961st Engineers help 3-401st AFSBn ramp up force protection

Courtesy Photo | Sgt. Steven A. Loving, a Springfield, Ill., native, crane section noncommissioned officer in charge, of the 961st Engineer Company, an U.S. Army Reserve unit from Sharonville, Ohio, adds gravel under a new t-wall that is being put into place Sept. 28 in the housing area managed by 3-401st Army Field Support Battalion. The t-walls will significantly increase force protection for personnel.  

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AFGHANISTAN

09.28.2014

Story by Mary Barkley 

401st Army Field Support Brigade

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan—Twelve Soldiers from 961st Engineer Company, a U.S. Army Reserve unit from Sharonville, Ohio, are lending a hand to the 3-401st Army Field Support Battalion to ramp up force protection by emplacing t-walls near living quarters.

They have allotted five days to move and set up several dozen t-walls. T-walls provide a layer of protection for life and mission support structures. The team moves quickly and can emplace one t-wall in about five minutes if the surface is level. However, given the terrain in which they are working, each wall presents its own challenges.

“If its level it takes about five minutes,” said Pfc. Michael A. Lewis, a Kansas City, Missouri native who is on his first deployment. “We level each wall and check it three times.”

Soldiers attach heavy chains to each t-wall so crane operator Private 1st Class Donald Gransden, an Ann Arbor, Michigan, native, can move it into place. Other Soldiers ‘walk’ the huge wall into place using heavy straps and muscle power. Each new wall is given a visual check to see if it’s in line with the others and then non-commissioned officer-in-charge Staff Sgt. Mark A. Weber, an Oak Harbor, Ohio native, checks it for level. If Weber is not satisfied, Gransden lifts the t-wall a few inches off the ground and crane section noncommissioned officer in charge Sgt. Steven A. Loving, a Springfield, Illinois, native, adds, subtracts or re-arranges the gravel under the t-wall. When satisfied, Loving signals Gransden to lower the t-wall again and Weber checks for level.

Loving said in addition to emplacing t-walls the unit is involved in demolition and ground work across Bagram Air Field.

“We’re tearing down anything that’s not a hardened structure, and emplacing t-walls in enduring areas,” said Detroit, Michigan, native Spc. Jessica L. Gransden, the primary combat lifesaver and secondary safety person on the team.

Spc. Gransden said she was proud of the team’s safety record and added that in spite of working with heavy equipment and huge pieces of concrete and construction materials they have had no injuries.

The team consists of 12 Soldiers most of whom come from the mid-West, but also as far away as Kissimmee, Florida. The other Soldiers are Sgt. William J. Hecker from Piqua, Ohio, Spc. Kevin A. Anderson, Kissimmee, Florida, Spc. Timothy M. Day, Detroit, Michigan, Spc. Bradley E. Fent, Hillsboro, Ohio, Spc. Brandon Z. Suber, Huber Heights, Ohio, Private 1st Class Robert J. Kersey, Kettring, Ohio, and Pvt. James E. Cheeton, Jr., Kansas City, Kansas, Spc. Jessica L. Gransden, Detroit, Michigan.

• Date Taken: 09.28.2014
• Date Posted: 10.06.2014 06:25
• Story ID: 144348
• Location: BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF
• Hometown: ANN ARBOR, MI, US
• Hometown: DETROIT, MI, US
• Hometown: HILLSBORO, OH, US
• Hometown: HUBER HEIGHTS, OH, US
• Hometown: KANSAS CITY, KS, US
• Hometown: KANSAS CITY, MO, US
• Hometown: KETTERING, OH, US
• Hometown: KISSIMMEE, FL, US
• Hometown: OAK HARBOR, OH, US
• Hometown: PIQUA, OH, US
• Hometown: SPRINGFIELD, IL, US