2nd Tanks Cross River with Help From Bridge Company Marines

The following is a release from Lance Cpl. Damarko Bones, II Marine Expeditionary Force:

Through strong winds and choppy waters, Marines with Bridge Company, 8th Engineer Support Battalion, prepared for Operation Iron Blitz by providing support to 2nd Tank Battalion by operating rafts, which allowed the tanks to cross a body of water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Feb. 4, 2016.

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Bridge Company operated two seven-bay raft systems which would each carry two tanks at the same time across New River. The operation allowed 2nd Tanks to cross the river in less than 15 minutes.

“This operation definitely increases the mobility [of a unit],” said 1st Lt. Walter Williams, a platoon commander with Bridge Company. “You will save your tanks from having to cross a civilian bridge and you can literally cross any body of water as long as the shore conditions are correct.”

Transporting tactical vehicles over open bodies of water is typically the preferred method of travel when the opportunity is afforded.

“We’re pretty much the water taxi for the [Marine Logistics Group],” said Cpl. Adam Gilliam, a raft commander with Bridge Company. “We support the MLG [with …Read the Rest

Source:: Tactical Life