Metal pickets are issued in two types: screw and U-shaped. The standard lengths are short (or anchor), medium, and long (fig. 8-10). The U-shaped picket also comes in an extra-long length. Pickets that are serviceable can be recovered and used again.

Screw Pickets

Drive the screw picket into the ground by turning it in a clockwise direction using a driftpin, stick or another

Figure 8-11.-Expedient picket driver.

picket inserted in the bottom eye of the picket for leverage. Use the bottom eye in order to avoid twisting the picket. Install screw pickets so the eye is to the right of the picket, as seen from the friendly side, and standard ties can be made easily. Screw pickets tend to be less rigid than other types but are desirable because you can install them rapidly and silently. When silence is necessary, wrap the driftpin used in installing the pickets with cloth.

U-shaped Pickets

The U-shaped picket is a cold-formed steel picket with a U-shaped cross section, pointed at one end for driving. It is notched for wire ties and the pointed end has a punched hole for wires used in bundling the pickets. Drive the U-shaped pickets with a sledgehammer. Use a stake driving cap on the tip of the picket to prevent the sledge from deforming it. Driving the pickets is noisier than installing screw pickets. However, you can reduce the noise by placing a piece of rubber tire over the driving face of the sledge. The pickets are rigid and sturdy when installed properly. They are preferable to screw pickets in situations where noise is not a disadvantage and time is available. Drive the pickets with the hollow surface (concave side) facing the enemy, so friendly small-arms fire will not ricochet back toward your position. An expedient picket driver, which can be fabricated locally, is shown in figure 8-11. Constructed as shown, it weighs approximately 5 1/2 pounds and is operated by two men. One man holds the picket in a vertical position, and the other slides the driver over the picket and drives it into the ground. Then both men work the picket driver up and down until the required depth is reached. Drive short pickets by turning the picket driver upside down and using the head as a hammer. Use the bucket of a front-end loader to push U-shaped pickets into the ground when the tactical situation permits the use of equipment.

In locations where frozen ground prevents driving of the U-shaped pickets, use an Arctic adapter. The adapter is made of steel and consists of a baseplate equipped with an adjustable channel receptacle and two anchor pins. Anchor it by driving the anchor pins through holes in the baseplate into the ground. One anchor-pin drive sleeve with a driving pin is provided with each 20 adapters to aid anchor pin emplacement. When adapters are not available, start a hole with a picket. The picket can be frozen in place by pouring water and snow into the hole.