Our primary goal for this mission is to make sure the cages and covers, which our contractor installed, are still properly secured the way they are supposed to be," said Capt. Rick Vermillion, an engineer assigned to the PRT and deployed from Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. "Insurgents have been using the tactic of filling the culverts, which run directly under the road, with explosives."
According to the captain, the cages have slowed the insurgents down, making it more difficult for them to complete their mission.
While on patrol, safety and security is paramount for all involved.
"We take every precaution when it comes to inspecting these ditches," said Tech. Sgt. Erik Field, the NCO in charge of quality assurance for the PRT, deployed from Ramstein Air Base, Germany. "We have to make sure there is nothing inside the culverts. We do that from a distance just in case we are being watched and they decide to detonate it."
Once the scene is secured, the engineers can get up close to the area, looking to make sure the work has been done as agreed to in the contract. They will, for instance, check to see if the contractor used the proper type of concrete. They also look for signs of tampering and to see if anything has been removed or filled. More here...
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