MRAP Off-Road Driving Course

Courtesy Photo | Soldiers of Alpha Company, 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 194 Armor, based out of Alexandria, Minn., are accustomed to traveling the paved roads of Kuwait and Iraq in their 20-ton CAIMAN Mine Resistant Ambush Protected, Jan. 25, 2012.  

UDAIRI RANGE, KUWAIT

01.25.2012

Courtesy Story

1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Red Bull Infantry Division

By 2nd Lt. Kyle Koeberl
1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Red Bull Infantry Division

UDAIRI RANGE, Kuwait - During their missions in Iraq, soldiers of Alpha Company, 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 194th Armor drove on paved roads to facilitate the drawdown of equipment.

In support of their new mission, Alpha Company soldiers are conducting off-road training to learn how to better maneuver their 20-ton Caiman Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles on variable terrain and in tight quarters.

The training began with Alpha Company soldiers convoying their Caiman to Udairi Range, an ordinary task they have accomplished time and time again.

When they entered the training area the soldiers knew an interesting day was ahead of them. Rolling hills, tight turns, soft sand, ravines, and other obstacles they had not yet encountered while on their prior missions awaited the soldiers.

The MRAP Off-Road Driving Course contained many natural obstacles and terrain features chosen to properly train the soldiers.

After preparing the range, the first vehicle moved out onto the course. The terrain was rough and assumed to be unforgiving on the 20-ton Caiman, but to the soldiers’ surprise, the large elephant-like vehicle traversed the terrain with little difficulty.

Up and down the hills, through the thick sand and over the rhythmic sections of harsh terrain, the drivers navigated their vehicles. The purpose of the course is to build confidence in the drivers and in their vehicle’s capabilities.

After the first run was completed, the drivers had a good idea of the vehicles off-road capabilities. They were then sent back out on the course, only this time they traversed the course with little trouble and had a good basis of experience with off-road maneuvering of the Caiman.

The mission has changed, but the soldiers of Alpha Company will continue to train and hone their skills in order to prepare themselves for whatever the future may hold.

One thing is certain, whether it is paved roads or the harsh desert terrain, the soldiers of Alpha Company 1-194 CAB will be able to shoot, move and communicate, wherever the enemy may be.

• Date Taken: 01.25.2012
• Date Posted: 03.25.2012 07:47
• Story ID: 85756
• Location: UDAIRI RANGE, KW