8th ESB conducts a road project

Photo By Sgt. Chris Garcia | Marines with 8th Engineering Support Battalion finish forming a new road at range SR-7 during a road project aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 5 – 23. The project took two weeks to complete and through hard worked and determination the Marines pushed through the agonizing heat to complete their mission.  

CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, UNITED STATES

06.25.2015

Story by Lance Cpl. Chris Garcia 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - During a hot summer day, a Marine drenched in his own sweat worked steadily. With the unbearable rays from the sun beating down on him as he worked through the swamped road he took a deep breath, wiped the sweat off his forehead and pushed onward in order to complete his mission.

Marines with 8th Engineering Support Battalion formed a new road during a project on range SR-7 aboard Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, June 5-23. This was done in order for range control to ensure gates in the surrounding area are closed to civilian traffic.

For approximately two weeks, the Marines of 8th ESB worked through scorching heat and swamp-like terrain that often left the heavy equipment trapped in mud or overheated.

“When we got out here the road was a swamp,” said Sgt. Michael Gould, a heavy equipment operator and leader of the project. “So we had to stop the natural run off of water and build a road from scratch.”

During the road project, the Marines worked with approximately 200 cubic yards of dirt a day and used heavy equipment such as a dump truck to load and dump dirt on the road. The Marines also used a road grader that rolls over fresh mounds of dirt to create a smooth surface, and a roller compacter to compact the road.

The road project helped the Marines improve their ability to operate heavy equipment and gain a better understanding of how to form a road. In combat, building new roads can help Marines move safely between locations.

Gould said during the initial push into Iraq the roads were filled with improvised explosive devices and to prevent injuries and promote safety, the Marines created their own routes to push forward and continue with their mission.

For some of the Marines it was their first time performing a road project.

“Everything is all new to me,” said Lance Cpl. Brandon Dopkant, a heavy equipment operator with the battalion. “I get to build my first road, I get to gain more experience on the equipment and even though we have had some struggles, it’s actually been pretty good.”

With little experience creating a new road, the Marines performed above expectations and their leaders were proud of what they accomplished.

“My Marines did an outstanding job,” Gould said, “They are putting in a lot of hours; it is really hot and for most of them it’s their first time doing a road project and they are definitely performing.”

• Date Taken: 06.25.2015
• Date Posted: 06.25.2015 11:33
• Story ID: 168090
• Location: CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US