84th Engineers Build Bridges for Anaconda

Defend America News ^ | 1st Lt. Waukemsha Kirkpatrick

[SandRat]

A humvee, followed by a 20-ton dump truck, crosses a newly constructed bridge at Logistics Support Area Anaconda's north entry control point. Courtesy photo
84th Engineers Build Bridges for Anaconda
The roadwork project cleared the field of vision for guards manning an entry control point at Logistics Support Area Anaconda.
By U.S. Army 1st Lt. Waukemsha Kirkpatrick 84th Engineer CombatBattalion (Heavy) LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA, Iraq, May 18, 2006 — U.S. soldiers assigned to the 84th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy) jumped into action to complete a project at Logistics Support Area Anaconda's north entry control point. Civilian trucks delivering gravel to Anaconda's gravelyard blocked the entry control point guards' field of vision and posed a security threat. To solve this problem, the force protection team of Logistics Support Area Anaconda's mayor cell and the 2-44th Air Defense Artillery Battalion developed a plan to reroute the gravel trucks and reorganize the gravel yard by upgrading two access roads and building bridges across canals south of the entry control point. Because canal water used by local farmers to irrigate their crops would have to be cut off to complete build the bridges, the battalion assigned the bridging mission with the provisio that it must be completed in two weeks. B Company believed it could complete the mission in that time, and satisfy the U.S. Army, gravel contractors, and the Iraqi farmers and villagers. B Company's Horizontal Platoon charged forward with the initial phase of the construction project - to upgrade roads to provide entrance and exit roads to the gravelyard. U.S. soldiers with 2nd platoon took charge of the next phase of the mission - to construct the headwalls for the culvert and timber bridges. The battalion's construction team provided the design for the roads, and the B Company commander designed the culverts and timber bridges. Once Horizontal Platoon completed the in- and outbound routes, 2nd Platoon began work on the culvert and timber bridges. From the start and throughout the construction project, 2nd Platoon faced several challenges involving the security of the project site and the construction of the culverts and bridges. Though the actual construction of the bridges brought many challenges, only a few prompted serious concern. Once Horizontal Platoon finished excavating and preparing the site, local farmers opened the valve to increase the canal's water flow the day before the project began, flooding the area they had just prepared for work. From the start, 2nd Platoon had pushed to complete the project in two weeks in order to restore water to the canal quickly. Because local farmers restored water to the canal before the project started, leadership decided to divert water instead of block it. Therefore, the two-week time constraint was eased. However, because soldiers worked outside the logistics support area, leadership wanted to finish the project quickly.	The soldiers worked under extreme conditions, wearing all their protective gear. This reduced their productivity and extended the project by a week. During phase two, soldiers tamped the ground and built a formwork for the culvert footers. Once 2nd Platoon soldiers placed mortar onto the concrete footers, Horizontal Platoon used their crane to lower the culverts into position, and soldiers firmly packed in the mortar for stability. The next task was building the formwork for the walls. Meanwhile, the bridge team placed the timbers onto the bridge footers and bolted them down. They also drilled holes in 86 pieces of timber for girders. Soldiers with 2nd Platoon completed the third phase by removing formwork from culverts, head walls, and tail walls. Next, they constructed formwork for the culvert wing walls and bridge approach ramps. The bridge team placed decking and fascia onto the bridge. Horizontal Platoon filled and compacted at both sites to prepare for the road surface. Second Platoon placed concrete for the road surface and approach ramps. The culvert and bridge teams completed their project and prepared for completion of compaction and grading at the approaches. The 2nd Platoon completed the cosmetic work on the bridges and horizontal platoon began work on the final phase of the project. They built up the existing road, filled and compacted, and placed a final gravel cap to meet the height of the bridge at each site. Working outside Logistics Support Area Anaconda was more dangerous than expected. At one point during the project, the platoon's security team observed an Iraqi acting suspiciously around the site's concertina wire. After questioning, leaders deemed that the situation needed additional security and called the quick reaction force. The team responded and detained the Iraqi for further questioning. The 84th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy) soldiers improved operations in Iraq without disturbing the Iraqis' way of life. Building two culverts across an earth canal and two timber bridges required a lot of work and attention to detail to ensure the project's success. The water flows in the earth canal again, and gravel trucks have a new entrance and exit into and out of the gravel yard. To celebrate the completion of this project, 2nd Platoon held an engineer "ribbon-cutting ceremony" to honor the B Company soldiers and other units that made the project a success. They wrapped up the event with the cutting of engineer tape tied across the bridge and the crossing of a M1114 humvee and 20-ton dump truck over the timber bridge and culvert road surface.

[SandRat]

Army Engineers PING

[FreeAtlanta]

Why not send 2,000 to 3,000 Army Engineers to the Mexican Border instead of 6,000 National Guard troops?