BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey began a tour of bases in Afghanistan with a visit to Forward Operating Base Altimur, April 23.
According to Army Col. David Haight, the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division commander, Gen. Casey's mission was to follow up on his Title 10 responsibilities.
"He's traveling around to forward operating bases and getting information and briefings from local commanders on how the equipment is operating; how has the training base supported us; and to find out about any adjustments that need to be made as we prosecute the fight here in Afghanistan," Haight said.
One of Gen. Casey's primary goals was to get a close look at the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle Soldiers are using on tactical missions.
"His concern was the safety of Soldiers and the survivability from the last three improvised explosive devices we hit," said 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment Command Sgt. Maj. Ralph Delosa. "It shows that he really cares what the Soldiers are doing at our level."
IEDs are improvised explosive devices, or homemade bombs, that insurgents manufacture. They are often placed on the sides of the roads or underneath bridges, targeting vehicles such as the MRAP. Its predecessor, the humvee, did not hold up well to explosions, and the amount of Soldiers injured as a result prompted the military to create the MRAP. The MRAP has now become the primary vehicle for transportation on tactical missions, and it has increased the safety of Soldiers maneuvering through combat zones.
"The way the MRAP is designed, with its elevation from the road and the shape of its hull, and the amount of protection it offers, it's able to safely deflect the blast of an IED or mine strike away from its occupants," added Capt. Kamil Sztalkoper, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop Commander and the 3-71 public affairs representative.
2nd platoon Soldiers from Charlie Troop told Gen. Casey about the effectiveness of the MRAP while also providing a few suggestions they felt would make a difference on the battlefield.
"One of the things we discussed was the Driver's Viewer Enhancer," said Pfc. Michael Keister, a grenadier and driver for the platoon.
The DVE is a night vision screen that Soldiers use to navigate when they conduct maneuvers in blackout conditions.
"We talked about the added possibilities that could be made if there was a zoom on it," Keister added. "Gen. Casey said, 'We have them on the tanks, I don't see any reason we can't get them in the MRAPs.'"
"We also spoke to him about the suspension and more storage in the back," said Sgt. 1st Class Allan Reome, the platoon sergeant. "We told him it could be stiffer which would make for a smoother ride on the uneven terrain in Afghanistan, and we also suggested that if the MRAP had more room in the back we could more easily medically evacuate Soldiers off the battlefield."
Sztalkoper said Gen. Casey's visit with the Soldiers acknowledged their hard work and generated feedback that can be applied to improve the force for future deployments.
"Overall, it was a very receptive and informative time for Gen. Casey," Sztalkoper said. "He got the boots on the ground perspective from the actual end users. It gave him a chance to see all the positive aspects of the MRAP and potential future improvements that can be made with the same vehicle."