DaytonDailyNews.com

By leonard wahl

June 14, 2006 01:42 PM | Link to this

Russell, Mr. Leonard wahl just read the article. to update you The wife of SSgt Marvin Sprayberry has a new investigation started. Or at least her Congressmen was request one be done! Nadja, lives in Milton, Florida. Recently, moved here from Germany. I like to talk with you briefly. 281-719-0141.

By James

June 13, 2006 09:09 AM | Link to this

I agree that the M1114 Humvee is top heavy due to the additional armor. The additional armor has also greatly reduced deaths and injuries to our soldiers from roadside bombs. A soldier in my Army Reserve unit in Afghanistan was slightly injuried after hitting a roadside bomb in a M1114 Humvee. If he would have been in an unarmored Humvee he would have died. Unfortunately people die and get injuried in war in accidents and combat. The articles blame the Army for the accidents which is inaccurate

By Patric

June 13, 2006 08:05 AM | Link to this

Renee - The bias is that the tone and tenor of the article place the blame for this on the Army, implying that they aren’t being honest/caring about the troops. Go back 18 months and the stories are about how the Army isn’t being open and caring and providing armor. Only one mention in 8 pages of writing about the media’s unceasing call for armor when that was all you heard on the news for months? Come on.

By Anthony

June 12, 2006 06:37 PM | Link to this

Having driven the “unimproved” Army issue vehicle, I can say that those are bad enough with regard to control, acceleration and overall handling. By putting the additional weight on it, it is a wonder they all are not flipping over, falling through substandard roadways, and having braking issues.

These vehicles are great for transporting, but not designed for evasive type driving. By putting the extra weight on, the entire vehicle design is compromised.

By Brian Hart

June 11, 2006 10:54 PM | Link to this

By 2005 no vehicle was allowed out the gate that didn’t have armor which means miles driven skyrocketed for armored humvees skewing results. Drivers have to speed and evade. There is a notable surge in traffic deaths when rotations occur. Improved stateside training with top heavy vehicles would help. The army is addressing this slowly. Excessive wear and maintenance are also contributing factors.

By Brian Hart

June 11, 2006 10:45 PM | Link to this

1. The author fails to note that there were only a few hundred armored humvees until 1Q04 in Iraq and none in Afghanistan. Now there are over 12000 M1114s in Iraq and 25,000+ Level II applique armored humvees. This means that the stats on an increase in deaths from accidents is inevitably going to rise in correlation v. being caused by the armor.

2. Mr. Badenoch’s comment about accidental death numbers v. combat is just inaccurate

By John Boyce, U.S. Army

June 11, 2006 06:59 PM | Link to this

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Apr2006/20060425_4929.html Nearly 1,000 soldiers have already received training on the HEAT, and … the goal is to ensure every Humvee crew transiting through Kuwait gets the training before moving forward to Iraq or another forward location. In the event of a rollover, the training teaches troops how to brace themselves and hold on as they roll, then how to safely get out of the vehicle and ensure all their fellow crewmembers make it safely out too.

By John Boyce, U.S. Army

June 11, 2006 06:52 PM | Link to this

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Apr2006/20060425_4929.html Intent on cutting Soldier injuries, Coalition Forces Land Component Command, gcreated the HEAT simulator. It’s a scrapped HUMVEE cab mounted to an elevated M-1 tank engine maintenance stand on the back of M-870A1 trailer — so it could be transported to troop bases. The whole project cost just $10,000 apiece, and CFLCC now has three models with plans to add a fourth to its inventory soon.

By John Boyce, U.S. Army

June 11, 2006 06:35 PM | Link to this

The Army safety-booklet link is: https://crc.army.mil/guidance/gta/M1114CombinedSafety_Card.pdf

By John Boyce, U.S. Army

June 11, 2006 06:33 PM | Link to this

Reference Renee’s comments: the Army’s M1114 armored HMMWV received extensive testing and equipment modifications. Please the 27-page Army safety booklet at: https://crc.army.mil/guidance/gta/M1114CombinedSafety_Card.pdf. It describes the Automatic Fire Extinguisher System, the single-movement combat locks, the improved personal-restraint system, the improved gunner’s restraint, roll-over drills and other emergency procedures.

By Renee (U.S. Army honorable discharge 1984)

June 11, 2006 04:37 PM | Link to this

The statistics and the facts speak for themselves. Armoured Humvees were sent to troops without proper modifications to accomodate the extensive additional weight of the armor. What bias? This is story about the armored Humvee, sent to battle without necessary testing, modifications, or training - period.

By Patric

June 11, 2006 11:24 AM | Link to this

Your bias is showing. No where in your article do you mention the unrelenting drumbeat of the press about Rummy sending our troops to battle without enough armor. But that would have made for a balanced article. Can’t have that. Would also require you to admit the press doesn’t always know everything. Why not run a report on GM’s dangerous SUVs that roll-over. GM’s FAQ blames most rollovers on driver error, too.

By John Boyce, U.S. Army

June 11, 2006 11:19 AM | Link to this

The Army Combat Readiness Center developed the Army Safe Driver Training Program, where Soldiers train on various evasive driving tactics in combat conditions. Since 9/11 there has been no increase HMMWV accident rate, even with increased operational tempo and increased use of vehicles.

By jerry

June 11, 2006 10:55 AM | Link to this

The army publishes monthly stats on accidents, roadside IED’s and fatalities. It would have been nice if in your extensive research you could have looked into how many lives have been saved with the up armored hummers. I drove a M998 for most of my 8 years in the army and found it to be an awesome offroad vehicle. As for blaming the Somalia debacle on the hummer you forgot to mention that the task force involved requested armored vehicles and was denied by, I believe, Les Aspin.

By John Boyce, U.S. Army

June 11, 2006 09:50 AM | Link to this

The Army and General Motors Corporation partnered to train Soldiers’ (in combat zones) how to better negotiate skidding conditions, thus reducing rollovers accidents and avoiding serious injuries.

By John Boyce, U.S. Army

June 11, 2006 09:47 AM | Link to this

While the armored HMMWV is inherently a stable vehicle, increased mission payload, evolving threats in theater and armor protection place added demands on the vehicle. As we increased fielding of the vehicles, the rate of HMMWV rollover accidents also rose — nearly reaching the United States’ domestic driving rollover rate of three percent (NHTSA 2002).

By

June 11, 2006 09:44 AM | Link to this

Since 2004, the U.S. Army aggressively launched a series of multi-discipline efforts to reduce rollovers that focused on enhancing crew and operator safety and accident reduction while vehicles were operated in combat operations. While we are an Army at war, we will continue improving our training, tactics, and war-fighting capabilities to match the needs of combat. And, we remain committed to the priority effort of force protection and safety for our Soldiers on the battlefield.

By douglas

June 11, 2006 09:18 AM | Link to this

what a waste of human life! I can’t understand why we are still over there . Either raise an american flag overthere and take their oil or get the hell out and leave them alone