Photo By Capt. Daniel Yarnall | Soldiers with the 250th engineers, multi-role bridge company, Connecticut Army...... read more read more
BAGHDAD - A bead of sweat drips off Capt. Chuck Taylor’s brow and into the dirt that lines the banks of the Tigris River.
He tells the medic keep an eye on the Soldiers in the unit and make sure they stay hydrated. It’s 7 p.m. and the temperature is hovering just over 100 degrees.
Both U.S. and Iraqi forces pull 360-degree security while the 250th Engineers Multi-Role Bridge Company, Connecticut Army National Guard, continued to work night and day to build a Mabey Johnson panel bridge across the Tigris River, near the town of Salman Pak.
Taylor, commander of the 250th, oversaw the operation. He directed the troops to accomplish the project by moving equipment into place during the day, then performing the majority of construction at night to escape the sun’s heat.
Taylor explained that the bridge is important in this location because the only other way for locals to get to the town of Salman Pak is to take a three-hour detour to the next crossing.
“The Salman Pak area has really grown as far as farms and commerce. Having this bridge in place allows the residents and farmers on this shore to take their produce to town and sell their product and purchase the things that they need,” Taylor said.
In 2003, U.S. forces built an assault float bridge at this location. However, it was designed to be temporary and was starting to show its age, according to Taylor.
He said this area was so important to the government of Iraq that they requested his unit’s assistance in putting a more permanent support bridge to replace the float bridge.
“As long as it’s properly maintained this Mabey Johnson Bridge will last on a sight like this for many years to come,” said Taylor.
Pfc. Andrea Reynolds, an equipment operator with the engineers, said she is proud of the work she and her unit is doing.
“It’s amazing, watching everyone and seeing what they can do,” said Reynolds, from New Haven, Conn. “I have never seen anything like this. Watching everyone work together to make something that is going to make the local population have a better life is really rewarding.”
Members of the Iraqi Army who worked with the engineers were also impressed by the speed of the project.
“They keep working. Night and day, they just keep going,” said Pvt. Nasrat Ayad Najem, an Iraqi soldier.
“I am very amazed with how the U.S. Soldiers are constructing the bridge, and how they are doing it so fast,” said Pvt. Aalaa Rasul Kareemn, an Iraqi army engineer. “There must be no better way to build a bridge.”
| Date Taken: | 06.19.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 06.19.2010 12:49 |
| Story ID: | 51654 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 375 |
| Downloads: | 252 |
This work, Engineers bridge Tigris to help to help Salman Pak, by CPT Daniel Yarnall, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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