1st Engineer Soldiers Conduct Breach Training

TRZEBIEN, Poland -- Combat Engineers with 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division practiced breaching obstacles using C-4 plastic explosive charges as part of multiple days of breach training they conducted at a range near Camp Trzebien, Poland May 23, 2019.

The Combat Engineers breached a concertina wire barrier with a bangalore torpedo explosive, during a dismounted breach. Later in the day, they breached a simulated minefield using a Mine Clearing Line Charge (MCLIC), deployed by an M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle. Training on both mounted and dismounted combat breaches is an essential part of the readiness mission of the 1st Eng. Bat. The engineers were joined by units with the 3rd Battalion 66th Armored Regiment during this training.

"Today, we conducted a dismounted breach with infantry from the 3-66th Armor Regiment," said Spc. Abdulrahman Albayati, a Combat Engineer with the 1st Engineer Battalion, and part of the dismounted breach during the day's training. "The breach is first identified by the breach commander. Once we hit the breach, we dismount from our Bradley's and send the engineers to conduct the breach. Then, the infantry moves in to clear the objective."

Following the dismounted breach training, the units conducted a mounted breach in which they deployed the MCLIC into an identified minefield within the scenario.

"MCLIC is a Mine Clearing Line Charge, it is composed of 1700 lbs of C-4 and a rocket that fires all of the C-4 in a linear charge that's about 100 meters long to blow up any obstacles, but mostly mine fields," said Cpl. Joshua DeLassus, a combat engineer with the 1st Engineer Battalion. "Today we came out to train with 3-66th Armor Regiment to do a combined arms breach with ABV and show off the MCLIC."

"We're here to deter a threat using a show of force," said Albayati "Maintaining our readiness, working on our skills and teaching new soldiers shows that we're here to train and work with our allies. It shows that we're a capable army."

The 1st Eng. Bat. was able to exhibit combat readiness and tactical proficiency by successfully conducting both mounted and dismounted breaches using C-4 explosives and their battalion equipment, demonstrating their lethality to the brigade and their ability to respond to the Atlantic Resolve mission.