MTMC engineers chart course of Army modernization
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (USTCNS) --- The Army is seeking smaller, lighter equipment that is easier to move overseas by plane and ship.
MTMC's Transportation Engineering Agency has a big role in this effort.
Members of the Newport News, Va., agency are ensuring transportability characteristics are part of the design of smaller and lighter vehicles for the Army's inventory.
"We're helping design equipment that can be easily transported by C-130 Hercules aircraft," said Joe Cassidy, transportability team leader.
"The equipment needs armor protection," said Cassidy, "so it is a very difficult thing." Cassidy is one of a team of agency employees seeking to move the Army to the vision of Gen. Erik Shinseki, Army Chief of Staff.
As many as eight Army brigades may be totally refitted with smaller and lighter equipment, said Cassidy.
Shinseki's vision is to put a combat capable brigade anywhere in the world upon execution liftoff in 96 hours, a division in 120 hours and five divisions in 30 days.
"We feel great at the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of technology of armored vehicle design," said Cassidy.
"It is groundbreaking to work with contractors during the design of any vehicle."
Agency officials are excited at their role in the Army transformation.
"This has given our deployability engineering work great visibility," said Mike Williams, deployability division chief.
"Army leadership is taking the strategic mobility piece seriously," said Williams.
The revamping of the Army is taking place at several levels:
* Four teams of civilian contractors are working to develop distinctly unique Army combat vehicles of the future.
* Tests are being conducted to identify an existing "initial armored vehicle" that can be used right away. These vehicles will be assigned to Fort Lewis, Wash., troops with the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, and the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.
* Upgrades are taking place at Army installations to improve their ability to deploy military forces. Transportation Engineering Agency employees are working in each of the dimensions said Cassidy.
"The earlier you get involved," said Cassidy, "the easier and cheaper it is to influence design."
Engineer Owen Spivey has been at work at a second dimension of the Army design-determining an interim vehicle that can be put into the field at once.
Spivey has observed the combat vehicle testing at Fort Knox, Ky.
"About half the vehicles I saw were tracked and about half were wheeled," said Spivey. They came from all over.
"I remember combat vehicles from Austria, Singapore, Canada, Germany and France."
The vehicles varied widely in composition. The vehicles were put through a series of transportation deployability tests over two days to test their deployability," said Spivey.
"They basically set up a round-robin," said Spivey. "The vehicles were then loaded in a C-130 aircraft, heavy equipment transporter and railroad flat car."
An interim combat vehicle could be selected by September.
"That is unheard of speed," said Spivey.
Another agency engineer, Steve Godwin, is working on potential installation upgrades at Fort Lewis and its adjacent McChord Air Force Base.
"Pallet and ammunition storage facilities will greatly enhance the brigades' state of readiness," said Godwin. "We're also looking at ways of expanding the airfield departure control group facilities at McChord."
"It's great to work on a project that will change the Army so."
Other facilities to be constructed at Fort Lewis include a command and control center, wash rack, defueling station, scale house and maintenance facility. (FROM MILITARY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
MTMC's Transportation Engineering Agency has a big role in this effort.
Members of the Newport News, Va., agency are ensuring transportability characteristics are part of the design of smaller and lighter vehicles for the Army's inventory.
"We're helping design equipment that can be easily transported by C-130 Hercules aircraft," said Joe Cassidy, transportability team leader.
"The equipment needs armor protection," said Cassidy, "so it is a very difficult thing." Cassidy is one of a team of agency employees seeking to move the Army to the vision of Gen. Erik Shinseki, Army Chief of Staff.
As many as eight Army brigades may be totally refitted with smaller and lighter equipment, said Cassidy.
Shinseki's vision is to put a combat capable brigade anywhere in the world upon execution liftoff in 96 hours, a division in 120 hours and five divisions in 30 days.
"We feel great at the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of technology of armored vehicle design," said Cassidy.
"It is groundbreaking to work with contractors during the design of any vehicle."
Agency officials are excited at their role in the Army transformation.
"This has given our deployability engineering work great visibility," said Mike Williams, deployability division chief.
"Army leadership is taking the strategic mobility piece seriously," said Williams.
The revamping of the Army is taking place at several levels:
* Four teams of civilian contractors are working to develop distinctly unique Army combat vehicles of the future.
* Tests are being conducted to identify an existing "initial armored vehicle" that can be used right away. These vehicles will be assigned to Fort Lewis, Wash., troops with the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, and the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.
* Upgrades are taking place at Army installations to improve their ability to deploy military forces. Transportation Engineering Agency employees are working in each of the dimensions said Cassidy.
"The earlier you get involved," said Cassidy, "the easier and cheaper it is to influence design."
Engineer Owen Spivey has been at work at a second dimension of the Army design-determining an interim vehicle that can be put into the field at once.
Spivey has observed the combat vehicle testing at Fort Knox, Ky.
"About half the vehicles I saw were tracked and about half were wheeled," said Spivey. They came from all over.
"I remember combat vehicles from Austria, Singapore, Canada, Germany and France."
The vehicles varied widely in composition. The vehicles were put through a series of transportation deployability tests over two days to test their deployability," said Spivey.
"They basically set up a round-robin," said Spivey. "The vehicles were then loaded in a C-130 aircraft, heavy equipment transporter and railroad flat car."
An interim combat vehicle could be selected by September.
"That is unheard of speed," said Spivey.
Another agency engineer, Steve Godwin, is working on potential installation upgrades at Fort Lewis and its adjacent McChord Air Force Base.
"Pallet and ammunition storage facilities will greatly enhance the brigades' state of readiness," said Godwin. "We're also looking at ways of expanding the airfield departure control group facilities at McChord."
"It's great to work on a project that will change the Army so."
Other facilities to be constructed at Fort Lewis include a command and control center, wash rack, defueling station, scale house and maintenance facility. (FROM MILITARY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
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