The slack slowly disappeared from the steel cable until it stood perfectly taut a few feet off of the ground, pulling on the wreckage of a mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle with thousands of pounds of force.
The wreckage did not respond immediately but stood perfectly still for a moment, casting doubt as to whether the winch would be able to move the massive hulk.
With the slightest of groans the carcass of the vehicle finally shifted, and soon it was sliding up the embankment of the ravine it had tumbled into an hour prior.
The Marines of Combat Logistics Battalion 4 had succeeded, successfully recovering the wreckage of the MRAP from a ravine into which it had been pushed for the purposes of vehicle recovery training at Camp Wilson, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., Nov. 16.
The MRAP was one of several vehicles recovered during the training evolution, part of Enhanced Mohave Viper, that required the Marines to adapt methods to overcome terrain challenges and damage to the vehicles.
The training gives the Marines a good idea of the obstacles they will face and how to overcome those obstacles when called upon to complete vehicle recovery missions in a forward-deployed environment, according to Master Sgt. Jeffrey R. Martin, battalion truck master, CLB-4, Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force.
The loose sand of the training area and steep ravines provided one of the obstacles to the Marine’s recovery efforts.
The difficult terrain was very similar to what the Marines will be operating in when they deploy to Afghanistan in upcoming months, according to Martin.
The damage to the vehicles also provided a challenge to recovery efforts, as many of the vehicles were missing tires, steering apparatus and attachment points for load-bearing cables.
Finding ways to work around the damage to the vehicles to safely and efficiently recover them simulates recovery operations in a forward-deployed environment where the inoperable vehicles have frequently been hit by improvised explosive devices, according to Sgt. Rodney J. Konrad, motor transport mechanic, CLB-4.
Overcoming these challenges requires Marines to use their creativity, as well as knowing the capabilities and limitations of their equipment, according to Martin. No two vehicle recovery operations will ever be exactly the same and because of this, each mission requires the Marines to adapt, he added.
The course was attended by Marines from a wide range of job fields, increasing the ability of convoys to adapt and respond to vehicle recovery situations.
Everyone who attended the course will have the basic knowledge to help the wrecker operators during recoveries, according to Konrad. It is important this basic knowledge is spread throughout the battalion since it is impossible to predict who will be present to help when a recovery is needed, he added.
The Marines were aided by instructors, called coyotes, during the training evolution.
The coyotes observed the recovery operations and offered feedback to the Marines and advice on what could have been done differently, providing the Marines with a valuable source of recovery experience upon which to draw, Konrad explained.
The Marines will get another opportunity to practice vehicle recovery during EMV when they return to the range.
“It’s good training, and it teaches the Marines to play with the cards they are dealt,” said Martin.