Latest shipment of MRAPs go to priority Army units

Latest shipment of MRAPs go to priority Army units
By Joseph Giordono, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Saturday, November 3, 2007

The Army is fielding the latest Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles in Iraq, giving them to units who need them most and operate in areas with the highest threat.

While the Pentagon had initially planned to have 7,000 of the vehicles in use in Iraq by summer 2008, that number has been downgraded by military officials. The head of the Department of Defense MRAP task force originally said 3,500 MRAPs would be in Iraq this year, but he later scaled that back to 1,500, saying his first estimate was made “on the fly.”

Still, according to Multi-National Corps–Iraq, the first of the vehicles are being farmed out from Camp Liberty, near Baghdad.

According to a news release issued Friday, soldiers from units receiving the vehicles undergo a weeklong course in driving, operating and maintaining the new vehicles.

“I’m really impressed by the vehicle, mainly because of the height, and the fact that it can drive about 20 to 30 degrees on its side without rolling over,” Spc. Marquis Dawkins, of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, was quoted as saying in the release. “It is also much more comfortable.”

Two versions of the MRAPs are being fielded: one that holds six soldiers and one that holds 10.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=49991



uhc comment: The Army Times breathlessly reported today that 'an estimated 7,000 MRAPs expected in theater by early summer.' --> http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=259x6214