Soldiers feel the HEAT during driver safety drills at Combined Resolve XIV

Photo By Sgt. Albert Valladares | Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Cairnes, M1 Armor Crewman and master driver instructor for the Joint Multinational Readiness Center driver safety course, operates the Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer during Combined Resolve XIV, September 16, 2020 in Hohenfels, Germany. Combined Resolve XIV is a Headquarters Department of the Army directed Multinational exercise designed to build 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division’s readiness and enhance interoperability with allied forces to fight and win against any adversary. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Albert Valladares)  

HOHENFELS, BY, GERMANY

09.17.2020

Story by Staff Sgt. Ryan Getsie 

Joint Multinational Readiness Center

HOHENFELS, Germany – Soldiers from more than 10 U.S. Army and multinational units reinforced their driver safety drills on the Army’s Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer (HEAT) in preparation for Combined Resolve XIV at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany.

The exercise hosted more than 3,500 participants from eight ally and partner nations who are focused on strengthening relationships and international interoperability.

During the HEAT training, Soldiers had to escape a simulated Humvee rollover.

“The training simulates a realistic experience and prepares Soldiers for uncontrollable situations,” said 1st Lt. Jasmine Windley, 74A, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) officer with 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment. “You have to safely get your teammates to egress out of the vehicle.”

Developed in 2005, HEAT training serves to reinforce the actions a Soldier must take during a vehicle rollover. It creates an automatic reaction to an emergency situation and forces Soldiers to work together and safely exit the vehicle without injury and then account for every passenger.

Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Cairnes, M1 armor crewman and observer controller, has been a master driver with JMRC for more than a year. He firmly believes the driver safety platform is critical for Soldiers.

“You can’t put a price on human life, especially our team of American Soldiers,” Cairnes said. “It helps prepare our multinational partners and allies who come here and train on this system for their time in the field as well.”

The entire driving course includes vehicle familiarization, safety, egress drills, and day and night driving instruction. The night driving portion of the course includes the use of night vision goggles. The Soldiers who passed this week’s training are now certified to drive throughout the JMRC’s Hohenfels Training Area during Combined Resolve XIV.

Cairnes noted that the training also helped familiarize the incoming multinational partners with the vehicles that are used at the Training Area.

“In some ways, it’s more important our multinational partners and allies complete this training because some of them have never driven our vehicles before,” Cairnes said.

• Date Taken: 09.17.2020
• Date Posted: 09.29.2020 04:10
• Story ID: 378329
• Location: HOHENFELS, BY, DE