Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Robert Jordan | Soldiers of the 105th Engineer Battalion complete chainsaw, sandbag, road construction...... read more read more
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DURHAM, N.C. - Soldiers of the North Carolina National Guard’s 105th Engineer Battalion completed chainsaw, sandbag, road construction and vehicle recovery training at a North Carolina Department of Public Safety campus in Durham, North Carolina, March 9, 2015.
“I enjoy seeing the Guard and Department Public Safety activities,” said Armstead Hodges, a superintendent with NCDPS. “The training is great and it helps the community."
The North Carolina Department of Transportation shared their expertise in the best and safest techniques for towing abandoned or damaged cars in case of natural or man-made disaster with the Guard engineers.
Under the guidance of Ben Griffin, a NCDOT incident management engineer, Soldiers practiced attaching tow straps to several abandoned cars provided by the NCDOT. It is not just using the heavy horsepower and four-wheel drive of the Humvee. Too much power and the towed vehicle could be damaged or become uncontrollable and a risk to others.
Guard leaders guided the drivers with hand signals. As the Guard Humvee rumbled to a stop, teams rapidly located the strongest and safest points to attach the long tow strap between it and a disabled car or van.
“We want to ensure folks do not get stranded and get them off the roads and home safe,” said Ben Griffin, a NCDOT incident management engineer. “People have died (in a disaster) because no one checked on them.”
Other teams honed engineer skills across the campus. Chainsaws roared as Soldiers make quick work of 20-foot pine logs simulating clearing roads of fallen trees. Guard instructors taught fellow Soldiers how to fill large sandbags with backhoe attachments or the best way to transport gravel for road repair.
The training also prepares Soldiers for Operation Vigilant Guard, a statewide exercise held this month testing National Guard response to domestic emergencies.
“The 105th will be postured to provide ready individuals, units, and force packages when called,” said Army Lt. Col. Rodney Newton, commander of the battalion.
| Date Taken: | 03.09.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 03.13.2015 15:49 |
| Story ID: | 156984 |
| Location: | DURHAM, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 104 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, NC Guard engineers train with state government partners for disaster operations, by SFC Robert Jordan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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