Welders receive new skills at TARDEC

Photo By Kimberly Derryberry | The U. S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) here is providing a new capability to the Army’s Stryker Brigade Combat Teams – the organic capability to make repairs to vehicles that previously had to be sent away.  

WARREN, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES

03.02.2016

Story by Kimberly Derryberry 

DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center

Army welders are receiving this first-of-its-kind training from the experts at TARDEC, the Army ground vehicle engineering leader.

“The whole intent of the Stryker welding proposal is to provide commanders with a non-structural welding capability,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Brendan Kallenbach, fleet readiness manager for Program Manager-Stryker. “This capability is going to give those maneuver commanders a forward welding repair capability which restores the Stryker back to the commander much more rapidly.”

Welders will gain the ability to repair non-structural parts of a Stryker such as hinges, brackets and pins.

“They are common hardware failures that we see during the rigors of combat,” said Kallenbach.

“We’re here to assess the new equipment that we’re trying to publish out throughout the Stryker community,” said Sgt. Jorken McCarter, shop supervisor assigned to 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany. “It is called gas metal arc - pulse which enables us to get great penetration along with heat manipulation so we don’t have to worry about overheating the metal. When you’re dealing with armor, especially in a combat situation, you do not want to take away the integrity of the metal.”

The current two week assessment is in the testing and analysis phase. Once the list of tasks is approved and certified, allied trades warrant officers (914A) and allied trade specialists (92E) will be able to focus on gaining the skills.

• Date Taken: 03.02.2016
• Date Posted: 04.04.2016 12:50
• Story ID: 194312
• Location: WARREN, MICHIGAN, US