Photo By Spc. Amy Carle | Crewmembers from the 132nd Multi-Role Bridge Company work together to tie ropes and...... read more read more
REDDING, California -- Storms had been hitting Northern California for weeks, and the gray skies and strong winds churning Whiskeytown Lake on Saturday, Feb. 11, suggested that this day might bring more of the same. A few would-be fishermen eyed the questionable conditions before finally trudging back to their vehicles with their gear.
None of this dissuaded the members of the 132nd Multi-Role Bridge Company, who had invited the Redding community to come watch their first training event of the year. The unit was constructing a 34-meter floating raft, called an Improved Ribbon Bridge, consisting of five separate segments, which were assembled on the choppy water and then secured at the shore.
“Today was the day to knock the rust off,” said Sgt. 1st Class Scott R. Flynn, the acting first sergeant for the 132nd. “The wind added an extra training factor, but the troops handled it well.”
The unit had decided to invite the public to show the work it is doing and how it relates back to the local community. For instance, the IRB had been used to support local emergency efforts to fight the Rocky Fire in 2015. Members from the Recruiting and Retention Battalion were also on hand to answer questions.
“The challenge is that no one really knows what we do in the community,” said Master Sgt. Nicholas J. LeBouef, a recruiter from the RRB. “So many MOS’s (Military Occupational Specialty) we have on paper but we don’t get to see what they do. If they would have showed me this when I was a kid, I would have been all in.”
While LeBouef and his team talked with observers on the shore, the boat crews got busy out on the water. Soldiers guided the bridge segments into place and then worked quickly to assemble the pieces before the wind and water could push them out of position.
“Everything went really smooth, which is about the most you could hope for,” said Sgt. Ellie Ogsbury, a driver on one of the boats. “The wind adds a really good challenge and different conditions.”
Sgt. Kathy S. Stanson said this kind of challenge is part of what she likes about the job. Stanson originally came to the 132nd as an administrative specialist, but became excited by the work the unit was doing. They took her out and trained her, and she’s been working on the crew for nine years now.
“Once we get into the water, it’s always a blast,” she said.
Stanson’s passion for the mission was also shared by the unit’s leadership.
“I can tell you from a commander’s perspective there is nothing better than going out on the lake for a drill weekend and overseeing a bridge/raft build,” said Capt. Kevin C. Aguirre, the company commander. “I know my Soldiers share the same enthusiasm with their skillset and their opportunity to get out on the water during drill.”
The 132nd is the only bridge building company in the state of California, and the only National Guard unit in the state with boats, LeBouef said, adding that it is an example of how Guardsman have the opportunity to get skills that target jobs available in the local community and connect them with local agencies where that knowledge is needed. He highlighted how many different skills are part of the work done by members of the 132nd, including driving trucks and boats.
“We’re kind of a specialized unit,” Flynn said. “When we go down range, we’re a theater asset.”
Flynn talked with pride about the high quality of work when the unit was deployed to Afghanistan in 2012. He said he thought they may have set a record for the amount of bridges they built while there.
As the crews guided the bridge toward land, the skies had cleared and observers started to assemble near the shore to take pictures. Once the bridge and ramp was secure, the crews took it apart and got ready to do it all again, with individuals rotating positions to give them a chance to serve a different role.
“I was truly proud of the effort that was put in by my Soldiers during this build,” Aguirre said. “The 132nd has come a long way in the year and half that I have been with the unit. My senior NCOs have done a phenomenal job of growing our talent at the E-5 level.”
| Date Taken: | 02.11.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 02.12.2017 18:25 |
| Story ID: | 223332 |
| Location: | REDDING, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 216 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 132nd MRBC builds bridges - in the water and the community, by SPC Amy Carle, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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