Benning Gets Medical Evac Strykers

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Benning Gets Medical Evac Strykers
January 20, 2009
Knight Ridder/Tribune

The 3rd Brigade at Fort Benning, Ga., has become the Army's first heavy combat team to employ the Stryker Medical Evacuation Vehicle, the first new armored vehicle developed by the Army since the Bradley came aboard in the 1980s.

Its chassis' modular design supports a wide range of variants, prime of which is the Infantry Carrier Vehicle. While it can be configured to serve at least eight purposes, from fire support to mortar carrier, the version the 3rd Brigade is receiving is the armored ambulance.

"We'll begin about two to two and a half months of training with four of the brigade's battalions," said Faatau Togia, the supervisor for Operational New Equipment Training, the group which will train personnel from the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Battalion; the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment; the 203rd Brigade Support Battalion; and the 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment.

In all, the brigade, which is expected to be deployed late this year to either Iraq, where it has served three tours since 2003, or Afghanistan, will receive 30 of the MEVs.

The ambulances, said Togia, are capable of crossing today's battlefield at speeds up to 60 miles per hour, thus improving the survivability chances of injured Soldiers.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/benning-gets-medical-evac-strykers.html?col=1186032369115