Multi-State National Guard Training Opportunity Bridges More Than Rivers

Photo By Anthony Housey | Michigan National Guard Engineers of the 1437th Multi-Role Bridge Company, (MRBC) worked, through the night, to unload trucks carrying boats and bridge sections and successfully pieced together a bridge across the Mississippi river during training on Camp Ripley June 11, 2024.  

LITTLE FALLS, MINNESOTA, UNITED STATES

06.11.2024

Story by Anthony Housey 

Camp Ripley Training Center

June 11, 2024 (CAMP RIPLEY, Minnesota) - Michigan National Guard Engineers of the 1437th Multi-Role Bridge Company, (MRBC) worked, through the night, to unload trucks carrying boats and bridge sections during training on Camp Ripley June 11, 2024.

“Our task is to span the Mississippi River and make our bridge safe for armored vehicles to cross,” said Army 1st Lt. Jame Hunter, 1437th commander.

This culminating event for the bridging company is taking place during hours of darkness and is currently online to help facilitate the drivers training and hands-on experience for other units training on Ripley.

“Our coordination with several units has brought us to a multi-state training opportunity which is not unrealistic in a possible forward, deployment scenario,” added Hunter.

For the engineers, this nearly wraps up a two-week annual training event for the Sault Ste. Marie based unit from Michigan. Part of their final training effort include the drive back across state lines before returning to their homes.

During the gap crossing the 1437th incorporated local security support from the Illinois National Guard 233rd and 333rd Military Police Companies. These unit, who recently completed their own training event on Camp Ripley, provided perimeter security to include the overall cordon, traffic control points and job site overwatch along the river.

“Getting the call and to be able to offer my unit’s specific skillset as MPs was a great chance to broaden everyone’s training knowledge,” said Army Capt. Chad Harris, Company Commander for the 333rd MP Company. “It was a thrill to use our normal practices in a unique scenario like this,” he added.

In a real-world scenario bridging units would have support from higher echelons to defend their area of operations. Additionally, their effort to span an obstacle would be to allow the spearhead advancement of combat formations. These assets were also coordinated with the support of the 1437th to take part in a rare, mutually beneficial training occasion. Welcoming self-propelled artillery and support vehicles of the Minnesota National Guard’s 1st Battalion – 125th Field Artillery to cross once the bridge is in place and inspected.

“Opportunities like this are rare during annual training, making this experience exceptionally rewarding for our Soldiers. They unanimously agreed that it was among the best training sessions they have ever had. Conducting a ribbon bridge crossing at night and holding a reenlistment ceremony on the bridge created an unforgettable and highly impactful training moment,” said Army Lt. Col. Mark Gile, battalion commander, 1st Battalion - 125th Field Artillery Regiment.

The exercise kicked off around 2100 and later that night, vehicle were safely moving across the river incorporating night time drivers training as well as risk mitigation steps to ensure safe crossing of light and heavy vehicles over the bridge.

In addition to bridging operations, the engineers as well as the military police security elements engaged the opposing force or OPFOR in several mock battles that involved quick firefights and deliberate maneuver to challenge the security of the area of operations while working to build the bridge.

Another unique element that was added was a sudden water-borne bomb scenario from the OPFOR. Utilizing one of the engineer’s boats, an OPFOR unit tried to simulate damaging the bridge while engaging Soldiers with small arms blanks.

Wrapping up the crossing including several units of wheeled vehicles, the tracked self-propelled howitzers of the field artillery lumbered across the bridge under the control of a team of ground guides. Halting the last M109A7 Paladin howitzer before finishing their crossing to allow several reenlistments to take place in front of this unique backdrop.

“These units made our training event a terrific scenario from beginning to end. Working realistic communications and coordination along with physical and area security to produce the best methods of Wet Gap Crossing,” concluded Hunter.

The use and overall training success of bridging the Mississippi River has been one of Camp Ripley’s strongest tributes since its establishment in the early 1930s. Fourth Army maneuvers prior to World War II confirmed the need for rapidly buildable crossings for vehicles and personnel. The use of Camp Ripley to training, develop and implement these bridges was ideal for Army Engineer units as well as other bridging organizations. Since then, Camp Ripley has built two water or ice crossing training areas; Whisky One or W1 where units start easy securing and constructing their crossing over a long, moderately narrow lake with no rapid current. The second, know as Whiskey Two or W2 is 116-meter fast water site with support ramps on both banks and a large vehicle turn around on the far side

• Date Taken: 06.11.2024
• Date Posted: 06.20.2024 15:37
• Story ID: 474425
• Location: LITTLE FALLS, MINNESOTA, US