Photo By Master Sgt. Roy Santana | U.S. Army soldiers of First Platoon, 299th Engineering Company from Fort Belvoir, Va.,...... read more read more
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FORT MCCOY, Wis. - Two U.S. Air Force Reservists with the 4th Combat Camera Squadron hitch a ride on an Improved Ribbon Bridge ferrying U.S. Army vehicles across a small lake at Fort McCoy, Wis., during Global Medic and WAREX.
How cool would it be to ride across a small lake on a floating bridge with some awesome U.S. Army vehicles?
Well if you're not an Army soldier assigned to the 299th Engineer Company, 724th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, Fort Belvoir, Va., or operating a military vehicle needing to cross a body of water, you're probably out of luck.
Unless you're assigned to a Combat Camera team tasked with documenting such diverse activities, then all you need to do is strap on a life vest and the bridge commander's OK.
That's exactly what two airmen assigned to the 4th Combat Camera Squadron, March Air Reserve Base, Calif., received, and they jumped aboard for a ride like no other across Big Sandy Lake.
The airmen documented soldiers employing an Improved Ribbon Bridge (IRB) used to transport military vehicles. Transporting armored personnel carriers across a body of water is one of the many activities taking place during Warrior Exercise (WAREX), Fort McCoy, Wis. Hosted by the 86th Training Division, WAREX occurs in conjunction with Global Medic. Global Medic is an annual joint-reserve field-training exercise designed to replicate all facets of combat theater aeromedical evacuation support.
"You need a life vest!" shouted Sgt. Rob Cimino-Hurt, bridge commander of this particular operation.
Once the combat documentation team, composed of a photojournalist and a broadcaster, procured the vests and un-bloused their uniform pant legs (a precaution should they fall in it would prevent air pockets from forming, thereby hindering their ability to stay upright), they were underway.
Fort McCoy provides, "An excellent place to train," said Cimino-Hurt about the location for this year's WAREX. ”We have a lot of new soldiers, so if anything, this is the only time they get to go and actually handle this equipment, and put it together because most other places it's hard to find a training area as excellent as this."
The Combat Camera team rode along as the platoon ferried three Humvees, two Medium Tactical Vehicles and an Armored Vehicle Loaded Bridge across the small lake in under 45 minutes.
Sgt. Chris Williams, a Mark II Combat Support Boat operator, is an integral part of the operation.
According to Williams, it took 20 minutes to assemble four interior bays and two ramp bays of this six-float IRB raft creating a water bridge of approximately 156 feet and able to carry the weight of any military vehicle on wheels or tracks.
Williams claims it's been said many times but, "We are here to bridge the gap!"
When asked how he liked his job he says with a smile, "I've been doing this for fourteen years if that tells you anything."
According to Senior Airman Joshua Roberts, a broadcaster with the 4 CTCS, "We were fortunate to document this training."
Roberts says, "The scale of this joint exercise is amazing. There are so many different units from multiple services, with such a variety of skills. It's great to have the chance to capture video of them all in action."
| Date Taken: | 07.20.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 07.24.2013 21:46 |
| Story ID: | 110759 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 176 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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