Soldiers filling vital role in Saber Strike exercise through water purification

By Pfc. Aaron Good, 126th Public Affairs Operations CenterJune 5, 2018

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Army Sgt. Daniel Baudoin, a water purification specialist with the 240th Composite Supply Company of Baumholder, Germany, displays his battalion crest and freshly purified water he and his team produced in Poland during exercise Saber Strike, June 2,... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

OLESZNA K DRAWSKOW POMORSKIEGO, Poland -- Service members from 19 different nations have come together in Poland to enhance their military knowledge and capabilities during Exercise Saber Strike 18. The 240th Composite Supply Company from Baumholder, Germany, has taken a vital role in this year's exercise.

The 240th Composite Supply Company is filling a unique position at Saber Strike 18. The 240th Composite Supply Company is positioned in Karwice, Poland, on Lake Jezioro Lubie. All of the exercise's water is being sourced there for service members' laundry, showers, and hydration. The 240th Composite Supply Company has six water bladders that each hold about 3,000 gallons of fresh, clean water, which are picked up and delivered around the area of Konotop, Poland, where Saber Strike 18 is taking place.

The purification process begins with a "dolphin strainer" positioned just off shore where the lake water enters the system. This large strainer acts at the first-line of defense against objects and keeps fish or debris from entering the system.

The water is then pumped into the microfiltration tank and into the microfiltration system. After this, the water is then moved to a high-density microfiltration membrane to filter out any additional debris. Next, the water moves into a series of reverse-osmosis microfiltration systems, high-pressure filters and a chlorine chemical water treatment to cleanse and purify it.

Once the water has been filtered and chemically tested by the team, it is deemed safe to consume and labeled for pickup.

HUGE MOTIVATOR

"Knowing that the entire exercise is basically relying on us is such a huge motivator for our company," said Army Spc. Casey Reid, a tactical water purification system operator assigned to the 240th Composite Supply Company. "Our purpose here is to ensure that service members from all nations have pure, clean water for the duration of the exercise, and being positioned on the beach for two weeks isn't so bad, either."

It takes about two hours to fill one 3,000-gallon water bladder. Within the first two days of operation, the 240th Composite Supply Company produced nearly 25,000 gallons of drinking water for Saber Strike 18.

The tactical water purification system is capable of pumping 125 gallons of water every minute and producing 25,000 gallons of fresh drinking water in as little as four and a half hours. High-performance water-filtration systems like these are vital for the success of a full-scale exercise, Saber Strike officials said.