Pfc. Cody A. Erwin, a Trooper with the 58th Engineer Company, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, uses a nail gun for a project to better transport simulated mines to the box at Fort Irwin, Calif., Oct. 28. The Troopers were trained in the usage of the tools and don their eye protection and gloves ensuring safety when dealing with the power tools.
Troopers from the 58th Engineering Company, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment constructed mine boxes at Fort Irwin, Calif., Oct. 28. The boxes were designed to safely transport simulated mines to the box for use in the rotation.
“The goal is to have a safe and secure way to transport the simulated mines out to the box,” said Pfc. Cody Erwin, a Trooper with 58th Engineering Company. “These boxes we construct can hold upwards of 300 mines and they are a lot more secure then if they were bouncing around in the back of a truck.”
The task of mine box building usually occurs once every other rotation, said Erwin. They build as many as they need but usually that comes out to around eight.
“This is not typical work for a combat engineer,” said Spc. Darrick Smith, a Trooper with 58th Engineering Company. “It’s a nice change in routine though, a break in rotation.”
The Troopers were trained in the usage of the tools and don their eye protection and gloves ensuring safety when dealing with the power tools.
Pfc. Joshua F Phillips, a Trooper with the 58th Engineer Company, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, measures wood for a project to better transport simulated mines to the box at Fort Irwin, Calif., Oct. 28. The Troopers followed the measure twice cut once philosophy.
“It’s not a dangerous job,” said Pfc. Joshua Phillips, a Trooper with 58th Engineering Company. “But you do what you can to mitigate any risk that might be involved.”
Troopers with 58th Engineering Company are taking strides towards safety by taking time to build these boxes for the better transporting of mines. This is in line with not only the 11th ACR’s high safety standard but also the U.S. Army ideals. Training rotations at Fort Irwin can be a dangerous job, but as Troopers we do what we can to lower any risk.
