Photo Essay: Army M88A1 Medium-Tracked Recovery Vehicle in action

Students in the Regional Training Site (RTS)-Maintenance Tracked Vehicle Recovery Course hooked an M88A1 Medium-Tracked Recovery Vehicle to another M88A1 during course operations July 19, 2018, at a training area on North Post at Fort McCoy, Wis.

The M88A1 is a diesel-powered, full-tracked armored vehicle used to perform battlefield rescue and recovery missions. It performs hoisting, winching, and towing operations supporting recovery operations and evacuation of heavy tanks and other tracked combat vehicles.

It also has a fueling-defueling capability and is fully equipped to provide maintenance and recovery support for the main battle tank family and similar vehicles.

The Tracked Vehicle Recovery Course session was the last of three sessions held during fiscal year 2018 at Fort McCoy.

The course provides the H8 additional skill identifier for 91-series Soldiers and consists of 134 hours of classroom, field, and hands-on training.

The course focuses on determining recovery methods; operating metal-cutting equipment; tracked vehicle preventive maintenance checks and services and basic issue items; driving tracked recovery vehicles and operating the various winches on those vehicles; booms, hoists, and auxiliary equipment; recovering mired and overturned tracked vehicles; towing disabled tracked vehicles; and self-recovery of tracked vehicles. Each session of the course includes approximately 12 students.

RTS-Maintenance at Fort McCoy trains Soldiers from both active- and reserve-component forces.

Fort McCoy has supported America's armed forces since 1909. The installation's motto is to be the "Total Force Training Center." The post's varied terrain, state-of-the-art ranges, new as well as renovated facilities, and extensive support infrastructure combine to provide military personnel with an environment in which to develop and sustain the skills necessary for mission success.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at www.mccoy.army.mil, on Facebook by searching "ftmccoy," and on Twitter by searching "usagmccoy.