thedrifter
07-25-08, 07:37 AM
MILITARY: Fatal MRAP accidents prompt warnings
By Wire and staff reports
The towering trucks that protect U.S. troops against roadside bombs and enemy bullets also make them vulnerable to routine hazards like sharp turns, rutted roads and rickety bridges.
Five deaths caused by rollovers and dozens of other accidents in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in warnings that troops be smart behind the wheel, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.
The message is especially relevant in Afghanistan, where a resurgent Taliban has boosted demand for the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles or "MRAPs." Due to the country's mountainous terrain and unpaved roads, officials are sending nearly 800 of the smallest versions of the vehicles.
Yet even the smaller vehicle is not immune from tipping. On June 29, three Green Berets drowned when theirs rolled into a canal in southern Afghanistan. The accident is under investigation.
The vehicles get high marks from commanders for protecting U.S. personnel. Close to 7,000 of the vehicles are in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Pentagon is buying at least that many more.
And despite their bulk, they have power steering, air brakes and quick acceleration. The features can lull drivers into thinking they're just handling a bigger version of the smaller and more agile Humvee.
"This ain't your father's Oldsmobile," says the June edition of "Safety Corner," an internal newsletter published by the Marine Corps Center for Lessons Learned in Quantico, Va.
There have been at least 66 accidents between November and June, according to Defense Department statistics. Nearly 40 of those involved a rollover caused by bad roads, weak bridges or driver error.
Marines were involved in seven of the accidents, resulting in nine injuries and no fatalities. Nearly all the Marine Corps accidents involved vehicles leaving a roadway and either tipping on their side or rolling over.
Reports on the mishaps involving Marine vehicles did not state where those troops were based.
At the Pentagon, Marine spokesman Maj. Eric Dent said the accident statistics do not in any way detract from the importance of the vehicles in protecting troops.
"They are absolutely vital to moving safely over the roads, especially in Iraq where roadside bombs have been so prevalent," Dent said. "There's no doubt that MRAPs save lives."
At the same time, Dent said the Marine Corps is working to improve its driver instruction.
"We're certainly concerned," said Brig. Gen. Michael Brogan, the Marine Corps officer who manages the program.
The trucks are tall, heavy, have a raised chassis and V-shaped hulls. The high-rise design shoves the impact of an underbelly blast out and away from the crew inside.
But the lifesaving geometry has a cost.
"What you're giving up when you do that is the low center of gravity that provides you the sure-footedness," Brogan said. "So what we have to do is enhance our training for troops in this kind of vehicle. The more stick time they have, the more comfortable they'll be operating it."
Troops also have been shocked or injured when low-hanging power lines strung by Iraqi residents catch on the top of the tall vehicles.
The first fatal accident occurred near Baghdad.
A crew of six Army soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division was traveling over an irrigation canal in a Caiman, a 9-foot tall, 19-ton vehicle made by BAE Systems in Sealy, Texas. BAE is one of several defense contractors building the vehicles, which come in varied sizes and weigh up to 40 tons.
The Caiman was moving at only 5 mph as the driver started to make a 90-degree turn, according to the Army's account. But he swung the wheel too quickly and the truck's huge rear tires caught the road's soft dirt shoulder, which began to collapse.
Trying to avoid trouble, the driver hit the gas, but the Caiman flipped on its right side. It slid down a slope back end first and into 10 feet of foul water that began to fill the vehicle. The power shut down, plunging the crew into darkness.
Three of the four soldiers in the rear found an air pocket and stayed in it until they were pulled through the gun turret on the roof. The driver also survived.
Pfc. John T. Bishop and 1st Lt. Timothy W. Cunningham weren't so lucky.
Bishop, who was riding in the rear, was trapped after the gear he was wearing became snagged. He drowned. Cunningham was in the right front seat. He wasn't wearing his seat belt and was thrown to the back. He drowned too.
A month after the accident, the Army's Combat Readiness and Safety Center issued an internal "MRAP Safety Alert" detailing the tragedy.
Ellie
By Wire and staff reports
The towering trucks that protect U.S. troops against roadside bombs and enemy bullets also make them vulnerable to routine hazards like sharp turns, rutted roads and rickety bridges.
Five deaths caused by rollovers and dozens of other accidents in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in warnings that troops be smart behind the wheel, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.
The message is especially relevant in Afghanistan, where a resurgent Taliban has boosted demand for the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles or "MRAPs." Due to the country's mountainous terrain and unpaved roads, officials are sending nearly 800 of the smallest versions of the vehicles.
Yet even the smaller vehicle is not immune from tipping. On June 29, three Green Berets drowned when theirs rolled into a canal in southern Afghanistan. The accident is under investigation.
The vehicles get high marks from commanders for protecting U.S. personnel. Close to 7,000 of the vehicles are in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Pentagon is buying at least that many more.
And despite their bulk, they have power steering, air brakes and quick acceleration. The features can lull drivers into thinking they're just handling a bigger version of the smaller and more agile Humvee.
"This ain't your father's Oldsmobile," says the June edition of "Safety Corner," an internal newsletter published by the Marine Corps Center for Lessons Learned in Quantico, Va.
There have been at least 66 accidents between November and June, according to Defense Department statistics. Nearly 40 of those involved a rollover caused by bad roads, weak bridges or driver error.
Marines were involved in seven of the accidents, resulting in nine injuries and no fatalities. Nearly all the Marine Corps accidents involved vehicles leaving a roadway and either tipping on their side or rolling over.
Reports on the mishaps involving Marine vehicles did not state where those troops were based.
At the Pentagon, Marine spokesman Maj. Eric Dent said the accident statistics do not in any way detract from the importance of the vehicles in protecting troops.
"They are absolutely vital to moving safely over the roads, especially in Iraq where roadside bombs have been so prevalent," Dent said. "There's no doubt that MRAPs save lives."
At the same time, Dent said the Marine Corps is working to improve its driver instruction.
"We're certainly concerned," said Brig. Gen. Michael Brogan, the Marine Corps officer who manages the program.
The trucks are tall, heavy, have a raised chassis and V-shaped hulls. The high-rise design shoves the impact of an underbelly blast out and away from the crew inside.
But the lifesaving geometry has a cost.
"What you're giving up when you do that is the low center of gravity that provides you the sure-footedness," Brogan said. "So what we have to do is enhance our training for troops in this kind of vehicle. The more stick time they have, the more comfortable they'll be operating it."
Troops also have been shocked or injured when low-hanging power lines strung by Iraqi residents catch on the top of the tall vehicles.
The first fatal accident occurred near Baghdad.
A crew of six Army soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division was traveling over an irrigation canal in a Caiman, a 9-foot tall, 19-ton vehicle made by BAE Systems in Sealy, Texas. BAE is one of several defense contractors building the vehicles, which come in varied sizes and weigh up to 40 tons.
The Caiman was moving at only 5 mph as the driver started to make a 90-degree turn, according to the Army's account. But he swung the wheel too quickly and the truck's huge rear tires caught the road's soft dirt shoulder, which began to collapse.
Trying to avoid trouble, the driver hit the gas, but the Caiman flipped on its right side. It slid down a slope back end first and into 10 feet of foul water that began to fill the vehicle. The power shut down, plunging the crew into darkness.
Three of the four soldiers in the rear found an air pocket and stayed in it until they were pulled through the gun turret on the roof. The driver also survived.
Pfc. John T. Bishop and 1st Lt. Timothy W. Cunningham weren't so lucky.
Bishop, who was riding in the rear, was trapped after the gear he was wearing became snagged. He drowned. Cunningham was in the right front seat. He wasn't wearing his seat belt and was thrown to the back. He drowned too.
A month after the accident, the Army's Combat Readiness and Safety Center issued an internal "MRAP Safety Alert" detailing the tragedy.
Ellie