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Building new bridges

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Chris Willis
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan --  Members of the 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron installed safe and secure bridges for local Afghans coming in and out of Bagram Airfield, May 2, 2013.

The 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron entry point controllers requested the bridges to provide safe passage to and from BAF for the airfield employees.

The 455th ECES structures shop was given a project to construct two bridges to replace old and rotting matting and wooden planks that went over a flowing river that divided the base and the town.  This project was meant to be a more permanent structure for the contracted Afghan guards and the local populace.

"The unique quality of this job was the location, placed right on the edge of the base where people that never come on base can see some of the products we provide," said Staff Sgt. Shawn Robbins, 455th ECES structure craftsman. "Not to mention the significant improvement it had to the foot travel to and from BAF."

Structural engineers like Staff Sgt. Michael Shaw were excited to have the opportunity to help the population outside the base.

"We were able to see one of our projects applied and the response of the local population traveling onto base," said Shaw. "It was also our first opportunity to see outside of the airfield, being primarily a base maintenance unit... It was rewarding to see the difference between the old bridges and how the locals reacted to the new ones."

Civil Engineers have been working this project for two weeks, making sure it met the safety concerns brought up by leadership and it met the requirements of the people that use it.

"Our goal was to come here to make a difference for the military and civilians on Bagram, and anything we can do to make that happen, we will," said Chief Master Sgt. John Talcott, 455th ECES chief enlisted manager.