Photo By Staff Sgt. Abrey Liggins | Marines with Bridge Company, 8th Engineer Support Battalion, ensure the correct...... read more read more
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Marines with 8th and 9th Engineer Support Battalion practiced assembling and disassembling a 16-bay, double story medium girder bridge during a bridge commander course at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Sept. 27, 2017.
The unit was taken to a training site in Courthouse Bay to assemble the bridge. The medium girder bridge is the largest bridge design and provides the Marines with the challenge and experience they need to become better engineers.
“This course teaches Bridge Company Marines how to build medium girder bridges, and how to command and construct them properly,” said Lance Cpl. Nathan Riuale, a bridge commander with 8th ESB. “This is an instructional course and it teaches people who might not know anything about it how to command and build an entire bridge.”
Bridge Company employs bridges to allow increased mobility to anyone from foot-mobile troops to 60-ton main battle tanks, which gives them a pivotal role in the support of all operations within the Marine Corps.
“The only requirement [of the Marines] is the ability to listen to commands from the commander,” said Cpl. Seth Moore, a bridge commander with 9th ESB. “On the commander’s half, whether it’s the crew leaders or the bridge commander himself they must know how to stay focused on what needs to be done.”
The course allowed Marines to obtain basic, medium or advanced certifications. It also gave Marines the tools and resources to learn how to build the bridges properly.
“This is important because it helps support the [Marine Logistics Group],” said Riuale. “This provides a way for other units to have mobility on the battlefield so whenever someone needs to get tanks across a gap, they have that opportunity.”
The bridge is lightweight, man-portable and can be assembled without the aid of heavy equipment. It was designed to be constructed in only a few hours and allows for quick disassembly during time-sensitive operations.
“It’s very important that we give mobility capabilities to our follow-on forces and anyone who needs it,” said Moore. “It’s an extremely critical asset that the Marine Corps needs because if you can’t get somewhere, you can’t complete the mission.”
| Date Taken: | 09.29.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 09.29.2017 11:28 |
| Story ID: | 250026 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 79 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Command and construct: 8th ESB conducts bridge commanders course, by SSgt Abrey Liggins, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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