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Strykers on road to certification

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, March 31, 2003) -- The Army's Transformation vehicle, the Stryker, is one step closer to being certified as ready for operational missions.

The Army's first Stryker Brigade Combat Team is currently participating in an exercise at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., to evaluate the component's ability to conduct operations, officials said. The brigade will train in mid-to-low intensity combat environments at NTC, to include operations in urban terrain, officials said. Then it will go to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., for the capstone phase of its Operational Evaluation.

From April 1-11, the 10-day exercise at NTC will be a mix of soldiers honing skills and breaking new ground. Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, SBCT, fired their Tube Launched Optically Guided Wire II missiles for the first time March 29 from their new Anti-Tank Guided Missile Strykers.

"This is the first time we've fired an actual TOW II missile off of the ATGM variant of the Stryker, and it's gone very well," said Capt. Eric Molfino, Company C commander, 5th Battalion, 52nd Infantry Regiment Anti-Tank, Fort Lewis, Wash.

Soldiers had positive things to say about their new Stryker variant.

"I'm an instructor, and have been on these vehicles for a long time," said Sgt. George Sheline, a gunner. "I know a lot about the vehicles and I like them."

Also marking a page in history is the 18th Engineer Company, the first such company to be assigned to the SBCT. The engineers have their own variant, the Stryker Engineer Squad Vehicle, and it's also taking on California's desert-like terrain.

"This has made it so much easier to keep up with the infantry," said 1st Lt. Christopher Evans, a platoon leader for the 18th Engineers. "This puts us right in the fight. Without the ESV, the brigade would not be able to use us."

Before the engineers got their hands on the wheeled vehicle that travels up to 60 mph, it was hard for them to keep up with their infantry counterparts.

"It would hinder the mission because they couldn't keep up," said Staff Sgt. Clifford Beattie, a rifle squad leader. "They couldn't see through the dust, but now they can negotiate the same terrain we can."

The certification process, known as the Operational Evaluation, includes a series of exercises and evaluations designed to verify the readiness of the SBCT as a whole, Pentagon officials said. The next step in the OE will be another 10-day exercise at Fort Polk, La., May 17-27.

Along with the Anti-Tank Guided Missile variant of the Stryker and the Engineer Squad Vehicle, there are six other variants on the ground at NTC: the Infantry Carrier Vehicle, Mortar Carrier, Reconnaissance Vehicle, Command Variant, Medical Evacuation Vehicle and the Fire Support Vehicle.

In 2004, the Nuclear, Biological and Chemical and Mobile Gun System variants will hit the ground, said Fort Lewis officials.

Upon completion of the OE, the Army will prepare an evaluation report, as required by the 2002 National Defense Authorization Act for procurement of SBCTs, said Pentagon officials. The Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfield must then certify to Congress that the results of the evaluation indicate that it is suitable for operational missions, officials added.

"After NTC and JRTC, I believe we will be fully qualified to take on anything our commander thinks we can take on," said Molfino. "We'll be fully ready."

(Editor's note: This story is a compilation of articles submitted by the 28th Public Affairs Detachment out of Fort Lewis, Wash., and a Department of the Army press release.)