Rollover training is a proven life saver

Courtesy Photo | Army Sgt. Vincent Hogan, Bravo Company, 864th Engineer Combat Battalion, exits the HEAT as it overturns during a training exercise at the Yakima Training Center in Yakima, Wash.  

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, AFGHANISTAN

06.11.2007

Courtesy Story

Combined Joint Task Force - 82 PAO

By Army Sgt. David E. Roscoe
Task Force Pacemaker Public Affairs Office

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, Afghanistan -- The United States Army has implemented a new type of combat training for its Soldiers. The HMMVW Egress Assistance Trainer has proven results when it comes to saving lives during rollover accidents.

The HMMWV Egress Assistance Trainer is a mechanical simulation trainer that familiarizes Soldiers with the techniques and procedures for exiting a Humvee that has overturned. It is a training tool for learning how to safely exit a vehicle and evacuate wounded Soldiers after the vehicle has overturned. Training in the HEAT progresses from simple scenarios in which all occupants are uninjured to more serious circumstances in which one or more of the occupants are wounded and potentially unconscious. From a safety point of view, with this training, the first time a Soldier is involved in a rollover it will not be their first experience with this certain situation.

Afghanistan is a country known for its rugged terrain and mountainous landscape. Trying to maneuver military vehicles across this rough landscape has proven costly to the United States Army. Not only in dollar amounts but most importantly in Soldiers' lives. After careful consideration and planning, the United States Army has found a solution. HEAT! The HEAT is designed to teach Soldiers to survive vehicle rollover accidents, which safety officials cite as one of the major causes of accidental fatalities in a combat environment, such as in Afghanistan.

Task Force Pacemaker took the necessary steps to ensure the Soldiers assigned to the task force got the training necessary to save their lives in the event they are involved in a vehicle rollover accident, by coordinating HEAT training for all of the Soldiers in Task Force Pacemaker prior to deployment to Afghanistan. Army Major James A. Delapp, the Task Force Pacemaker executive officer, says "I read about HEAT in the Center for Army Lessons Learned Handbook, and quickly started coordinating training for the battalion. It wasn't an easy task because there were only two of these trainers in the U.S. at the time. I contacted U.S. Army Forces Command directly and coordinated for one of the trainers to be sent from Fort Drum, N.Y., to the Yakima Training Center in Yakima, Wash., so that the entire 864th (Engineer Combat Battalion) could get the proper training we needed before deployment."

In the month of May 2007, Task Force Pacemaker was able to experience the positive effect of the new rollover training. The task force command sergeant major and his Humvee crew were blindsided by an attempted suicide car bomber, causing their vehicle to overturn. The Soldiers were able to escape the accident with only minor injuries, thanks to their proper HEAT exercises. Task Force Pacemaker Command Sgt. Maj., Command Sgt. Maj. Charles J. Turner from Salinas, Calif., says, "No matter the situation, once you've had the proper training, situational reactions become second nature. The rollover training we received before this deployment was absolutely beneficial to our safety. I recommend the HEAT exercises for every individual Soldier in the United States Army."

After seeing the first-hand effects of the new rollover training, Army Staff Sgt. Eugene D. Sangrey from Great Falls, Montana, the senior medic for the 864th ECB says, "The HEAT exercises were very instrumental in saving the lives of the Soldiers in my truck. The crew members knew exactly what to do without a second of hesitation. Without the proper training, there is no doubt that our crews' safety would have been compromised."

• Date Taken: 06.11.2007
• Date Posted: 06.25.2007 13:55
• Story ID: 10969
• Location: FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, AF