Photo By Capt. Jennifer Cruz | An M88 Hercules Recovery Vehicle is driven over a dam in Cincu, Romania, on Nov. 24,...... read more read more
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CINCU, Romania - Soldiers from 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment moved an M1A2 Abrams Tank and M88 Hercules Recovery Vehicle through Romania on a 19-hour convoy from Smardan to Cincu, Nov. 24, 2015.
The exercise, named Cincu Proof, involved 5th Sqdn., 7th Cav. Rgmt soldiers working with the U.S. Army 273rd Forward Engineer Support Team, Romanian military, police, and civilians to proof the route between the Voila Railhead and the Romanian Army Base in Cincu. The route proofing was conducted to ensure the large and heavy U.S. military equipment could make the trip without damaging infrastructure or equipment.
The validation of the mechanized vehicles crossing the bridges and dam in Cincu was vital for setting conditions for future operations, while demonstrating operational mobility, interoperability, and freedom of maneuver throughout Romania.
Maj. Joseph Sahl, the 273rd Forward Engineer Support Team Commander, said their role was to do an initial assessment of the route and to look for anything that would restrict traffic, with the primary concern the weight of the vehicles along the culverts and bridges.
“We placed monitors on the bridges, took some before and after photos, and monitored for any indicators of stress on the bridge, culverts and wearing surface,” said Sahl. “We were looking for any kind of cracking; monitoring those for signs of sheering and stress.”
The convoy to the Voila Railhead took 19 hours to complete, it originally was planned to take only nine hours, pushing the proof from the evening of Nov. 23 to the morning of Nov. 24.
The concern with the proofing was not a bridge collapsing but the wear and tear over time that would create issues for the locals that live there. Sahl summarized the exercise as running a few vehicles at different speeds and weights, increasing them as they went along to ensure each weight was OK.
The exercise involved bilateral training between the U.S. and Romanians.
“We took them (Romanians) under some of the critical structures to show them what we were looking at, to make sure they understood it completely and were in agreeance with us,” stated Sahl. “Anything we did today we checked first with them to make sure they were comfortable with it, and then we conducted the proof. If anything they were more confident than we were on some of these structures and they were correct, the structures showed no real significant issues.”
The engineers and soldiers who drove the tanks felt confident after the vehicles had passed over the bridges and dam.
Brian Wybrecht, a Structural Engineer with 273rd FEST, said, “We had eyes on both sides of the bridges and there was hardly any vibration. We’re confident this can take a whole convoy.”
Spc. Cody Pettit, a tank mechanic with 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, echoed Wybrecht’s confidence.
“Knowing that we can actually go through this area with 70 tons and not crashing or breaking bridges, it definitely strengthens us,” said Pettit.
For 1st Lt. Nicholas Hulm, a distribution platoon leader with 5th Sqdn., 7th Cav. Rgmt., the exercise not only validated the bridges and dam, but also provided soldiers and junior leaders an opportunity to learn and grow.
“It was unique for me being the distribution platoon leader, being an Armor Officer, and now doing something completely different,” said Hulm.
At the last bridge crossing, there was a Romanian woman who stopped to watch at the side of the road as the Abrams and Hercules passed. Just a few hundred meters from the road a group of school children stopped their work and were peering out the window to watch.
It was an opportunity for the soldiers to work with the Romanians and learn.
“It creates relationships and that’s important, you learn who they are and who we are. You learn how each military operates, and then you start working together through issues here at the ground level,” stated Sahl.
The soldiers from 5th Sqdn., 7th Cav. Rgmt are stationed out of Fort Stewart, Ga. and are currently deployed in Romania as part of U.S. Army Europe’s led Operation Atlantic Resolve. Cincu Proof and Operation Atlantic Resolve contribute to the stability in the region and demonstrates continued U.S. commitment to NATO.
| Date Taken: | 11.24.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 11.28.2015 11:29 |
| Story ID: | 183040 |
| Location: | CINCU, RO |
| Web Views: | 740 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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