Building Bridges in Paktia

Monsoon rains have swept away a bridge near the mountainous Khost-Gardez pass in Paktia province, Afghanistan. The road has also been badly damaged, leaving the Salerno bowl and both Afghan and ISAF bases cut off. Redeployment activities from Forward Operating Base Salerno have already been disrupted and local people are struggling to cross the riverbed. A team of combat engineers from Kandahar are called to drive through the night to get to the scene of the disaster – they will need the protection of members of the US Army’s 101st mountains. Using a Mabey-Johnson bridge first used in the Second World War by British forces, the US Army 1438th bridge building company must get the road reopened. This version includes graphics and voiceover.