Army engineers' training at Fort Hunter Liggett proves explosively successful

By Staff Sgt. James Blaine (Fort Hunter Liggett)July 12, 2012

Bridge demolition (video still images) on Salmon Creek Bridge at Fort Hunter Liggett
1 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – This video capture shows the very beginning of the explosion that demolished the Salmon Creek Bridge at Fort Hunter Liggett. Engineers with the 396th Mobility Augmentation Company removed the bridge to make way for a new one during Warrior Exercise 2... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Bridge demolition (video still images) on Salmon Creek bridge at Fort Hunter Liggett
2 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – This second video capture shows the explosion that demolished the Salmon Creek Bridge at Fort Hunter Liggett. Engineers with the 396th Mobility Augmentation Company removed the bridge to make way for a new one during Warrior Exercise 2012 at Fort Hun... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Bridge demolition (video still images) on Salmon Creek bridge at Fort Hunter Liggett.
3 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
396th Engineers rig bridge at Fort Hunter Liggett with explosives
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C-4 set to blow on bridge at Fort Hunter Liggett
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Engineers provide security during bridging assault at Fort Hunter Liggett
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Bridge demo at Fort Hunter Liggett
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FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. - Engineer Soldiers with the 396th Mobility Augmentation Company from Ashland, Ky., came to Fort Hunter Liggett for the 91st Training Division's Warrior Exercise 2012, and found their help was needed to solve a real-world problem.

The Salmon Creek Bridge, a timber trestle bridge far back in Fort Hunter Liggett's 165,000 acres of training area, needed to go to make way for a newer one. The video stills above show you what Engineer Soldiers can do with 30 pounds of C-4 in the right places. Presto, no more bridge. Maj. Gen. William Buckler, commander of the 412th Theater Engineer Command in Vicksburg, Miss., the 396th's higher headquarters, was on hand when the demolition took place.

Besides the bridge demolition, during their time at WAREX, the Soldiers of the 396th trained on STX (situational training exercise) lanes, obstacle reduction, ground assault convoy, shape charges, breach charges on doors using water impulse charges, and mine clearing line charges.

Later this summer, during another exercise known as Castle IRC (Installation Related Construction), the new bridge will be built. In the meantime, the Engineer Soldiers of the 396th can look back on their explosively successful training at Fort Hunter Liggett.

Bridge demolition on Salmon Creek Bridge at Fort Hunter Liggett

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