Page 1 - Ft. Irwin High Desert Warrior Jul 1 2016

Volume 12, Number7 Here comes the boom!Published in the interest of the NationalTraining Center and Fort Irwin community • www.irwin.army.mil July 1, 2016

Minnesota National Guard photo by Sgt. William Boecker

Soldiers of the 334th Brigade Engineer Battalion, prepare for a live- re mission by conducting dry- re exercises with a mine clearing line charge, or MICLIC, while in ìthe boxî at the
National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California, on June 14, 2016. Engineers utilize the Assault Breacher Vehicle to re the rocket that carries the MICLIC onto the objective to be breached.

Story and photos by Sgt. William Boecker Sgt. Adam Clark, a combat engineer with A Co., 334th providing security for the AVB. “The anticipation for this
FORT IRWIN, California – “Earthpig One-Six, this BEB. “We provide security for our ABV asset to be able to moment has built up during the nearly two years of train-
is Bravo Six, you are clear to advance on the objective,” is effectively launch the rocket and detonate the charges to ing we have done and every second that ticks by seems like
heard over the radio within the crowded, oven-like Bradley clear whatever the obstacle may be.” an eternity.”
Fighting Vehicle operated by engineers of the 334th Brigade
Engineer Battalion in the middle of the Mojave Desert on e MICLIC is used to quickly and safely clear obstacles “Earthpig, this is Bravo Six, you are clear to detonate,”
June 15, 2016. that hinder mobility, like concertina wire and mine elds. e finally comes in over the radio. After the three-second de-
The platoon, consisting of two Bradley Fighting Ve- vast expanse of desert o ered at NTC o ers a large enough layed charge, a deafening boom and a dusty fireball engulfs
hicles and an Assault Breaching Vehicle, was preparing for training area for engineer units to re the MICLIC, a weapon the now eight-meter by 100-meter lane, blackened with
a live-fire breaching mission utilizing the mine clearing line system that is rarely red as a live charge, said Clark. soot from the explosion.
charge while in “The Box” during National Training Center
rotation 16-07 for the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, “Cleared to breach the objective,” a command called over The Soldiers’ problem solving skills were put to the test
34th Infantry Division, at Fort Irwin, California. the radio by the 1-145 AR commander requesting engineer when the obstacle was not completely breached upon the
“The 1st Battalion, 145th Armored Regiment, requested support. And with that, nearly 1,800 pounds of composite initial explosion. After clearing some concertina wire, the
my platoon as an asset in an obstacle breaching lane where C-4, strapped to a 100-meter towline, is shot by a rocket breach point is proofed and the 1-145th AR’s mission can
we used a mine clearing line charge, or MICLIC,” said over the obstacle. continue as planned.

“After the rocket is launched, we have to wait for clear- With the culminating event of nearly two years of train-
ance to blow the charges,” said Spc. Nate Duehlmeier, a ing now in the rear-view mirror, the Soldiers of the 334th
Bradley Fighting Vehicle gunner with A Co., 334th BEB, BEB declared their mission a success.