RTS-Maintenance students train in Tracked Vehicle Recovery Course at Fort McCoy

Students in the Army's 91-series military occupational specialties completed training in the Regional Training Site (RTS)-Maintenance's Tracked Vehicle Recovery Course in mid-July at Fort McCoy.

The course was the last of three sessions held during fiscal year 2018.

The course provides the H8 additional skill identifier for 91-series Soldiers.

"The course consists of 134 hours of classroom, field, and hands-on training," said Staff Sgt. Matthew C. Squatrito, one of the course instructors.

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, said Staff Sgt. Raymond Brand, also a course instructor.

Students learned how to operate the M88A1 Medium-Tracked Recovery Vehicle and the M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lifting Extraction System, or HERCULES.

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 HERCULES is just as formidable for recovery operations, Brand said. It recovers mired tanks, removes and replaces tank turrets and power packs, and uprights overturned heavy combat vehicles, according to the Army Acquisition Support Center, or ASC. The main winch on the M88A2 is capable of a 70-ton, single-line recovery, allowing the HERCULES to provide recovery of the 70-ton M1A2 Abrams tank.

Also, the A-frame boom and hoist winch of the M88A2 can lift 35 tons, ASC statistics show.

The spade can be used to anchor the vehicle when using the main winch and for light earth moving to prepare a recovery area.

Students also are taught how to correctly tow and recover other disabled tracked equipment, such as the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier, and the M1A1 Abrams Tank.

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.