MARINE CORPS BASE KANEOHE, Hawaii (Oct. 20, 2014) -- A group of Army engineers have spent the past six weeks demonstrating how executing their mission directly impacts the training efforts and preparedness of their Marine Corps brothers and sisters.
The 130th Engineer Brigade troops kicked off a range construction project here, in early September, and are scheduled to finish in November, turning what once was a flat, asphalt firing line into a multi-functional range with three shooting towers, where Marine snipers will be able to engage their targets from a variety of angles.
As the area continues to transform, the landscape surrounding Firing Range 1 is peppered with construction equipment, building materials, and Soldiers in hardhats representing the 1st and 3rd Platoons of the 643rd Engineer Company, the 2nd Platoon of the 561st Engineer Company, and the 142nd Survey and Design Detachment, all part of the brigade's 84th Engineer Battalion.
During the work week, the Soldiers stay in Marine barracks, eat in the Marine dining facility, exercise in the Marine Corps Base Hawaii "Semper Fit" gym, and see a different part of Oahu than where they are stationed at Schofield Barracks.
"This project offers a variety of construction applications," said Sgt. Kemuel Bankhead, a plumber and team leader with 1st Plt., 643rd Eng. Co. "So it offers a valuable opportunity for leaders to train their Soldiers on those different skills in a setting with real problem-solving examples."
Similar to the majority of the engineers' projects, the range improvements are also considered a field training exercise with tasks that include drafting design plans, heavy earth moving and excavation, constructing concrete emplacements for targets and installing façade building fronts to conceal the targets.
The open area of the range will also now have 26 faux building fronts, concealing targets that will pop up and move laterally across the shooter's line of sight, giving Marines the flexibility and ability to train realistic advanced marksmanship skills.
He said that even off the project site, the Marine Corps base offers a new experience for many of the engineers, because daily construction in a still-active range complex necessitates close coordination with the Marine Corps Base Hawaii Range Control Office, which provides feedback on construction and assists with logistical support.
"It's my first project as an engineer in the Army, so I'm definitely learning a lot," said Pvt. Bradley Wellborn, a carpentry and masonry specialist with 1st PLT, 643rd Eng. Co., who's only been in the unit for about a month. "This is a great introduction to my job in the Army and Hawaii."
He said it's great to see how their work as Army engineers makes a real-world difference to not only the Army, but also the Marine Corps.
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