Humvee Rollover After IED: Disoriented, in Full Gear, A Split Second Can Mean Survival: Get Ready

Amy Sunseri, Army:

The HEAT is a Humvee designed to roll 180 degrees, and is used to simulate a rollover in theater. Fort Huachuca received the HEAT trainer a few years back, but before use a building had to be constructed around the device. After that, personnel had to be hired and then certified to operate the system. 

The HEAT is located in the building behind the Training Support Center. The system is now fully operational. Just about any military unit can use the system to train.

Before Soldiers buckle into the Humvee they first go through either an operator or crew member briefing, depending on their role. Each unit must have a certified operator to conduct HEAT training. 

The Soldiers also have to fill out a medical screening form before attempting to roll. 
There are four steps to the roll. Step one teaches the Soldiers about the critical rollover points. The Soldiers will roll to 25 and 30 degrees, then re-set back to zero. By feeling the critical rollover points, George says the Soldiers in a Humvee out in the field will know what it feels like when they reach 25 or 30 degrees. They will also know they have to bring the vehicle back on all four tires or they’re going to roll.

The second roll is 90 degrees; the Humvee is placed on its side and the Soldiers feel what it’s like to hang there. The system is then re-set back to zero. The third roll then makes a 180 degree roll. 

“Once they’re inverted, we let them hang there for a little bit to see what it’s like. We then bring them back, and then they actually do that egress training to where they drop the gunner’s harness, release the seat belts, get out and create a parameter,” said George.

On top of being turned upside down and then trying to find an exit out of the Humvee, the Soldiers also have to remember to bring their weapon and ammunition with them. The Soldiers bring simulated weapons, ammunition and other items such as artificial water bottles into the HEAT to simulate what might be inside a vehicle if they roll. 

Even though the HEAT has four doors, some of the doors are locked during the exercise. So not only do the Soldiers have to unhook their seat belts, grab their weapons while upside down, but they also have to find the unlocked door in order to exit.

The major causes of Humvee rollovers are speed, inadequate training, terrain, local conditions and high centers of gravity.

“The reason vehicles roll is because of the high center of gravity,” George said. “So if you put low weight on them, say for instance, the combat patrol load, once they reach that 30 degrees [critical roll point], they’re more apt to roll.”

Staff Sgt. Lorena Pelayo became certified as a HEAT operator. Pelayo has been deployed to combat and says the system is good training for any Soldier for any mission. 

“It’s really good training because you feel all that weight just rush to your head. So, then you have to be alert and keep thinking ‘I can, I’m not going to freak out, I’m not going to be scared, so I need to find an exit point out of here,'” she explained. 

“You feel every sense of reality through the whole ordeal,” said Sgt. First Class Joe Deleon. Even though it was Deleon’s second time training with the HEAT, he says he still gets nervous.

“It is worth every dime that is invested into the quality of training that one gets, it’s worth it; it really is, explained Deleon.

16 Sept 2019 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team takes a ride in the HEAT, ready for theater …By Lt. Col. Cynthia King

To an outsider, it looks like an indoor amusement park, with individuals waiting their turn to be strapped in the car that flips and turns, with an attendant at the controls. But, to individuals getting ready to deploy, they know it’s the ride of their lives, the one that might save theirs or their battle buddies one day in combat. 

U.S. Soldiers in Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team used the Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer (HEAT) at Fort Bliss, Texas, September 13, 2019, as part of their preparations to support Operation Spartan Shield in the Middle East. The trainer flips Soldiers strapped in seats configured identical to their military vehicles, so they can experience in a controlled environment, the sensation of disorientation after a roll-over and exiting a vehicle in full military gear. 

“This training is important because when Soldiers go into theater, there’s a chance of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) that can cause roll-overs,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Cleon Morris, an observer controller with the 5-306 Brigade Support Battalion, First Army. “Knowing how to egress safely can save a life.”  

After the vehicle comes to a stop, the Soldiers have to unstrap themselves, which is challenging since they are upside down in full gear. They then must find a door latch that opens so each can safely exit. To successfully complete the training event, they must establish a security perimeter around the vehicle and ensure one-hundred percent accountability of personnel.  

Sgt. First Class Santina Brown, a finance management technician in the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team said that being in a military accident is a humbling experience, which she learned firsthand from multiple incidents hitting IEDs during her deployment to Iraq in 2009-2010.

“I always explain to Soldiers what they can expect and tell them it’s important to stay calm,” said Brown. “As a team, we will take care of one another and get safely out.” 

For Pfc. Charmaine Robinson, an information technology specialist in the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, she thought the training was well worth it.  

“I thought this was a great experience,” said Robinson, who is going on her first deployment. “The key to me if we have a roll-over, is helping assist our battle buddies get out the safest way.”

The simulation center at Fort Bliss has vehicle roll-over trainers for the Humvee, Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (M-ATV) vehicle, and MaxxPro Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle.  

“The unit is taking the training very seriously,” said Morris. “The leadership has been very supportive.” 

The 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team is headquartered with the North Carolina Army National Guard and also consists of Soldiers from the South Carolina, Ohio, and West Virginia Army National Guard.