Ride along in one Ground Assault Convoy that leaves the one major asphalt road in Afghanistan, and you’ll know why MRAPs suck. My unit is probably averaging one breakdown/recovery per mission. With the summer fighting season getting underway, you can imagine why pulling a 40,000lb truck out of a ditch can be, um, challenging. We’ve learned a lot about keeping the things on the road, but the terrain is so variable and harsh.
Despite their susceptibility to IEDs, I feel much safer in HMMWVs. The risk of one getting blown up (probability-wise, pretty low) is offset by one’s maneuverability off-road. They’re degrees more comfortable, too—getting bounced around in a RG-31 or Cougar for twelve hours is punishing. I spent the last two weeks in the field in a HMMWV and went to places that would have been impossible otherwise.
I don’t get why the MRAP mobility issue took eight years to bubble to the top. Our SF guys drive little ATVs with machine gun mounts. The Taliban rides 125cc motorcycles two-up. Of course the GI will never have options like that (should he?), but can we get close? When my GACs get shot at, we lack the mobility to close with the bad guys even with HMMWVs. I’m hopeful for but skeptical about this new M-ATV.
Incidentally, I spent some time this week on a motorcycle. I could go anywhere, fast. I’m thinking about starting an Afghanistan motorcycle touring company. Good idea?
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