Iowa mechanics perform recovery and repair on Iowa National Guard vehicles

Photo By Staff Sgt. Darwin Seehusen | Soldiers from the Iowa Army National Guard’s 3654th Maintenance Company, Knoxville, Iowa, lift a Humvee onto a flatbed semi-trailer using two M984 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) cranes during annual training at Fort McCoy, Wis. These Soldiers are learning new skills to enhance the unit’s capabilities for the recovery and repair of vehicles. (Iowa Army National Guard Photo by Staff Sgt. Darwin Seehusen)  

JOHNSTON, IA, UNITED STATES

07.17.2014

Story by Staff Sgt. Darwin Seehusen 

135th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

FORT MCCOY, Wis. – While “mud bogging” appeals to those who like to get their vehicles dirty, blasting through thick, gooey muck, most drivers willingly avoid becoming stuck or stranded.

For military drivers, a hard-surface road is not always available. They often drive cross-country over unfamiliar terrain, which creates unique hazards, such as getting stuck in mud or breaking down in hard-to-access places.

While commanders might cringe at this, as it slows the mission down, one Soldier actually gets a smile whenever it happens.

“I don’t like to sit around. I like to be busy,” said Sgt. Kandice R. Smith, a Seattle native and a mechanic with the 3654th Maintenance Company, Iowa Army National Guard, out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Smith, along with several other mechanics from the 3654th, were honing their vehicle recovery skills at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, during annual training. They were able to use an M984 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) to pull vehicles out of the mud and lift cargo loads using the truck’s crane.

Smith said if a vehicle breaks down during a mission, they try and fix it on the spot. If they can’t, it needs to be recovered for repair at a later time. The unit practices recovery operations, “to prevent causing more damage to the vehicle or equipment,” she said.

“It takes teamwork and communication and you must know what the other person is doing to recover a vehicle safely,” said Smith.

Maintenance Recovery Section Non-commissioned Officer, Sgt. Vlad Kazberouk, a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native assigned to the 3654th, said the uneven terrain at Fort McCoy’s recovery range provides unique challenges they don’t face at Camp Dodge, Iowa.

“You’re not going to have perfect terrain and it gets the troops thinking. A lot of knowledge is involved in recovering a vehicle safely,” said Kazberouk. “You could cause more damage, so you have to know what you’re doing,” he said.

According to Spc. Brady J. Blom, of Newton, Iowa, a mechanic with the 3654th, “You have to know the terrain, the weight of the vehicle being recovered, and the capabilities of the wrecker.”

Blom indicated how, even under ideal conditions, “cables can break and equipment can fail because of the tension [placed on the vehicle].”

The unit’s Maintenance Officer, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jason A. Hollingsworth, of Grimes, Iowa, said recovery teams have to understand the basics and explore every aspect of the recovery, such as the weight of the vehicle and which method works best.

“Take it slow, don’t rush and refer to the manual,” said Hollingsworth. He said most of their recoveries are on the side of the road. During annual training, he’s trying to create scenarios that are anything but a flat, level surface.

734th Regional Support Group Commander, Col. Michael J. Schlorholtz, of Ankeny, Iowa, knows the importance of the vehicle recovery teams to keep his units mission-ready.

“Every vehicle you can’t recover is one less vehicle to accomplish your mission,” said Schlorholtz.

• Date Taken: 07.17.2014
• Date Posted: 07.25.2014 15:48
• Story ID: 137338
• Location: JOHNSTON, IA, US
• Hometown: ANKENY, IA, US
• Hometown: CAMP DODGE, IA, US
• Hometown: CEDAR RAPIDS, IA, US
• Hometown: GRIMES, IA, US
• Hometown: JOHNSTON, IA, US
• Hometown: KNOXVILLE, IA, US
• Hometown: NEWTON, IA, US
• Hometown: SEATTLE, WA, US