River crossing training brings units together

1st AD News Release

MAINFLINGEN, Germany -- Thanks to the cooperation of a triad of V Corps units, the corps is better trained to project its forces across Europe's rivers when duty calls.

The mettle and muscle of soldiers of the 1st Armored Division, the 130th Engineer Brigade's 502nd Engineer Company and the 12th Aviation Brigade came together to quickly bridge and cross the Main River here.

"River crossing operations are a major mission in the real world, especially here in Europe where there are so many rivers," explained Col. Don C. Young, commander of the 1st Armored Divison's Engineer Brigade. "We can expect that existing bridges will be knocked out before we get there. So we have to have the capability to build our own."

The training included a two-hour classroom session on river-crossing operations, followed by a live demonstration of building an actual bridge across the Main.

A bridge section opens up with a splash as a bridging boat from the 502nd Engineer Company stands by to nudge it into place during river-crossing training at Mainflingen, Germany Nov. 17.

"This is a great opportunity to integrate (echelons above division) units with our training. The 502nd supporting us here today is the same outstanding unit that bridged the Sava River (in Bosnia) when Task Force Eagle deployed to Joint Endeavor in December 1995," said Young.

Unit leaders learned that river-crossing is a multi-phased event. Before building a bridge, engineers first construct rafts to ferry equipment across the river -- equipment that may be needed to fight an enemy on the far shore.

"The most critical part of a bridging operation is the rafting phase," explained Capt. Sean D. Egan, the 502nd commander. "That's the phase where you're rafting your combat power across to secure the far side. Once that's accomplished, then the area is secure enough to begin actual bridging operations."

Soldiers from the 502nd Engineer Company lash together a raft during river-crossing training on the Main River Nov. 17.  Soldiers from three V Corps units – the 130th Engineer Brigade, the 1st Armored Division and the 12th Aviation Brigade – joined together to bridge the river.

Many of the soldiers who put the bridge together for today's training said teamwork and synchronization are vital to success. "It's important to get the proper equipment at the right time. You have to get the ramp bays and the interior bays in the correct sequence for it to work," said Spc. Travis G. Hammond, a bridge crewman with the 502nd.

It's hard but satisfying work, Hammond added. "The most satisfying part of the job is the feedback from the soldiers crossing the river. There's a look of wonder and enthusiasm in their eyes when they are actually driving across a bridge we just built."