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    Humvee egress trainer helps Okinawa Marines prepare for rollover accident scenarios

    CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JAPAN

    01.18.2008

    Story by Lance Cpl. Tyler Hlavac 

    III Marine Expeditionary Force   

    CAMP HANSEN, Japan – About 20 Marines with 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division completed the Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer course on Camp Hansen, Jan. 10, to better understand how to respond in the event of a Humvee rollover.

    The trainer, which is designed to resemble a Humvee, simulates an accident by rolling at different speeds and angles, often completing several 180 degree rolls in less than a minute.

    The trainer is currently the only one available in Okinawa.

    During the training, the Marines entered the trainer, spun around until disoriented, then quickly exited the vehicle before establishing security around the Humvee and
    evacuating any simulated casualties.

    The trainer stopped at different positions, forcing the Marines to exit quickly while upside down. The trainer also stopped on its side, forcing the occupants to exit through the gunners hatch or through the passenger-side door.

    "The purpose of the trainer is to familiarize Marines with Humvee rollovers," said Staff Sgt. Frank Villaverde, a tactics instructor with Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, who came to Okinawa to train Marines how to become course instructors. "The idea is that while any rollover is going to be confusing and disorienting, if Marines are ever in a real rollover, it will hopefully not be as big of a shock because of this training."

    While the training can be used to teach any Marine about rollovers, it is most relevant to Marines bound for combat zones. Because hundreds of service members serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom have been severely injured in rollover accidents, HEAT training has become a requirement for Marines deploying to areas in the United States Central Command area of operations.

    Cpl. Zane Moorman, a radio operator with 12th Marines, said the training may save his life one day.

    "The trainer would flip me so many times that when it stopped, I would at first have no clue what was going on or where I was," he said. "The training taught me to expect this and how to evacuate casualties and establish security after a rollover. Overall, the training was an outstanding, valuable experience."

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 01.18.2008
    Date Posted: 01.18.2008 04:35
    Story ID: 15563
    Location: CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JP

    Web Views: 364
    Downloads: 293

    PUBLIC DOMAIN