, 1864.
(Inscription beside the drawing in the lower right) Drawings of gabion construction from the Complete U.S. Infantry Guide, 1917.

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HESCO in Iraq
HESCO in Afghanistan
HESCO at Home
Improvised Explosive Devices (IED)
Specialist (SPC) Charles Posey III
Sergeant (SGT) Robert Easley, Jr.
Staff Sergeant Fred A. Rella
Sergeant First Class Randall D. Shughart
Private First Class Willard Dominick
Corporal John D. LaWall

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