A STEP UP FOR THE 1ST CAV

The first of a series of shipments of brand new and refurbished M1114 Highly Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HUMMVEE) arrived in Baghdad this week. The M1114s include extra armor, a heavy-duty chassis and other safety features designed to better withstand explosive blasts and increase protection from other threats.

First Team Soldier’s patrolling the streets of Baghdad encounter frequent attacksfrom small arms fire, improvised explosive devices (IED’s) and rocket propelled grenades. The new M1114s will augment other armored HUMMVEEs that are already used in theater.

“The M1114 is extremely well suited for countering the IED threat on the road,” said Lt. Col. Larry Phelps, the division’s chief logistics officer. “It offers the soldier 360 degrees of protection inside the cab.”

In addition to it’s sophisticated armor package, each M1114 comes equipped with a turret mount, the latest in Army communications system technology and a turbo-charged motor system.

“It’s the robust vehicle that you need when you are working the streets of Baghdad,” Phelps said. “[M1114s] allow us to move quickly around the urban terrain. And they give the best force protection posture that we can have while out on the road.”