MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- In a dangerous situation, the right training can determine the safety of a Marine.
Marines from Combat Logistics Regiment 17, 1st Marine Logistics Group, participated in a train-the-trainer course for the Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer here, Sept. 1.
The course informs the trainers how to educate service members on proper procedures during an evacuation of a turned over vehicle in a combat environment.
HEAT is used to simulate the experience of a rollover inside a Humvee, said Staff Sgt. Carl J. Wilderom, store supervisor, Service Company, CLR-17, 1st MLG.
HEAT instructors provide service members with the most realistic training provided by the Marine Corps when participants are rotated 360 degrees in a machine weighing more than 8,000 pounds to simulate a real life Humvee rollover.
“I thought it was good training,” said Cpl. Kymani R. Tate, disbursing clerk, Service Company, CLR-17, 1st MLG, “It’s good for the unit to have certified trainers when we’re getting ready to deploy.”
HEAT is a simulated vehicle designed to help Marines improve their techniques for safely exiting a vehicle and evacuating a wounded service member after a vehicle has flipped over or landed on its side. It provides training for emergency evacuation and removal of injured personnel if a vehicle is rolled over.
“It’s a good piece of gear for personnel who have never experienced a rollover to have peace of mind,” said Wilderom, 27, from Wichita, Kan.
The training equipment is easily controlled by a remote that allows the instructor to determine what type of scenario the passengers have to adapt to and over-come. It also includes a smoke machine, which produces confusion and a more realistic fog of war.
Before the training instructors were shown the HEAT, they were instructed by PowerPoint on key aspects in safety, including: rollover prevention guidelines, rollover procedures, egress procedures, and establishing security after a rollover.
“With the classes that were given and having the materials, I felt confident that I can teach other Marines,” said Tate, 25, from Clermont Fl., “If anyone else gets the chance to become a trainer, they will gain a lot of good knowledge that they might find useful in the future.”