Photo By Ana Henderson | One method used to assess the capability of combat vehicles is to drive them, and that...... read more read more
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At Yuma Test Center (YTC), the mission is to test items for air and ground combat so when it comes into the hands of the warfighter, there’s no doubt that it works.
One method used to assess the capability of combat vehicles is to drive them, and that is the mission of the Test Vehicle Operators.
The term drive is used lightly, as these are not casual drives on regular roads. YTC Test Vehicle Operators drive the vehicles on paved, sand and gravel courses. There are steep elevations, washboard roads, potholes and bumps. They drive through sand slopes, dust and mud courses, and roads with vertical steps and gaps. They perform braking, acceleration, steering and handling tests, and evasive maneuvers. Engineers need to find what, if anything, it takes to make the vehicles fail.
Test Vehicle Operators Clayton Wall and Jaime Quinones were drivers on the M1311 Medium Equipment Trailer test together. Quinones gained experience driving a semi prior to his career at YTC, Wall received on the job training. Regardless of their experience, each YTC Test Vehicle Operator is trained specifically for the vehicle by the manufacturer.
“You have to get a license for each type of vehicle,” explained Wall.
Quinones further explained, “First you get a training, once you drive it for a while with a trainer, then they give you a test, then they issue you a license.”
They each hold more than 25 licenses.
Their workday starts with doing pre-maintenance checks on the test vehicle they are driving. Quinones details the list of items they check.
"We check for fluids, leaks, everything to make sure it’s good. We check the tires to make sure they don’t have flats. Make sure all our levels are good. All the lights are working.”
If something is not workings as it should, they make a note of it in their log and report it to the test officer. If everything goes well during the pre-check, they can start driving.
Sometimes drivers are on their own, other tests require more than one driver for visibility depending on the size of the vehicle. When driving there is no time for chit-chat or zoning out while listening to a podcast. They are fully attentive to their surroundings.
“We have to be focused,” said Quinones. “If he’s driving, I need to be watching.”
When asked to guess how many miles they drive in a year, they struggled to find a number because of the variety of the courses and the vehicles.
“It depends what kind of vehicle you are running because, if you have a Bradley and an AMPV, you go from different courses,” said Quinones.
Wall roughly estimates that in one year he drives about one-hundred thousand miles.
“Some are short tests, three or four hundred miles, some are thousands,” Wall shares.
Both men know they have a cool job driving combat vehicles and realize the purpose behind their job is impactful.
“We are the first ones to test it. If it passes it goes to the Solider. So, we know we are doing something for the Soldiers. It’s safe for them to use,” remarked Quinones.
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2025 09:46 |
| Story ID: | 496330 |
| Location: | YUMA PROVING GROUND, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 70 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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