Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Michael Behlin | Pfc. James Anderson, a native of Port Orchard, Wash., and member of the 1st Battalion,...... read more read more
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By Michael Behlin
3rd Sustainment Command (Expedtionary)
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicles have proven to be a safer form of transportation for service members, but it could still present many possible hazards for crew members in Iraq and Afghanistan. With some models weighing in excess of 52,000 pounds, the MRAP have accounted for 51 rollovers from November 2007 to August 2008, according to safety officials during a recent 3rd Sustainment Command (Expedtionary) safety council meeting.
Common fatalities from these rollovers have been the gunner, as they were unsecured in their hatches.
Though service members adapted the "gunner down drills" and practiced with the various models of Humvees that calls for passengers to pull the gunner down in case of a rollover, there was still a chance these methods would not work.
To aid in this process, the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development Engineering Center was tasked to produce a universal restraint system to ensure gunners won't be thrown from the vehicle in the event of a rollover.
What TARDEC produced was a new system adopted from the existing 5-point restraint harness and retractor previously used in Humvees. TARDEC took the existing platform and created a design to work with the different variations of MRAPs. For each vehicle, whether it's the MAXPRO, RG-31, RG-33 or the Caiman, there is a GRS specifically designed for it.
The push of this new equipment led Multi -National Corps-Iraq to place the 3rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) in charge of fielding the GRS to its convoy security companys theater-wide.
"What the units were doing previously was using kits from M1114 Humvees and modifying them to work in the MRAP vehicles," said Capt. Jude Verge, a Boston native and 3rd ESC logistics maintenance officer in charge. "The contractors looked at what units had done in the past and improved upon it, making a safer variant, and is being pushed to units theater-wide."
Verge said that the new gunner restraints are highpriority items and the 3rd ESC is pushing them out to units as soon as they receive them. In fact, he said they are such a high-priority that units are expected to install them within 24 hours of receiving them.
With the push of the new GRS, the 3rd ESC is distributing them out as soon as they get them.
"The systems are steadily arriving in theater daily," said Verge. "There has just been a big shipment of gunner restraint systems to our subordinate brigade in [COB] Adder."
Verge said what the 3rd ESC is trying to create is a constant flow of systems to the point of where they arrive, get transferred to units and then installed into the vehicles.
While the 3rd ESC has been successful so far installing the GRS to its subordinates, there were some challenges along the way. Some GRS kits were held at the central receiving and shipping point, and the 3rd ESC maintenance personnel had to personally process and expedite the order to forward the kits to their subordinate brigades.
Otherwise, Verge said that everything has gone smoothly, as the main purpose of the GRS is to ensure the safety of those out on convoys.
"This was a test of me being a logistics officer," he said. "These new harnesses are just a way to ensure the safety of the guys who help keep us safe every day."
| Date Taken: | 01.05.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 01.05.2009 02:23 |
| Story ID: | 28442 |
| Location: | BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 2,040 |
| Downloads: | 834 |
This work, Gunner Restraint System aims to save lives, by SFC Michael Behlin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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