Photo By Sgt. Daniel Blottenberger | Sgt. Scott Werner, 191st Military Police Company, North Dakota National Guard, 95th...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Daniel Blottenberger
18th Military Police Brigade
BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad military police Soldiers with the 95th Military Police Battalion added another vehicle and combat multiplier to their fleet, when they received their first Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected vehicles fresh off the assembly line, Aug. 22, 2008, at the Camp Liberty MRAP fielding site.
The 18th Military Police Brigade, MND-B, started receiving its initial fielding of MRAPs, Jun. 30, 2008, and now has fielded more than 200 vehicles to its MP Soldiers patrolling the streets of Iraq, said Maj. Kimberly Grahek, 18th MP Bde., logistics officer and native of LaFollette, Tenn.
The Soldiers of the 95th MP Bn. received more than 20 initial issue MRAPs at the Camp Liberty MRAP fielding site, Aug. 22, 2008. The new MRAPs also are the first to be equipped with explosively formed penetrator enhanced protective armor, a large armored shield that protects the side of the vehicle where EFPs are aimed.
MPs conduct Police Transition Team missions, training the Iraqi police, on a daily basis, on some of the most dangerous streets in Iraq and welcome the new vehicle as a form of further protection against criminal attacks.
"We are working in Sadr City where everyone else is using MRAPs," said Sgt. Scott Werner, a military police Soldier with the 191st Military Police Company, North Dakota National Guard, 95th MP Bn., and native of Bismarck, N.D.
As the vehicles name states, the MRAP, is designed to be far more effective, than the humvee, at deflecting the explosions of certain types of improvised explosive devices, particularly those of the powerful, deeply buried variety.
The MRAP increases the survivability of Soldiers in combat," said Grahek, referring to the many new safety features that were put into place on the MRAP to protect Soldiers against IEDs.
"We have a better vantage point of the road sitting so much higher up," said Werner, referring to one of the many advantages of the MRAP for detecting threats while on mission.
The MP Soldiers have been riding in humvees, conducting their daily Police Transition Team operations. Now, they will have to get accustomed to the new features the MRAP brings.
"It is a much different perspective to get used to," said Sgt. James Greene, a member of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 95th MP Bn., and native of Ravenna, Mich., after completing a training course he attended to become certified to operate the vehicle.
The training course consisted of classroom instruction and hands on driving time around the Victory Base Complex while conducting both day and night drivers training.
The MP Soldiers look forward to the new protection the MRAP provides but say they will have to see how it works once they are out there using the vehicle in actual combat operations.
"We will have to see how it goes when we are out there," said Greene, referring to daily missions in Baghdad. "Hopefully, it offers better protection."
| Date Taken: | 08.22.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 08.24.2008 12:35 |
| Story ID: | 22820 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 147 |
| Downloads: | 87 |
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