Upgraded armored vehicles aid Moody's war training

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (ACCNS) --  Warfighters preparing for combat deployments are now using the same highly-armored combat vehicles during state-side training missions as they will use in theatre.

The 820th Security Forces Group recently received approximately 18 Humvees outfitted with the safest and thickest armor modifications, known as frag 5. said Staff Sgt. Tim Bele, 820th SFG vehicle maintenance craftsman. Frag 5 is the latest and most protective set of add-on armor protection currently installed on the $216,000 vehicles.

"This armor upgrade includes a much heavier 600-pound door and additional armor plating at key points on the vehicle," said Sergeant Bele. "A critical improvement was in the design of the doors. All the window and latch hardware have been moved from inside to the outside of the armor plating. This prevents those parts from becoming a source of secondary fragmentation inside the cabin during an attack."

Another major modification was the addition of a large "D" ring and a combat-lock bypass system on the outside of the door. These changes help rescue teams quickly open blast-damaged doors to save trapped Airmen.

"Every patrol vehicle carries one dedicated combat lock wrench used to unlock a door," he said. "With the old-style armored doors, a rescue team had to use the tire-iron-like tool to remove six bolts, then snatch off the door with hooks wedged under its edges. It could take five minutes or longer for each entry. Five minutes is too long; an eternity in a firefight.

"The new frag 5 doors are a major design change," he added. "Every inner door handle is also a detachable tool that fits a special bolt on the outside of every other frag 5 door. The first Airman onto the scene can use his own door handle to unlock the trapped crew's combat locks, hook a tow cable on the 'D' ring and pull the stuck door open in seconds."

When a team does get into a disabled Humvee, they are more likely to find Airmen that are ready to fight, thanks to battle-tested interior modifications.

Interior changes to the nearly 12,000-pound armored vehicles include a new seatbelt system designed to separate the restraint into individual straps that won't catch on an Airman's gear if they need to get out in a hurry. The doors also have an interior layer of foam that absorbs energy in a blast or impact.

With all of the changes made to the stock Humvee, the 820th SFG needed to train its Airmen on how the vehicles will affect them in combat, said Master Sgt. Craig Champagne, 820th SFG vehicle maintenance manager.

"It is very important that we 'train like we fight' in these new vehicles," said Sergeant Champagne. "Every Airman should be familiar with the new procedures for unlocking the new doors and using the 'D' rings in a battlefield environment.

"You can't just jerk open a 600-pound armored door, or it's probably going to bounce back on its hinges and slam closed again," he added. "Crews are trained to slowly pull the door open. This is a major change from the 'yank-the-door-completely-off' technique they were previously taught."

Teams with the 823rd Security Forces Squadron are currently training with the vehicles, said Senior Airman Nathan Dorfman, 823rd SFS, fire team member. His unit is scheduled to deploy this fall and will be using this variant overseas. He feels using the equipment for state-side training is very valuable.

"We certainly feel safer with this new armor," said Airman Dorfman. "Training in these vehicles at Moody gives us confidence it can protect us in-theatre. When we deploy, we will definitely be better prepared."