NOVO SELO, Bulgaria-The 841st Engineer Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve and 194th Engineer Brigade, Tennessee Army National Guard, are leading the way and setting the standard for the tank maneuver lanes during Operation Resolute Castle. Operation Resolute Castle is United States Army Europe-Led, construction operation that spans from constructing roadways to infrastructure improvements across Eastern Europe which includes Bulgaria, Romania, Estonia, and Hungary.
The construction team during Operation Resolute Castle improved the conditions of tank maneuver lanes. At the beginning of the lanes, the team used articulated concrete blocks (ACB), which are pre-casted pieces of concrete block connected by rope-like cables. These types of concrete blocks are used to prevent washing out of the roadway or preventing pot hole from the use of heavy vehicles, in this case tanks. First forms and framing are created then concrete is poured to form a foundation.
The construction operations officer in charge, Captain Aaron McDaniel, 841st Engineer Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve mentioned that the biggest challenge in the lane construction was the installation of the ACB. When asked how the team overcame the challenge, he replied, “using the knowledge of what a civilian contractor would do, to start the foundation for building a home was the technique used to build up the starting point area of the maneuver lanes.”
Sgt 1st Class Anthony McCallaster,194th Eng. Bde., is the subject matter expert for horizontal construction (repair, maintain and build roads) at the training sites. When asked about the progress on the maneuver lanes, he replied “very happy with the progress…it is fantastic working in a different country and this is great mission knowing that soldiers will be able to obtain great training base on the work we are doing here.”
The U.S. Marines on a black sea rotation were able to do a practice run on the maneuver lane which is called proofing. Proofing is used to ensure that a training site is suited to maneuver tanks on the lane. 1st Lt. Grant McCloskey, says “there is some area that can be adjusted but it is a great training lane to maximize training efforts”. When asked how this will improve on training, he replied, “it is a good gunnery starter package…marines can train to a fixed objective to plug and play.”
Overall, the 841st Eng. Bn. and 194th Eng. Bde. are heading in the right direction in completion of maneuver lanes during Operation Resolute Castle.