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From Detroit Arsenal, in the suburbs of America’s automotive capital, to Fort Bliss, straddling Texas and New Mexico on the Southern border, the U.S. Army’s Engineers and Scientists are driving the future of transportation and logistics.
Called “Autonomous Leader Follower,” these trucks have the latest gadgets in the carmakers’ toolbox: automated lane-keeping, adaptive cruise control, driver warning systems—everything you’d see in the highest-end cars today—except a driver.
We’re taking Soldiers out of Harm’s way and putting them in a more protective environment.”
Donald Overton is the Lead Project Manager for TRADOC Capabilities Manager for Transportation, the Army’s group that tells the Engineers and Scientists what the Force is looking for in new vehicles.
“I’m excited about this technology. I think it’s cutting edge, I’m proud to be a part of Transportation Corps because we’re out there leading it.”
“but really when you see this system in operation, it’s awesome to see, it’s amazing to see what these engineers have been able to do”
The advancement, though, comes from necessity. Necessity learned through too many Soldiers who didn’t make it home. Major Andrew Scruggs is the Military Lead for Expedient Leader-Follower for the Army’s Ground Vehicle Systems Center. He and his team are here at Fort Bragg, testing the vehicles before they move on to a couple of units in the Army. First, though, his team have an important task to do.
“We’re taking a tactical pause to step back and reflect upon all of our collective efforts as a group.”
Major Scruggs and his team are dedicating each of the first Sixteen test vehicles to one of sixteen motor vehicle operator Soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“And so, really, the reason why we’re dedicating these vehicles is because every time we get an engineer, every time we get a government member that’s a part of this team, this is complicated stuff that we’re doing. It’s a very high level of rigor, activities, and sometimes people can get burned out, but when they see that vehicle data plate on that truck that they’re working on, they’re going to be reminded of why they’re doing what they’re doing, and what their efforts could potentially help the army to achieve and what the Soldiers’ families could potentially achieve from this.”
The trucks will carry special data plates on them, describing the service and sacrifice of each of these fallen Soldiers. After today, these trucks will move on to more testing, while two other sets of trucks will be delivered to transportation companies in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and Fort Polk, Louisiana, in the near future.
For Scruggs, today carries an even deeper meaning.
“Two of the sixteen Soldiers that are being dedicated tomorrow are two of my former Soldiers when I was the company commander of the 126th Transportation Company (PLS) out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Those Soldiers are specialist shawn muhr, also goes by the name, “ox,” for his very large football stature—great Soldier. And also Specialist Joshua Campbell. I had these Soldiers in my formation during my two years in Company Command, and then they got called for a mission. Those two individuals were among many who raised their hand to join my adjacent truck company commander in our battalion to go to Afghanistan to perform that mission and they did that, and they did it honorably, but unfortunately those are two Soldiers that we couldn’t bring home. So I have waited many years to be able to not only properly honor them and their families and so I’m very humbled that I get to be a part of this opportunity to finally dedicate something in their name to where—just to let everybody know that we haven’t forgotten their sacrifices. And so letting their families know that we haven’t forgotten, and every day that we see these trucks it’s going to motivate us to work that much harder to make sure the Army can achieve this Robotic Autonomous Systems strategy and vision.”
From Fort Bliss in New Mexico, I’m Doug Halleaux.
| Date Taken: | 04.09.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 04.10.2019 01:34 |
| Category: | Package |
| Video ID: | 671118 |
| VIRIN: | 190409-A-ER507-1001 |
| Filename: | DOD_106623855 |
| Length: | 00:02:33 |
| Location: | NEW MEXICO, US |
| Downloads: | 42 |
| High-Res. Downloads: | 42 |
This work, [PKG] Army dedicates new autonomous trucks to fallen Soldiers, by Douglas Halleaux, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
