Marines 'HEAT' things up with Humvee training

More than two dozen Yuma Marines traveled to California recently to become the first Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 13 Marines to train to recover from Humvee rollovers in combat.
 
The 25 Marines used Camp Pendleton's Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer (HEAT) to practice exit procedures from flipped Humvees. The HEAT program was established as a requirement for all units and personnel deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan in September by the U.S. Central Command.
 
The trainer is a shell of an up-armored Humvee attached to an electric engine that allows instructors to rotate the vehicle, giving Marines the chance to exit from various positions.
 
Due to rises in the number of personnel being injured in rollovers, commands are making sure their Marines complete the training, said Gunnery Sgt. Robert Galan, MALS-13 HEAT instructor.
 
Between 2005 and 2006, 159 service members were severely injured and 90 died in Humvee rollover accidents, said Galan.
 
One of the goals of the HEAT system is to get the Marines to think and talk to each other during a rollover instead of panicking and rushing out, said Galan.
 
Marines are going to be hot, uncomfortable and disoriented, but they still need to be aware of enemy presence and whether a fellow Marine has been injured, said Cpl. Pablo Pineda, MALS-13 HEAT instructor.
 
The training is also designed to build confidence in the Humvee's safety belt system, said Pineda.
 
"A lot of guys are used to driving in a Humvee without a seat belt," said Galan. "They think in combat they're not going to need one."
 
However, many injuries sustained in rollovers occur because service members are not properly strapped in, not from roadside bombs or enemy fire, said Galan.
 
A blast may send the vehicle rolling, but because people don't wear their safety belts, they immediately are thrown from their seats, he said.
 
Marines think the seat belt will keep them from being able to get out and fight, but the new seat belt harness is easy to get out of, said Galan.
 
During the training Marines climbed into the simulator with a combat pack, flak jacket, helmet, goggles and a weapon.
 
After strapping in, Marines were slowly rotated 180 degrees to feel how the seat belt can hold them in place, despite the amount of gear they have on.
 
Once all the Marines' gear is tested to hold them in place, the instructors ran through two egress scenarios.
 
The first was exiting a Humvee that had been flipped on its side, followed by one that had landed upside down.
 
The scenarios vary slightly but often involve locating the open door, evacuating an injured Marine, exiting the vehicle and setting up a security perimeter, said Pineda.
 
The training was good for making Marines aware of a safety issue that isn't touched on a lot in the fleet, said Staff Sgt. Dennis Ho, HEAT student.
 
HEAT is designed to save lives, so Marines need to take the training seriously, said Ho.
 
For now, Yuma Marines who need the training will go to Pendleton, since Yuma currently does not have a HEAT system, said Galan.