CAMP TAJI, Iraq, May 21, 2007 — Coalition Forces worked quickly to repair a bridge, damaged by insurgents, on a major Iraqi highway May 15. The southbound bridge on Highway 1, which spans the Grand Canal, was attacked by a suicide car bomber May 13.
Soldiers from the 502nd Engineer Company, 565th Engineer Battalion, responded to the attack in less than 36 hours, linking up on Camp Taji with soldiers from the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, who provided security for the operations.
"It was important to provide immediate repair to this vital piece of infrastructure that is a key route for commuters to Baghdad and for commerce.
U.S. Army Capt. Nathaniel Davis
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In the early morning hours of May 15, soldiers from the 502nd Engineer Company arrived on the site and began a thorough inspection the bridge. It was then determined that a Mabry-Johnson Bridge would be used to span the 30-foot-by-40-foot hole created by the suicide bomber. The May 13 blast blew a large hole in the center span of the bridge, but fortunately failed to cause significant damage to the main superstructure of the bridge. Al Qaeda insurgents operating in the area are believed to be responsible for the attack. |