CALHOUN COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Battle Creek area residents stuck at home during the COVID-19 outbreak were surprised to hear the rattling sound of explosions on Thursday.
Local officials say the blasts are no cause for alarm, and are in fact controlled demolitions done by a U.S. Army unit.
This week the 1433rd Engineering Unit is conducting detonation exercises at the Fort Custer National Guard Training Center in Augusta.
The explosions are done by the unit’s soldiers as part of combat engineering training, preparing them for potentially clearing and detonating roadblocks during active service.
Area residents posted to social media, unsure of where the blasts were coming from and whether they posed a threat to the public.
Training exercises like the recently held one are a routine part of the 1433rd Engineering Unit’s duties while training service members at the base.
The group is one of the U.S. Army’s “Sapper” units, specialized in missions involving demolishing enemy fortifications, bridge and road buildings, and repairing infrastructure vital to military movement.
In February the 1433rd Engineering Unit was named one of the top-ranked of its kind in the U.S. military, placing third among 27 other active units in the country.
