California guard bridges gaps, trains troops

Photo By Sgt. Joseph Koktan | Staff Sgt. Alberto Ruesga loosens a bolt on the Mabey Bridge. The bridge was constructed as part of an 11-day ISAF bridge training course at Camp Ghazi.  

KABUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AFGHANISTAN

06.12.2012

Story by Sgt. Joseph Koktan 

980th Engineer Battalion

CAMP GHAZI, Afghanistan — A California Army National Guard multi-role bridging company arrived in Afghanistan late March and is currently the only U.S. unit in theater to master Mabey Panel Bridge construction.

Mabey Panel Bridges, manufactured by Mabey Bridge and Shore, Inc., headquartered in Elkridge, M.D., are the primary bridging structures used throughout Afghanistan by the International Security Assistance Force. The steel structures, assembled from pre-fabricated sections, allow coalition troops and Afghan civilians greater freedom of movement across the diverse Afghan terrain.

The 132nd Multi-Role Bridging Company unit, headquartered in Redding, Calif., is the only U.S. Army bridging company deployed to Afghanistan that builds and maintains all of the Mabey Bridges.

However, “there aren’t a sufficient amount of the [engineer] units in theater that can work with the Mabey Bridge,” said Macedonian Army Capt. Igor Manasovski, ISAF training coordinator.

So to increase the bridge building capabilities in theater, Manasovski said he and members of the ISAF Joint Command coordinated an 11-day bridge course held at Camp Ghazi — located near Kabul International Airport – that began at the end of May and finished the first weekend in June.

“The primary goal of the class,” he said, “was to teach coalition forces how to coordinate and assemble new bridges.”

Five of the 10 ISAF soldiers attending the class were from the 132nd Engineers.

Manasovski said it was important to include the California Guardsmen so that they could “use their past experiences with the Mabey Bridge to assist in training the other soldiers.”

While the main priority for the IJC is to train ISAF troops, Manasovski said he saw an opportunity to invite Afghan National Army engineer soldiers to attend the class.

The ANA is beginning to build its bridging companies and will soon be supplied with Mabey Bridges, he said. The intent is for the Afghan soldiers who attended the bridge course to eventually “become the core” of ANA bridging companies.

Steve Morgan, a civilian contractor for Mabey Bridge and Shore, Inc., taught the 11-day course. He said the 20 Afghans who completed the course were able to handle the basic concepts of building a bridge – despite having little experience with bridge construction.

Morgan, who served 23 years with the British Army, said the 132nd soldiers attending the course brought with them skills which helped train the coalition forces and Afghan troops.

Pfc. Sarah Braun from 132nd said she “loved” working with and getting to know coalition forces and found it worthwhile to train the Afghan soldiers.

Manasovski said he is satisfied with how the bridge classes have gone and would like to see another bridge course scheduled for later this year.

“All went according to plan,” Manasovski said of the most recent class. “They all left with sufficient skills to spread basic [bridging] knowledge around theater.”

• Date Taken: 06.12.2012
• Date Posted: 06.12.2012 10:22
• Story ID: 89819
• Location: KABUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AF
• Hometown: REDDING, CA, US