Engineers compose bridge across Arkansas River

By Staff Sgt. Peter FordJuly 29, 2014

Engineers compose bridge across Arkansas River
1 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Reserve medics with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 397th Engineer Battalion, set up their equipment in preparation for the assembly of the improvised ribbon bridge across the Arkansas River, July 23 at Fort Chaffee, Ark., during Op... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Engineers compose bridge across Arkansas River
2 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Bridge erection boat crews await CH-47 Chinook helicopters to drop bridge bays into the Arkansas River for the assembly of the improvised ribbon bridges across the Arkansas River at Fort Chaffee, Ark., July 23. The bridge was contructed as the culmi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Engineers compose bridge across Arkansas River
3 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Reserve engineer Soldiers with the 416th and 412th Theater Engineer Commands open a bridge bay on the Arkansas River during the during the assembly of an improved ribbon bridge across the river, July 23 at Fort Chaffee, Ark., during Operati... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Engineers compose bridge across Arkansas River
4 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A CH-47 Chinook helicopter drops a bridge bay during the assembly of the improvised ribbon bridge across the Arkansas River, July 23 at Fort Chaffee, Ark., during Operation River Assault. Forty-two bays were used to construct the bridge across a 300-... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Engineers compose bridge across Arkansas River
5 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A CH-47 Chinook helicopter drops a bridge bay during the assembly of the improvised ribbon bridge across the Arkansas River as distinguished visitors look on, July 23 at Fort Chaffee, Ark., during Operation River Assault. Forty-two bays were used to ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Engineers compose bridge across Arkansas River
6 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Engineers compose bridge across Arkansas River
7 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers of the 412th and 416th Theater Engineer Commands prepare to disembark for improved ribbon bridge construction on the Arkansas River for Operation River Assault - an annual training exercise that focuses on collective and mi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Engineers compose bridge across Arkansas River
8 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A U.S. Army Reserve Soldier pilots a bridge erection boat in the early morning hours on the Arkansas River as part of Operation River Assault - an annual training exercise focusing on collective and mission-essential training at Fort Chaffee, Ark., ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Engineers compose bridge across Arkansas River
9 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers of the 412th and 416th Theater Engineer Commands link bridges bays to assemble an improved ribbon bridge on the Arkansas River during Operation River Assault - an annual training exercise that focuses on collective and miss... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Engineers compose bridge across Arkansas River
10 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Reserve Col. Kirk Claunch, 420th Engineer Brigade commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Rickie Virgil, command sergeant major of the 420th, march on an improved ribbon bridge constructed by a mix of Reserve and active duty engineer Soldiers as p... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Engineers compose bridge across Arkansas River
11 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Reserve engineers with the 416th and 412th Theater Engineer Commands maneuver a bridge bay segment into place with a bridge erection boat as part of Operation River Assault 2014 at Fort Chaffee, Ark., July 23. The annual training exercise f... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Engineers compose bridge across Arkansas River
12 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Reserve engineers with the 416th and 412th Theater Engineer Commands maneuver a bridge bay segment into place with a bridge erection boat as part of Operation River Assault 2014 at Fort Chaffee, Ark., July 23. The annual training exercise f... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Engineers compose bridge across Arkansas River
13 / 13 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Reserve engineers with the 416th and 412th Theater Engineer Commands standby as fellow engineers continue to work on the improved ribbon bridge as part of Operation River Assault 2014 at Fort Chaffee, Ark., July 23. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt.... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT CHAFFEE, Ark.-The 412th and 416th Theater Engineer Commands alongside aviation and army diving assets combined forces to meet the challenges of crossing the Arkansas River at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, July 23.

Operation River Assault is an exercise executed with coordination, communication and precision. The building of an improved ribbon bridge is similar to a composer assembling conductors and musicians with instruments to create a masterpiece.

"This exercise is the primary engineer exercise of the Reserve component where we actually give our units an opportunity to practice building an improved ribbon bridge over a river which will enable the movement of Army assets across it," said Col. Kirk Claunch, 420th Engineer Brigade commander, and a Fort Worth, Texas, resident. "Detailed coordination of this River Assault is actually done by the crossing force commander who ensures the bridge companies and aviation assets coordinate in ways necessary to get the number of bays and boats into the water at the right time."

In the early morning hours, Soldiers staged their equipment and stood ready to engage in the task like musicians of a symphony who anxiously wait for the signal from the conductor to start playing so their music can be heard. At the break of dawn, the crossing force commander gave the order to the commanders to begin building the improved ribbon bridge.

"There is a huge component of leadership and I can't directly conduct a bridge boat or a bridge bay to go in a certain location at a certain time but I can lead leaders or company commanders," said Lt. Col. David R. Skavnak, 397th Eng. Battalion commander and the crossing force commander of Operation River Assault. "Most of the orchestration is between the companies and company commanders."

After receiving the order from the crossing commander to build the improved ribbon bridge, the company commanders lead their units, moving equipment with precision. Bridge erection boats dropped into the water from the shore followed by bridge bays from land and air with no breaks between the insertions of the equipment.

The motivation of the engineer units was much like the emotion and passion of musicians in a symphony giving the audience a performance. The engineers exceed the standards of the river crossing increasing their esprit de corp with a memorable performance.

"Our unit erected 11 bays in 22 minutes and 39 seconds; exceeding the Army standards of six bays in 20 minutes," said Staff Sgt. Charles Elliott, a multi-role bridge engineer with 401st Engineer Company, out of Mustang, Oklahoma. "The more we train, the better we get."

The 412th and the 416th Theater Engineer Command's engineer Soldiers assembled the bridge to cross the Arkansas River in a little more than three hours.