Photo By Staff Sgt. Michael Crawford | U.S. Soldiers with the 671st Engineer Company (Multi Role Bridge) from Clackamas,...... read more read more
Subscribe
FORT CHAFFEE, Ark. – Arkansas is known for its razorbacks, snakes and intense heat, but for the next week it’s become a home to River Rats.
The 671st Engineer Company (Multi Role Bridge), based in Clackamas, Ore., formally went by the nickname River Rats. After all, they’re in the business of not only crossing rivers, but getting others across as well.
These engineers had the opportunity to prepare for Operation River Assault with a boat familiarization exercise, July 18.
Members of the 671st Engineer Company (MRB) lowered Bridge Erection Boats, MK2 into Engineer Lake here to perform stress tests, ensuring the boats could handle the hard dives and power turns needed to build a full-enclosure bridge across the Arkansas River.
“We want to identify any problems early before we get to the main build,” said Staff Sgt. Sean Thompson, a senior boat operator with the 671st Engineer Company (MRB). “It’s a bit of a refresher. When we’ve got a five-ton bridge base sitting on the front of (the boat), it’s hard to get them to turn sometimes.
“It’s delicate work dealing with bridge bases coming up onto the … bridge that you’re building,” said Thompson, a native of Seattle. “Any little movement has to be counteracted, so it’s really easy to lose control and do damage.”
Mechanical issues can arise from lack of use from long-term storage. While soldiers have plenty of opportunity to care for their own gear, here they’re at the mercy of what they draw.
Fortunately, soldiers of the 671st Engineer Company (MRB) have more than bridge builders with them.
Sgt. Scott Jakielski, a wrecker operator from Arlington, Wash., with the 671st Engineer Company (MRB), was just one of a team of recovery and maintenance support, ready for the worst.
“If we have something stuck, we can’t continue mission,” Jakielski said. “Maintenance assets fix minor problems before they turn into major problems.”
Staff Sgt. Timothy Dorris, a crew chief for the 671st Engineer Company (MRB), said the training is critical leading up to the Operation River Assault exercise. Over the next three days, soldiers will construct a floating bridge across the Arkansas River.
“The big picture is the bridge,” said Dorris, a combat bridge engineer from Kalama, Wash. “We can cross divisions across our bridge and that’s a lot of people. When we’re doing the maneuver, and there’s a water obstacle in our way, we need to get past it real fast. We need the speed … for the rest of the Army.
“All this little stuff adds together,” Dorris said. “Soon as that bridge comes together … morale’s really high. That’s the best reward.”
| Date Taken: | 07.19.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 07.20.2013 20:30 |
| Story ID: | 110551 |
| Location: | FORT CHAFFEE, ARKANSAS, US |
| Hometown: | ARLINGTON, WASHINGTON, US |
| Hometown: | CLACKAMAS, OREGON, US |
| Hometown: | KALAMA, WASHINGTON, US |
| Hometown: | SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 458 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, Army Reserve soldiers create waves, bridges, by SSG Michael Crawford, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
