The Fort Riley, Kansas-based 1st Infantry Division conducted a combined arms gap crossing exercise with the 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade's 5th Engineer Battalion spearheading the operation, Aug. 18 through 21.
"We came together this week as a unified maneuver enhancement team to support a 1st Infantry Division gap crossing exercise," said Col. Andy Munera, 4th MEB commander.
Munera went on to say every battalion played a significant role, from the 5th Eng. Bn. taking the lead in wet and dry gap crossings plus providing logistical support, the 92nd Military Police Battalion providing security, the 94th Engineer Battalion fulfilling role of hostile forces, and the brigade headquarters' trusted mission command.
The 50th Multi Role Bridge Company, 5th Eng. Bn. led the main effort of the operation by erecting three separate bridges -- two for water crossing and one for dry land. The first of the water bridges was a float raft considered a temporary measure used to establish security or even humanitarian efforts while the other was a full closure bridge, which is for continuous traffic conditions.
First Sgt. Benjamin Barrett, 50th MRBC, 5th Eng. Bn., described how rafting is sometimes on their training calendar, but the unit rarely has the chance to work on a full closure bridge and having airlift operations as part of the training is even rarer.
"About 90 percent of my junior Soldiers have never had the opportunity to build a full closure, since it's so rarely done," Barrett said.
Aviation personnel with 1st Inf. Div., who initiated the bridge builds by dropping equipment into the water, were equally impressed with the synchronization of all elements.
"It was great. The pieces that we moved were so out of the ordinary," said Capt. Rachael Tax, commander, Company B, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Inf. Div., noting that her unit usually trains with concrete blocks at Fort Riley. "It added a whole new training element."
"It's humbling to see how small the role we had in the entire operation," Tax said, noting the scope of all the moving pieces that made the gap crossing successful.
The bays used to erect the floating bridges are huge, but Army vehicles are even bigger and heavier.
"We provide freedom of movement for anybody and this [line of communication] bridge is designed to hold the heaviest vehicles in the Army's fleet," said Sgt. Mitchell Kleve, bridge crew chief with 50th MRBC.
The third type of bridging effort resulted in a dry support bridge, which closes a gap caused by a natural depression.
Sgt. Cameron Riggs, bridge crew member with 50th MRBC, who assisted in the dry support bridge build, said the most important aspect to these types of gap crossings are to determine the type of soil on the abutments, or water's edges. Riggs said if the soil is too loose or sandy to support the heavy military equipment crossing it, then horizontal engineers are called in to stabilize the area before the bays are emplaced.
The training scenario spanned over several miles and consisted of two countries that were at war with each other.
"We developed a scenario in which the country of 'Danubia' requested the assistance of the United States in repelling the invasion of 'Ariannan' forces from their sovereign territory. The 5th EN Bn., under the 4th MEB, served as the crossing force engineer for 1st Inf. Div. attack in pursuit of the retreating 'Ariannan' forces," said Lt. Col. Sebastien Joly, 5th Eng. Bn. commander.
To further support the realistic training as part of the initial security force, 1st Inf. Div. sent in the cavalry, literally.
"At first I wasn't completely sure we wouldn't get onto the bridge and just roll off to one side," said Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Mally, cavalry scout with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, referring to his 22-ton Bradley Fighting Vehicle. "I have never crossed the water like this before, but it is definitely good training for our Army's future operations."
The 4th MEB-led training operation concluded with the 1st CAB, 63rd Armor Regiment, Humvees and armored personnel carriers manned by Soldiers with 5th Eng. Bn. maneuvering down a road, which took them into "enemy territory" littered with simulated land mines blocking their approach.
"After completing the bridges, the (1st Inf. Div.) scouts and a sapper platoon from the 515th Sapper Company conducted a 'movement to contact' into an objective, using demolitions effect simulators to enhance their in-stride breach training," Joly said.
Once the combat engineers exited their vehicle and breached the obstacle by using simulated explosives to detonate the mines, they completed on their mission.
"I like this type of training," said Spc. Cody White, combat engineer with 515th Sapper Co., 5th Eng. Bn., who rode in the convoy and participated in the breach operation. "This was fairly similar to my deployment minus the land mines -- there were IEDs instead."
Social Sharing