609th Engineer Company members pose while an explosion goes off behind them.
Members of Nevada National Guard 609th Engineer Company trained at the Hawthorne Army Depot. The 609th’s main mission is route clearance. The company trained on packing C4 plastic explosives into fence pickets to create field-expedient Bangalore torpedoes.
Scans of the training area were also conducted looking for notional explosives with mine detection equipment. Part of the combat engineer’s duties is to plant and clear mine field, construct bridges, route clearance and prepare and employ demolitions and explosives.
The Nevada National Guard is currently working to secure the rights and controls of all the training lands in Hawthorne. The guard has a large demand for demolition, weapons qualification and other training uses. If controlled by the National Guard, the state would have the ability to maintain readiness and open up revenue opportunities as other states and groups request access to the training lands.
