Photo By Sgt. Cassandra Monroe | Sgt. Will Grumet, a combat engineer and Las Cruces, N.M. native, with 3rd Platoon,...... read more read more
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CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – It was a quiet night for those on the roads in Salah-ad Din province, the moon was full and hanging over the long stretch of desert terrain. Within that stretch, the calm humming equipment and metal crunching against a mixture of concrete and dirt broke the quiet of the night.
That silence was broken by Soldiers with 3rd Platoon, 573rd Clearance Company, 1st Engineer Battalion, who were repairing a road scattered with potholes and one large crater.
“Primarily, we repair potholes in the road and blast craters caused by improvised explosive devices,” said 1st Lt. Matthew O’Shea, 3rd platoon leader with the 573rd. “Insurgents can place IEDs under the same craters, so filling in the blast craters will prevent the enemy from using that same spot again. That protects local nationals from sectarian violence and also U.S. and Iraqi security forces from the enemy.”
Safety of both forces and Iraqi residents is of key importance for those serving under O’Shea, and preventing threats is one objective they accomplished during their mission.
Some Soldiers maintained security through their gunner’s turret, while others were assigned on-the-ground tasks. Ground tasks like measuring the holes in the road, shoveling around them and cleaning them to prepare them for the concrete were the additional tasks.
Soldiers also manned vehicles and heavy operating equipment. The High Mobility Engineer Excavation machine provided construction assistance through hydraulic attachments, like a jackhammer, said O’Shea, an Elmwood Park, N.J., native.
Because the cement was properly mixed prior to the mission, it was ready to be poured once the holes were prepared. Soldiers placed metal grates inside the holes to keep the concrete steady, and assisted the concrete contractor in pouring the cement properly, making sure it laid out smoothly and was drivable.
The team also removed piles of sand that had accumulated on the roads after severe dust storms.
“The sand pulls up on the road, about two feet high, and the vehicles have to pull off the road and drive on the desert,” said O’Shea. “If the enemy sees it, they can emplace mines. Every time a dust storm happens, we usually add this duty in conjunction with another mission.”
For the 3rd Platoon Soldiers, repairing and clearing the roads in Iraq is more than just a duty; they desire safe, easy and accessible travel for all people.
One of the major parts of being an engineer is making sure the routes are clear, said O’Shea. It’s making sure that the road is not only clear of threats but impassable objects, like these sand drifts and potholes are removed.
“I feel like it’s important to fix these craters because all of coalition forces use these roads, and if we can’t travel, we can’t accomplish our missions,” said Pfc. Spencer Haines, a combat engineer with 3rd Platoon and a Strasburg, Va., native.
Although the team will redeploy soon, their hard work was completed with the next group of Soldiers in mind.
“This mission is a good way for us to end our tour here,” said O’Shea. “It’s leaving the routes open for the [next engineer unit]. There is still going to be a U.S. presence here, so everything that we do is helping them out for their future. We are making a difference.”
| Date Taken: | 06.25.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 06.29.2010 14:46 |
| Story ID: | 52143 |
| Location: | CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, IQ |
| Web Views: | 223 |
| Downloads: | 145 |
This work, Engineers repair craters, keeps safety of others in mind, by SGT Cassandra Monroe, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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