Photo By Spc. Addison Shinn | U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Sam Gordon, a M1 armor crewman assigned to the 366th Mobile...... read more read more
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FORT MCCOY, Wisconsin – The driver of a tan Humvee quickly navigates along a soft dirt road here grinding along through a maze of dense forest. Without warning the smooth dirt road gives way to an ominous unforgiving nightmare filled path consisting of teeth-jarring boulders, huge mud pits, downed logs, steep hills and sharp banked turns that would test even the most season driver’s ability to maneuver through them intact.
However, one Soldier here did just that recently. Army Reserve Sgt. Sam Gordon, a M1 armor crewman, assigned to the 366th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, has spent a good portion of his time in the military in and around tactical military vehicles, and he put his knowledge and skills to the test here by taking on the base’s one of a kind Rough Terrain Driving Course.
"The Humvee has a high ground clearance and is equipped with 37-inch tires," Gordon said. "It can handle this course with no problem."
Gordon and his unit are here conducting two-weeks of annual training, and when he was given the opportunity to tackle the driving course, he didn’t hesitate.
In fact, navigating challenging terrain in vehicles is something Gordon is quite used to. Just a few months ago he was crushing terrain under a 70-ton M1A2 Abrams tank.
"When you generally think Army, you tend to think of tanks, infantry, helicopters, and more tanks,” he said. “I had a great time driving the Abrams tank, it’s a powerful war machine."
Infatuated with tanks as a young child, Gordon had his eye on driving a tank in the Army from an early age. He reveled in the stories of World War II tank battles, featuring the likes of El Alamein and Kursk. He studied tank warfare innovators like Rommel and Patton in high school, and was fascinated by their battlefield genius.
Soon after completing high school, he enlisted in the Active Army as a tanker, setting the stage to live his childhood dream.
Over the course of the next six-years, Gordon's assignments took him from Fort Riley, Kansas, to Fort Irwin, California, as well as a deployment to Poland. He held various duties on the tank, from the gunner position where he was responsible for firing 120-round projectiles to performing a variety of maintenance on the massive vehicle. Between field operations, ongoing daily maintenance, utilizing tank simulators, and performing general Soldier Gordon stayed busy grinding out 12-hour days on average.
"When it comes down to it, it's the people surrounding you that help you get through the day," Gordon said. "We built solid Soldier relationships and developed strong camaraderie."
After completing a six-year tour, Gordon was ready for a new challenge and now finds himself in an Army Reserve public affairs unit, building relationships with a new group of Soldiers.
"It's a good job," Gordon said. "It’s definitely a bit more relaxed in terms of operational tempo, and I'm using a different part of my brain."
When he has a break in training, Gordon enjoys sharing his experiences driving his own civilian off-road vehicle - a modified 2017 Toyota Tacoma with a three-inch lift kit. He spends many of his weekends off-roading mountain roads in the Colorado high country having fun with it.
"I like getting out there and tearing around old mining roads in the Rockies," Gordon said. "You can't beat the scenery; the technical four-wheeling is fun, and a level of risk is involved."
Whether it’s cruising the back country of the Rocky Mountains in his personal vehicle or tackling challenging obstacles and terrain in a tactical military vehicle, Gordon seems to love being behind the wheel and pushing the equipment and himself to the limits, and no obstacle is large enough to overcome.
| Date Taken: | 08.21.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 08.28.2023 09:12 |
| Story ID: | 451795 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WI, US |
| Web Views: | 52 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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