Photo By Cpl. John McCall | Marines with Bridge Companies A, B and C, 6th Engineer Support Battalion pose atop a...... read more read more
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Story by Cpl. John M. McCall
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – Combat engineers are required to be proficient in a number of skill sets that include demolition, construction, route clearance, and bridging. As jacks of all trades, these engineers must perform a wide variety of jobs that can range from setting up a bridge to operating the boat that delivers the bridge.
Marines with 6th Engineer Support Battalion took part in a two-week field training exercise here June 1-14. The training focused on refreshing many of the basic-engineering skills taught at engineer school. Some of the training events were a demolition range, a machine gun course, chainsaw instruction, concrete pouring, boat licensing, and building assault bridges. Bridge Companies A, B, and C were in attendance to train together as one unit.
“This exercise has been very useful for us,” said Cpl. Nathan Wilson, a combat engineer with Bridge Co. B, from Folsom, Penn. “It gives us hands-on experience that we can use later on in real life scenarios Now that we have all of the companies out here working together, we can learn from each other and help foster good unit cohesion.”
Bridge companies provide an extremely unique advantage to any military unit on the battlefield. Their ability to create a safe passageway across natural obstacles can mean the difference between success and failure during a major operation. In order to be as effective as possible, engineers practice their specialty often.
“Bridging is a perishable skill. It is not something that can be learned overnight,” said Capt. Christopher Scannell, the company commander for Bridge Co. A. “In order to build one of these bridges, you need a tremendous amount of teamwork and preparation. Even though we have some extremely proficient Marines in our company, continuous training like this is necessary to keep them ready.”
These three Reserve bridge companies make up more than half of the Marine Corps’ bridging assets. There is only one other bridge company, and it is made up of active-duty Marines. The ability to quickly create a functioning supply route has been a tool for success during many combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“While I was in Afghanistan, our unit had the only engineers available in our area of operations,” added Scannell, a Brooklyn, Mich., native. “We executed a variety of missions that ranged from non-standard bridge repair to constructing forward operating bases. Even though engineers are predominantly used for their construction and route clearance capabilities, bridging is something that comes up and engineers need to be prepared for it.”
The United States military presence has begun to downsize its numbers in Afghanistan and many Reserve units have seen cuts to some units as well. Company K of 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment was recently decommissioned, and as a result, Marines were given the opportunity to either move into a different job field or find another unit to join. Fortunately, a need for more combat engineers allowed Co. K Marines the opportunity to become certified combat engineers and be a part of 6th ESB’s newest bridge company, Co. C.
“We were actually slated to deploy to Afghanistan, but three months before our mobilization date we were informed that we would be turned into a new bridging company,” said Cpl. Colin Smith, a combat engineer with Bridge Co. C, from Memphis. “It was a little unsettling at first, but most of the Marines came around to the idea of moving on to a different job field.”
Some of Co. K’s Marines had been infantrymen for years, which made them uncertain as to whether their future would include being a Marine.
“The news was a real surprise to most of us, especially for me since I’ve been in the infantry field for 10 years,” said Staff Sgt. Brian Simpson, a platoon sergeant with Bridge Co. C, from Jackson, Tenn. “Once all of our options were laid out and the information was given to us, I felt much more confident about the decision to change our company’s mission.”
Riflemen of Co. K made the most of their time with their fellow bridging Marines through various training events offered at the exercise.
“It has been a little difficult learning the many tricks of the trade in engineering, but I really enjoyed working with these Marines,” said Sgt. Steven Chandler, an infantryman with Bridge Co. C, from Memphis. “This exercise has given us real hands-on experience with actual equipment that we will use down range. We have successfully put up six bridges so far thanks to the excellent instruction from the other bridge companies.”
Chandler is one of a handful of Marines with Bridge Co. C who are waiting to begin formal engineer training and learn their new trade.
There were a handful of different bridges put up that can be used in different real-life scenarios. One of these bridges is called the improved ribbon bridge, which is made up of connected floating platforms used to ferry equipment across large bodies of water. Small military tugboats, known as bridge erection boats, push and pull the floating structure to its destination.
“I was only trained on a few bridges up until this point. Now, I’ve been exposed to all of these bridging assets at our disposal,” said Pfc. Cody Ness, a combat engineer from Niles, Mich. “This (the IRB) is one of the most important bridge capabilities that we have. By being able to get this all set up quickly, we will be able help all of the Marines that need a route opened up.”
With such a unique skill, these Marines continually train in preparation for any unexpected conflicts that may arise.
“We take a lot of pride in what we do,” said Lance Cpl. Caleb Curtiss, a combat engineer from Grand Rapids, Mich. “When it comes down to it, having reliable routes of mobility can save lives in a combat situation.”
With a successful training exercise under their belts, 6th ESB’s bridge companies have built a solid foundation for the use of their skill set. The knowledge that each Marine has gained from this exercise will be taken back to their home training sites and used to stay sharp.
| Date Taken: | 06.14.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 06.18.2013 18:21 |
| Story ID: | 108854 |
| Location: | BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, US |
| Hometown: | BROOKLYN, MICHIGAN, US |
| Web Views: | 350 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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