Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Dropped virtual enemy cannonball during the floating bridge construction

Three hinges destroyed and asked U.S. engineer unit for support

Perfect compatibility of Korea-U.S. river crossing equipment verified

Completed floating bridge just in one hour

When we join forces, there is no obstacle we can’t overcome.

The Korean and U.S. engineer units had a combined rivercrossing training, confirming the strong alliance between the two countries that shows its strength in a critical situation. They verified the compatibility of their rivercrossing equipment for the first time, and developed a new field for combined operation of the engineer unit through this training.

On the morning of March 16, the warm sunlight announces the arrival of spring. The 7th engineer brigade was holding combined rivercrossing training with the U.S. 2nd combat aviation brigade at the rivercrossing training center in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do. The training focused on verifying the compatibility of equipment used for the rivercrossing. For our army, the training was focused on whether or not it was possible to replace Korean hinges used on a floating bridge with the U.S. ones in the event of a problem during installation.

Perfect first verification of rivercrossing equipment compatibility

The main training started with the construction of the floating bridge by the battalion of the 7th engineer brigade. An armored vehicle started generating milky smoke with a crash, and the training center was soon engulfed in a thick fog. Then, a hinge-loaded transport vehicle appeared, forcing its passage through the fog. The vehicle dropped the hinges into the water. These huge hinges, weighing almost 5 tons each, are connecting units for the construction of a bridge made of aluminum alloy, a buoyant metal.

“Splash!” The hinge slid from the back of the vehicle into the water, automatically folded out and floated in the water. Then, two stand-by BEBs(bridge erection boats) rapidly gathered both sides of the unfolded hinges. Soldiers on board closely connected the boat and hinges with a rope to make the hinge move easily. They moved in perfect order and the bridge installation went smoothly.

“Wham!” Suddenly, a virtual enemy cannonball was dropped, forming a huge column of water. In moments, all of the installation work was destroyed. The crashing of the cannonball shook the earth and at the same time destroyed three hinges, putting the training center into chaos. There were no extra hinges left.

A company commander who was in charge asked for support from the U.S. engineer unit, the 2nd combat aviation brigade. As soon as the U.S. soldiers received the request, they arrived at the site where the rivercrossing training was held with hinges. Both units combined their forces to separate the damaged hinges and fit the new ones. As the 14 hinges that looked like giant jigsaw pieces were connected together, the 100-meter-long strong bridge was finally finished, just like magic.

It took just 1 hour to install the floating bridge for them. The training was complete, and equipment and troops were able to cross the river via this well-built floating bridge.

A brilliant combined mission capabilities of both units

Around 130 Korean troops and the U.S. engineer, chemical and air defense forces participated in this training, and 20 units of crawler equipment, including armored vehicles and air guided weapons, Cheonma, as well as 60 units of rivercrossing equipment were used.

The training was a chance for both armies to confirm that they are ready to perform a combined operation even when a critical situation occurs during the war.

Lieutenant Colonel Kim Kwan-soo, the battalion commander who conducted the training, said, “We’ve confirmed that the Korea-U.S. engineer units can use each others' floating bridge materials during wartime. When we join forces, there is nothing we can’t overcome.”

U.S. Lieutenant Colonel Smith, battalion commander of the U.S. 2nd combat aviation brigade, said, “It was a good opportunity for our men to improve their performance. We had the chance to share our operational know-how, and I hope that we can further strengthen our relations with the Korean army through combined drills.”

The combined mission capability of the two armies was also brilliant. “We’ve confirmed that the Korean army is very strong. They not only are specialized, but also are very cooperative. We understood our roles well, so we were able to complete the mission easily,” said Captain Burts, a company commander of the U.S. engineer battalion.

By Seung-Hee, Ahn < seung@dema.mil.kr >

Photo by Reporter Dong-Wook, Yang in Icheon

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