US, Romanian engineers support tactical river crossing

Photo By Staff Sgt. Jennifer Bunn | Engineers from136th Engineer Battalion, Romanian Land Forces bring in gravel July 12, 2017 to the Olt River in Ramnicu Valcea, Romania to reinforce the surrounding area for a multinational opposed tactical night river crossing exercise during Saber Guardian 17. During the river crossing, the engineers were responsible for route and slip repairs. Saber Guardian 17 is the largest exercise in the Black Sea Region this year. Twenty-five thousand military personnel from 22 allied and partner nations will participate in the annual event, taking place July 11-20, 2017. The exercise highlights multinational deterrence capabilities, specifically the ability to mass forces at any given time anywhere in Europe.  

ROMANIA

07.16.2017

Story by Staff Sgt. Jennifer Bunn 

2d Cavalry Regiment

ROMNICU VALCEA, Romania - Freedom of movement is essential for the 2d Cavalry Regiment to complete its mission and assist in the deterrence of adversarial forces throughout Europe. That makes convoy operations a major training objective for the Regiment.

Elements of the Regiment undertook Dragoon Guardian, a 1,840 km convoy from Vilseck, Germany to Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria June 27 – July 20, 2017. Along the way they conducted several multinational training events for the U.S. Army Europe-led Exercise Saber Guardian 17.

In years past, the major summer exercise involved day time river crossings, but this year’s training progression was to conduct an opposed night tactical river crossing using two bridges that span over the Olt River in Ramnicu Valcea, Romania July 16 -17.

The mission involved multinational bridging assets including the M3 Amphibious Rig that was emplaced by German engineers, and a Pontoon Bridge the Romanian engineers emplaced.

Prior to building the bridges, the engineers prepare the site to make sure the maneuver forces will be able to move forward.

The 136th Engineer Battalion, Romanian Land Forces arrived at the site five weeks prior to the exercise.

“This is our job to support all the infantry for the exercise,” said Maj. Mihai Hisu, a company commander in 136th EB. “We made 1.5 km road and six ramps for three bridges.”

The battalion also worked on another ramp and an 800m road in the area before engineers from the Regimental Engineer Squadron, 2CR arrived.

“The plan was to have the Romanians start the project because we were in Hungary,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Michael Keck, construction technician for RES. “They finished 90% and we helped finish the other 10%.”

Horizontal Construction Engineers from Bravo Troop, RES arrived ready to literally dig in. They brought in their tractors equipped with scoop loaders, backhoe loaders, graders and scrapers to help move the earth. The Troop also brought Bridge Crewmembers to make sure the vehicles crossing were the correct weight and height for the bridge.

Also training with Bravo Troop were Macedonian and British engineers who traveled with them in the convoy from Vilseck.


“For the wet gap training exercise we are basically completing the near side (friendly) slip 3,” explained 1st Lt. Franklin Overstreet, 1st Platoon Leader for Bravo Troop. “We also improved the road that allows both the boats and maneuver units to be able to get to those slips and be able to get across the bridges.”

A day before the execution of the combined exercise it rained.

“Mud works against us, but we have enough internal assets and equipment,” Overstreet said. “With our multinational partners and their experience, we put our heads together and figured out the best way to do what we need to do in a timely manner and make sure it is as safe as possible.”

During the opposed river crossing, the engineers were responsible for route and slip repairs that needed to occur during the nighttime operation. With large, heavy vehicles continually rolling onto the bridge, a muddy riverbank can make the ramp unstable.

Although working in the dark can pose some risks, 1st Platoon was ready.

“We operate at night under night vision goggles, and we do it pretty well,” Overstreet said. “We can operate completely at night, no white or red light. Nine out of ten times if we are doing any type of operation it’s at night, that is just the way my platoon normally runs when supporting Regiment missions.”

A big take away from the training at the Olt River was the ability for the engineers to get more time and experience operating their own equipment and becoming more familiar with Romanian equipment as well.

“It’s a good opportunity to work with multinational (engineers), sometimes you do not get enough of that,” said Keck. “And it’s a good experience for everyone involved to do a wet gap crossing, from the construction side for engineers to the full execution.”

This is not the first time Romanian engineers have trained with their U.S. counterparts. They have worked hand in hand during Resolute Castle, an engineer exercise that is conducted at Cincu Training Center, Romania.

“It is great when we work together as a team,” Hisu said. “We appreciate the efforts of the Americans because we know how to work together.”

• Date Taken: 07.16.2017
• Date Posted: 07.24.2017 05:39
• Story ID: 242285
• Location: RO