During a recent bridge survey, military police dogs trained in explosive detection sniffed over the bridges for unexploded ordnance. The skilled dog handlers, Staff Sgt. Joseph Saunders, 80th Area Support Group and Sgt. Michelle Picard, 26th ASG, worked with Cad, a German Shepherd and Rocky, a Belgium Malanoise. We make sure that if an M1A1 Abrams crosses a bridge, it doesn't fall into the gap.
Safety is our first concern.
First Platoon provides its own perimeter security of the area of operation and are equipped with mine deflecting suits, mine detectors and probes. Engineers often need to go off the beaten path when taking measurements for the bridges. Following the military tradition of yore, Pvt. Michael Pizzone, the lowest ranking individual in the platoon, has the duty of donning a special suit and entering the questionable area first, equipped with a mine detector. The suit consists of kevlar-lined shirt and pants, along with special overboots designed to direct the blast outwards.