Photo By Staff Sgt. Candice Harrison | Engineers from 94th Engineer Battalion, 103rd Engineer Company, 3rd Platoon out of...... read more read more
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MUSCATATUCK URBAN TRAINING COMPLEX, Indiana – Soldiers of the 94th Engineer Battalion, 103rd Engineer Company, 3rd platoon, out of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., conducted route clearance missions at Mascatatuck Urban Training Complex, Ind., Aug. 1.
The engineers used construction equipment to remove debris blocking a road during Vibrant Response 13. Vibrant Response is a major field training exercise conducted by U.S. Northern Command and led by U.S. Army North.
“103rd came down to do debris removal on (service roads),” said 1st Lt. Timothy Sybert, platoon leader of 3rd platoon and a native of St. Joseph, Mo. “We brought our (command and control chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear response element) kit to clear highways.”
The engineers removed bulky concrete pieces, large metal shards, vehicle parts and other huge forms of rubble out of a road, while maintaining safety standards. Before allowing anyone near the job site, Sybert warns people to stay away from blind spots on equipment, watch for falling debris, and keep an eye out for nails on the ground. Even then, only necessary personnel are allowed on the job site.
“Our job is to safely clear the road of all debris,” said Spc. Caleb Pedersen, a heavy equipment operator with 3rd platoon and a native of Boelus, Neb. “It’s our job to clear the roads so it is easier for medical personnel, or whoever it might be, to get help to those who need it.”
Pedersen operated the backhoe loader to remove smaller pieces of debris after the massive hydraulic excavator, operated by Spc. Wade Wilbers, a heavy equipment operator with the platoon, from Taos, Mo., eliminated the larger pieces. Behind them two skid-steer loaders rid the road of the last of the rubble.
“It’s crucial because it allows free movement of utility trucks, emergency personnel and medical people to move supplies and resources,” said Sybert. “It establishes communications to cut off parts of the community. We also, gather up any sick and wounded and get them aid.”
Units participating in Vibrant Response are part of the Joint Task Force-Civil Support. JTF-CS is a group of multi-service and civilian forces that participate in lifesaving and life-sustaining operations after a domestic chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incident.
With the realistic training found at Vibrant Response, service members can leave knowing that they have been prepared for real world incidents.
“This training area is amazing,” said Seybert. “It’s got a lot of resources these soldiers won’t get to see anywhere else. The time they take just to pull this stuff onto the roads so that we can remove it is not like anything I’ve seen before.”
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 08.02.2012 08:45 |
| Story ID: | 92560 |
| Location: | IN, US |
| Hometown: | COLUMBIA, MO, US |
| Hometown: | GRAND ISLAND, NE, US |
| Hometown: | JEFFERSON CITY, MO, US |
| Hometown: | LEXINGTON, NE, US |
| Hometown: | ST. JOSEPH, MO, US |
| Web Views: | 148 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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