File:Bridge Crew 43rd Multi-Role Bridge Company Wet Gap Crossing (8408231).jpg

English: Bridge crew members from the 43rd Multi-Role Bridge Company, 20th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, secure an M30 Bridge Erection Boat for a Wet Gap Crossing at the Drawsko Combat Training Center, Poland, in support of Immediate Response 24, May 15, 2024. The M30BEBs are the movement vehicles for the Wet Gap Crossing, a tactical operation that uses the Improved Ribbon Bridge across a water obstacle, such as a river or lake. This maneuver allows tactical vehicles to drive from the land onto the raft and be transported across the water. IBRs can also be attached together to create a solid bridge. DEFENDER is the Dynamic Employment of Forces to Europe for NATO Deterrence and Enhanced Readiness, and is a U.S. European Command scheduled, U.S. Army Europe and Africa conducted exercise that consists of Saber Strike, Immediate Response, and Swift Response. DEFENDER 24 is linked to NATO’s Steadfast Defender exercise, and DoD’s Large Scale Global Exercise, taking place from 28 March to 31 May. DEFENDER 24 is the largest U.S. Army exercise in Europe and includes more than 17,000 U.S. and 23,000 multinational service members from more than 20 Allied and partner nations, including Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Sgt. Tamie Norris)