Photo By Staff Sgt. Patricia McMurphy | Reyna Flores, wife of Pfc. Robert Flores with 570th Sapper Company, 864th Engineer...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - The building erupted in screams and cheers of happiness as approximately 50 Soldiers from the 570th Sapper Company, 864th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, 7th Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., entered signifying the end of a six-month deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
The Soldiers were recognized during redeployment ceremonies at JBLM's 110th Chemical Battalion (TE) Readiness Bay, Oct 18 and 21st. While deployed, the unit cleared more than 10,000 km of roadway keeping routes open and safe for military and civilian personnel throughout the Regional Command North.
"[Our primary mission] was to support the retrograde operations, the pulling out of U.S. forces. We closed four bases," said 2Lt. Seth Johnson, the RC-North staff liaison officer for 570th Sapper Company. "We have multiple vehicles, some search into the ground for equipment, and we have equipment that can detect any radio signals and turn them off in advance."
According to Johnson, one of the biggest challenges the Sapper Company had to overcome was complacency. When the unit arrived in Afghanistan it was not like he had imagined it would be.
"If anything [the training we received] was too much," Johnson said. "The biggest danger was running into complacency. When we got there, there was less happening in terms of actually combat and I think that's where the biggest danger was for us."
Johnson worked with 17 nations while downrange and said he enjoyed working with all the coalition forces.
"Every single mission was a multi-national effort," Johnson said. "Every mission we did, we did with the Germans behind us as our infantry support. We [also] had Belgians in charge of the [Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance]."
"We formed a lot of good bonds and partnerships," he added.
The Soldiers of the 570th not only kept the roadways safe for both military and local civilians, they also received invaluable training with foreign allies and learned new skills.
"We did some pretty cool training exercises," said Johnson. "We did joint lane breaching with the Germans, which was a pretty cool opportunity for our guys."
Johnson also said everyone in the company also attended a German marksmanship range.
For some Soldiers, deployments can be a stressful. Each Soldier has responsibilities and must know their job in order to succeed.
One Soldier, Pfc. David Ferrand, a combat engineer with 570th Sapper Company, with no previous deployments, said he did so well in the training exercises prior to deployment that he was promoted to job with more responsibility.
"At our last training exercise the unit switched me to Husky driver and I did excellent and I got [promoted to] lead Husky driver," said Ferrand. "That training prepared me for Afghanistan and opened everything up for me."
Ferrand, a Fruitland, Md., native, said he felt this deployment wasn't bad and the training he received made everything run smoothly.
"Everything goes with the flow, you just depend on your brothers and come home every mission and the next day you pack up and do it all over again," he said.
Ferrand said that now he is back, he is looking forward to spending Christmas back home with his family.
| Date Taken: | 10.18.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.20.2014 19:29 |
| Story ID: | 145576 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA, US |
| Hometown: | FRUITLAND, MD, US |
| Web Views: | 443 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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