▁mapping ▁and ▁log istic ▁skills ▁than ▁before . ▁H undred s ▁of ▁miles ▁of ▁roads ▁were ▁laid ▁and ▁landing ▁p ads ▁for ▁the ▁newly ▁developed ▁military ▁hel ic op ters ▁were ▁cleared ▁from ▁acres ▁of ▁j ung le . ▁While ▁their ▁skills ▁improved , ▁efforts ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁un success ful ▁in ▁comparison ▁to ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁and ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Air ▁Force ▁separated ▁from ▁the ▁Army ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁military ▁engine ers ▁found ▁much ▁success ▁in ▁the ▁Cold ▁War ▁against ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁From ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁the ▁Cold ▁War ▁increased ▁competition ▁and ▁political ▁t ension ▁between ▁nations ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁opposition ▁in ▁previous ▁wars , ▁including ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Little ▁physical ▁combat ▁took ▁place ▁between ▁oppos ing ▁countries ▁during ▁this ▁time ▁of ▁political ▁host ility . ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁was ▁constantly ▁on ▁the ▁br ink ▁of ▁potential ▁war fare . ▁With ▁this ▁potential ▁threat ▁came ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁military ▁engine ers ▁to ▁prepare ▁for ▁what ▁was ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁war . ▁Engine ers ▁constructed ▁air fields ▁for ▁heavy ▁bom bers , ▁launch ▁facilities ▁for ▁inter cont inental ▁ball istic ▁miss iles , ▁and ▁rad ar ▁install ations ▁to ▁increase ▁communication . ▁They ▁built ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁facilities ▁for ▁the ▁National ▁Aer onaut ics ▁and ▁Space ▁Administration ▁( N AS A ). ▁After ▁the ▁Cold ▁War , ▁military ▁engineering ▁found ▁its ▁place ▁on ▁the ▁front ▁lines ▁again