GRAFENWOEHR, Germany -The Grafenwoehr Training Area (GTA) dig site, a very spacious training area with trees in the far distance serving as background, was covered in cushioned mud that stained the soles of the soldier's boots. Loud humming noises echoed through the air from the engine of two Heavy Mobility Engineer Excavators (HMEEs) that hovered above the ground, May 20, 2010.
Soldiers from the 535th Engineering Support Company, 54th Engineering Battalion, stationed in Bamberg, Germany, train with the HMEE, a multipurpose armored construction vehicle that has capabilities to dig out improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Sgt. 1st Class Osvaldo Rodriguez, the 2nd Platoon sergeant, said the HMEE is preferred for route clearing procedures, even though it can dig out a confirmed IED which has been disabled.
Rodriguez said the HMEE allows the cutting and filling needed for digging trenches that are used for culverts or fighting positions for soldiers on ground.
The HMEE is safe enough to be downrange and keeps soldiers out the line of fire, said Rodriguez.
Sgt. Caleb Scowden, currently a team leader in the battalion, said the HMEE is a good piece of equipment, and the armored HMEE is functional enough to be taken down range.
"Operators may have to work for about 20 hours a day while on missions and the HMEE makes it a comfortable ride," said Pfc. Dean Kleinman, a heavy equipment operator.
Kleinman added that the HMEE also has air-conditioning and heat that would be useful to Soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The HMEE was engineered very well and has an outstanding performance with more horsepower than the SEE (Small Emplacement Excavator) truck", said Pfc. Earnest Sanders Jr., a heavy equipment operator.
Sanders said the SEE truck, which is an older model, had limited mobility and inadequate functions that made digging harder, while the HMEE serves as a versatile vehicle with an easier button press.
Social Sharing