1st Theater Sustainment Command Swaps Vehicles in Support of OEF
Spc. Jordan Clark [1], a Galveston, Texas native, serving in 110th Transportation Company, conducts preventative maintenance checks and services to an incoming load of Caiman Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, on March 15th, 2010. The Caimans came in exchange of Maxx-Pro MRAP vehicles: the first of an exchange between U.S. military bases in the Middle East. Military officials say the ultimate goal is to ensure the right vehicles are placed in terrains best suited for missions within the U.S. Central Command area of operations.
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Credit: 1st Sustainment Command (Theater) Public Affairs, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, March 18th, 2010
The exchange is designed to accommodate the needs of commanders in Afghanistan, where the Maxx-Pro variant is in high demand as it is better suited to the road and terrain conditions of that particular theater of operations. The Caimans are to be used by the 1st Theater Sustainment Command while conducting the drawdown in Iraq : all the equipment on the Maxx-Pros is to be transferred to the Caimans:
“Like the Maxx-Pro, Caimans meet all U.S. specifications to protect crew members from the effects of improvised explosive devices and they are effective and well-suited for the driving conditions faced by Soldiers of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command (TSC) conducting responsible drawdown operations in Iraq,” said Brig. Gen. Nick Tooliatos, deputy commanding general, 1st Theater Sustainment Command.
The 1st TSC will distribute the vehicles to 593rd Sustainment Brigade and 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team over the next few months. Soldiers will transport the Caimans to maintenance facilities in their respective areas ,where they will take equipment from their Maxx-Pros to install into the Caimans.
The process takes approximately one week and when the units return their stripped-down Maxx-Pros, they will receive another series of Caimans to equip. The cycle will continue until all Caimans and Maxx-Pros are exchanged. The Army Materiel Command in Kuwait will refurbish the Maxx-Pros, before they are sent to Afghanistan.
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[1] Spc stands for Specialist: it is an Army Enlisted E-4 rank.
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***Posted April 7th, 2010