Photo By Jon Arguello | A combat engineer from A Company, 27th Engineering Battalion, 20th Engineering Brigade...... read more read more
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Story and photos By Army Spc. Jon H. Arguello
22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Just weeks before redeployment, combat engineers from A Company, 27th Engineering Battalion, 20th Engineering Brigade (Airborne), continue to clear a safe path for Soldiers of Task Force Spartan to do their work in eastern Afghanistan.
The airborne road clearing platoon, based out of Fort Bragg, N.C., have been leading the way in eastern Afghanistan with their mine detecting assets, clearing mines and improvised explosive devices and providing engineering support during their year-long Operation Enduring Freedom deployment.
"I think we've done exceptionally well," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Richard Fredrickson, the road clearing platoon sergeant from Salt Lake City, Utah. "The caliber of Soldiers we have is above par."
These paratroopers have been the tip of the spear many times, leading the way and giving Soldiers of TF Spartan a safe passage through the treacherous Afghan terrain, absorbing and disposing of the IED, mine and unexploded ordinance threat with their mine detecting equipment before other Soldiers are put at risk.
"On one mission we were called to react to an IED post-blast," Fredrickson said. "Our mission was to clear up to the blast site. Because of the terrain, we had to proceed dismounted and the mission took three days, but we found an IED. We worked through the night and successfully extracted that vehicle. We overcame a lot of odds."
Another successful mission was the removal of a Soviet anti-tank mine in the middle of a heavily-travelled Afghan road. The engineers removed the danger before a coalition forces or civilian vehicle set the mine off. Had the paratroopers not removed the mine, it would have been only a matter of time before the mine killed or injured someone.
The task of clearing a safe path for other Soldiers is accomplished only at great risk to the engineers.
"To be in a road clearing platoon, you need to have a serious sense of duty," said 1st Lt. Jason Adelaine, RCP platoon leader from Brookings, S.D. "It's physically and psychologically demanding. There are so many aspects to this from rewriting procedures to overcoming terrain. You have to be resilient and adapt. These guys personify those traits."
The many hardships these Soldiers have overcome are all part of their tough character, Fredrickson said.
"I think it's the tremendous amount of pride we paratroopers take in our job that makes a huge difference," he said. "These guys bring a lot to the table whether things are hard or not, they do their job extremely well. The quality of our junior enlisted Soldiers is extremely high. I'm inexpressibly proud of these guys."
The toughness of these paratroopers may come from the gratification they get from relieving other Soldiers of some of the dangers of their mission.
"Mobility is extremely important to the mission," said Spc. Daniel Harris of Spokane, Wash. "The roads are dangerous, but we make them safer for everybody. Finding the IED before anybody gets hurt is the most important part of our job. So we go wherever we're needed doing what we need to do. Everyone is safer when we get something."
Making light of the responsibility and finding the positive aspects of their job also seems to be characteristic of these self-sacrificing Soldiers.
"The enemy knows we are out there neutralizing their threat," said Sgt. Joseph Bierschbach, a native of Webster, S.D. "Somebody has to do it. When I'm not concentrating on the job, I just try to enjoy the scenery."
As beautiful as the Afghan mountain tops may be, these Soldiers don't risk their lives for the view. There is a reason these Paratroopers find themselves out in front looking for danger.
"One day we had a couple of dismounts because our mine detection equipment had a pretty big hit," said Spc. Thomas Kelly of Chicago, Ill. "I was out there with my mine detecting equipment and I found an IED. I realized then if there is a mine or IED, somebody has to get it. Knowing that there was one less danger out there is really what this job is all about."
| Date Taken: | 03.13.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 03.13.2007 10:12 |
| Story ID: | 9413 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 284 |
| Downloads: | 227 |
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