IMPROVED RIBBON BRIDGE EMPLACEMENT IN COLD-WEATHER OPERATIONS

摘要

Seventeen years had passed since the 1438th Multirole Bridge Company (MRBC) had conducted cold-weather bridging operations. As the unit prepared to conduct a 21-day annual training (AT) exercise, the frigid North Missouri winter crept in. Temperatures fell below freezing and remained there throughout the weeks preceding AT. These conditions led to significant ice accumulation on all bodies of water in the area of operations, creating an ice obstacle the likes of which the 1438th MRBC had never previously negotiated. Further complicating the situation was the external evaluation by First Army, which the 1438th needed to pass on the fourth day of AT.