Courtesy Photo | CAMP ARIFJAN (October 11, 2006) --- Ryan Thurston, a Forward Repair Activity worker...... read more read more
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by Sgt. Carlos M. Burger II
Desert Voice Staff Writer
USARCENT Public Affairs Office
CAMP ARIFJAN ( October 11, 2006) --- Since the campaign in Iraq began, at least 116 Soldiers have been killed and at least 132 injured in HMMWV rollover accidents, according to U.S. Army statistics. The HMMWV Egress Awareness Training simulator, or HEAT, was created with the intent of preventing Soldier injuries and death in HMMWV rollovers. With about 8,000 Soldiers already trained on the simulator, camps across the area of responsibility want to have the simulator as well.
Army Material Command and USARCENT are building more than 30 HEAT simulators to be fielded across the theater in the months ahead. The HEAT simulators are being constructed by the Forward Repair Activity exclusively on Camp Arifjan, which is a team of over 50 civilians from Anniston Army Depot in Anniston, Ala., and Red River Army Depot in Texarkana, Texas, said Ed Morris, FRA chief.
Morris said Lt. Col John Hermann, AMC support operations officer, coordinated the efforts to have the HEAT trainers built and the reason Camp Arifjan was chosen to undertake this project was because the FRA was the only unit in the AOR that had all the skill sets necessary to complete it.
"We have depot level machinists, welders and mechanics all at one location and those are the skills necessary to build this. There's no worrying about having to deal with outside sources," he said.
The idea of the HEAT simulator was originally created by Chief Warrant Officer Rikki Cox who is also with the FRA, said Chris Turner, a welder from Anniston depot.
The construction of the HEAT is a team effort, he said. It takes a grand total of four days to make one and it's built from ground up with spare parts and damaged HMMWVs. The front and rear ends are cut off and the HMMWV cab is then fused to base frame and hooked to an electric motor.
Two other team members, Micah Garrett and his partner Corey Jenkins, also from Anniston Depot; sacrifice long hours daily to the completion of the HEAT simulators. Both are responsible for the overall assembly of the base frame, sometimes working 16 hour shifts welding and drilling the base frame.
"It's a new experience being away from my family, but I'm glad to be here. I feel good about what I do. I feel that I'm helping the Soldier in some way," said the 22-year-old Garrett, an Alpine, Ala., native.
Jenkins, a Mumford, Ala., native and former Soldier of 10 years, knows what the HEAT is worth to the modern Soldier.
"This simulator is good training for the Soldiers," he said.
Although the HEAT carries a price tag of about $33,000 with it, Brandon McDaniel, a heavy mobile equipment repairer from Anniston Depot thinks that its benefit far outweighs its price.
"It's a good program, it's saving lives and if it saves one life then it's worth the money. Anything that we do, whether its putting on body armor or this simulation is worth it if it saves Soldiers on the battlefield," he said.
The 30 HEATs are scheduled for completion date sometime in October and once they are built, they will be sent to camps in Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq and Qatar. The HEAT light-weight design allows for air transport, if necessary, Morris said. He also said the FRA is proud of the work they do preparing the simulators and getting them out to Soldiers.
"The team here is really dedicated to this program because of all the potential to save lives. There has been a lot of Soldiers killed in rollover accidents and they put long hours and hard work into building this. It's a team effort and we know the importance of what we're doing," Morris said.
"Since I've been here, I've had Soldiers come up and thank me and my team for what we do here and that's a blessing," Garrett added.
| Date Taken: | 10.11.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 10.11.2006 12:57 |
| Story ID: | 7988 |
| Location: | CAMP ARIFJAN, KW |
| Web Views: | 232 |
| Downloads: | 141 |
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