COMBAT ENGINEERS ROLL OUT HEAVY-DUTY VEHICLES AT MEULABOH

A bright orange dozer and an excavator emblazoned with the Singapore flag were projected ashore on the small coastal town in West Sumatra in the late afternoon of 3 Jan.

They were the first vehicles to be deployed from RSS Endurance since the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) Landing Ship Tank (LST) reached the waters off Meulaboh a day earlier.

The operation involved massive planning and coordination because the shoreline had changed after being damaged significantly.

What made it even more challenging were the submerged debris and obstacles left over after the tsunami waves had ploughed through the town on Boxing Day, just over a week ago.

A 45-man combat engineering team had to be sent out to the two identified sites to prepare the shore for landing. They brought along with them 700 sandbags, together with shovels, woven ratten baskets and other earth-moving equipment.

Mobility mats were also used to cover the soft ground so that vehicles would not be bogged down.

"The beach doesn't have a suitable gradient for beaching vehicles," said Captain (CPT) Desmond Lee from the 35th Battalion, Singapore Combat Engineers (35 SCE).

"We are going to use sandbags to build a loading ramp to ensure that vehicles can roll out safely, and rocks will not puncture the hull of the landing craft."

In less than three hours, with help from the Indonesian Army (TNI), the team had prepared the sites for landing. This successful projection of vehicles would mean that land-clearing efforts can commence soon.

From a shore of jagged rocks facing the fast landing craft, the Engineers work together with TNI to form a human chain to stack sandbags. In less than three hours, the landing site is prepared for the projection of more vehicles.