Engineer Route Clearance Companies

The Engineer branch has decided to enact a modular capability within the engineer force called a "Route Clearance Company". This new organization is in direct response to the frequency and effectiveness of the IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) in Iraq.

However, a traditional 'sapper' company already has route clearance as a METL task (Mission Essential Task List) .

Does creating this new organization actually decrease flexibility and versatility? The route clearance company will not train on or be equipped for other engineer missions; thus constraining options available to the commander.

Are we as a branch (or even as a service) focusing too much on the Iraq war and not other threats that will require more of a 'full-spectrum' flavour? If the recent events in Georgia are an indicator that Russia is again flexing her muscles, engineers will need to maintain their conventional skill set - a skill set that will be completely absent from the Route Clearance Company formations.