Airmen from the 23rd Civil Engineers Squadron out of Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, built and re-enforced wooden bridges in a storage yard near Sainte-Mère-Église, France, June 5.
These bridges will be used during the large airborne operation where over 1000 troops will parachute in on June 9 and will serve to assist the Airborne Soldiers, after they land on Iron Mike drop zone, to traverse the tributaries and waterways that crisscross the landscape.
“Our main mission is to support the drop zone,” said Tech. Sgt. Donald Armond, a structural engineer with the 23rd CES. “To be able to mitigate the jumpers from having to land in the water and assist them navigate the area in the driest way possible.”
The larger bridge, originally constructed five years ago, is used to assist the off-road vehicles cross to the drop-zone in order to assist anyone who may need medical attention. Footbridges were constructed and put in place to allow Soldiers to move from where they landed to the cantonment area.
“This has been a great opportunity to assist and be a part of the D-Day anniversary,” said Senior Airman Phillip Pham, an engineering assistant.
The bridge was transported from the storage yard on a flatbed trailer. Once it arrived at the Iron Mike drop zone it was transported from the truck, with a crane, to the foundation supports laid by the Airmen.
The activity drew a crowd of onlookers.
“It have been incredible to interact with locals and see the appreciation of what our ancestors did,” said Armond.
The bridge is stored every year after the events have been concluded.