Photo By Henry Villarama | U.S. Army paratrooper, Spc. Adam Satori, is a 12N Heavy Equipment Operator assigned to...... read more read more
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Horizontal construction engineers use bulldozers, cranes, graders and other heavy equipment to move tons of earth and material to complete construction projects for the Army. During Exercise Saber Junction 2019 (SJ19), engineers assigned to Italy based 173rd Airborne Brigade will exercise their operator and leadership skills to accomplish the brigade’s clearance and repair missions.
U.S. Army Specialist, Adam Satori, is an airborne 12N Horizontal Construction Engineer assigned to Assault and Breach Squad, Third Platoon, Alpha Company, 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion,173rd Airborne Brigade.
Spc. Satori, a native of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, enlisted into the Army in June 2017 and arrived at the 173rd Airborne Brigade in December of that year.
The airborne engineer is no stranger to the 173rd Airborne’s current mission, Exercise Saber Junction as he participated in last year’s Saber Junction 2018.
During Saber Junction 18, Spc. Satori proved himself exceptional at his craft and was immediately recognized by his leadership as a skillful D6K Light Bulldozer Operator. Satori had been tasked with digging anti-tank ditches, creating berms, digging and fortifying fighting positions.
“I really felt like I proved myself last year,” said Satori. “I’m looking forward to getting into the “box” in a couple of weeks”.
In this case, the term “box” references the simulated, contested battle-space of Hohenfels Training Area, Germany. For the duration of SJ19, the 173rd Airborne Brigade will conduct a series of operations to include noncombatant evacuation operations, offensive, defensive, and counter-attack missions to eliminate threats throughout the training area.
In addition to skillfully operating a bulldozer, Spc. Satori drives the M1088 Tractor Truck. The 5-ton medium tactical vehicle is designed for line-haul operations and is the vehicle Satori uses to tow his bulldozer.
When asked about his performance, Satori’s first-line supervisor, Sgt. Tyler Adams, praised Satori and recognized him as the platoon’s best M1088 operator.
“We’re looking forward to getting into the fight,” said Sgt. Adams. “We need experts on the equipment to make critical repairs to the airfield so that the mission will be successful. Satori is my go-to guy.”
The brigade’s airborne engineers have the capability of repairing airfields in austere environments, everything from rapid repair of small craters to fixing spalls, which are cracks and flakes on the airfield surface.
In July 2019, Spc. Satori graduated the U.S. Army’s Sapper Leader Course in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri as the Army’s youngest Sapper.
Satori stated, “When I arrived at Sapper School, the cadre (the school leadership) asked who was from the 173rd. A few of us raised our hands,” said Satori. “Once we identified ourselves, the cadre made sure to separate us into different squads. The instructors clearly recognize the high quality of paratroopers and Sappers here in the brigade.”
Aside from being an expert engineer during field rotations, Satori enjoys traveling around Europe with his teammates in Alpha Company.
“Traveling in Europe, and seeing the world, is a great way to unwind after long field exercises,” Satori reflected. “That’s one of the reasons I love being stationed in Italy,”
Saber Junction 2019 is an exercise involving nearly 5,400 participants from 16 ally and partner nations at the U.S. Army's Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels Training Areas, Sept. 3 to Sept. 30, 2019. SJ19 is designed to assess the readiness of the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade to execute land operations in a joint, combined environment and to promote interoperability with partnering allies and partner nations.
| Date Taken: | 09.14.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 09.24.2019 11:19 |
| Story ID: | 340889 |
| Location: | GRAFENWOEHR, BAYERN, DE |
| Web Views: | 493 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Sapper Prepares to Engage Enemy During Saber Junction 19, by Henry Villarama, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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