Sunday, November 29, 2009

Rolling Thunder


The MRAP is an awesome vehicle for getting around the battlespace. It can protect you from almost anything the enemy can use against you. But it is first and foremost a weapon. Like any weapon or inantimate object, it makes no distinction who or what incurs its wrath. Most MRAPs are very heavy, weighing between 12 and 20 tons. When the the driver looses control it can be a disaster.
The MRAP pictured above had a rollover about 2 weeks ago. From secondhand reports the vehicle was going fast and the dust from the road obscured visiblity. The vehicle hit an uneven spot and rolled completely over(They are top heavy). Thankfully and only due to Divine intervention, there were no serious injuries. The passengers dutifully strapped themselves in as instructed. Luckily the gunner was thrown clear since the crushed turret as seen above would not have been a healthy place to be situated.
Having made about 50 trips in MRAPs so far I can tell you that it is easy to become comfortable and even complacent in your operation, preparations and drills. The Commander of our base mandated that everyone on Spann take a look at this MRAP. The visual representation of 20 tons of Rolling Thunder will certainly make me more attentive to my part in the safe use and operation of this type of vehicle.

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