NAME WITHHELD BY REQUEST

So there I was with my head sticking out the top of a Stryker. I was new to the unit and had never commanded a Stryker before — let alone in the middle of winter with ice covering everything. What could go wrong?

About 30 minutes prior, the commander asked me to accompany an M1133 Medical Evacuation Vehicle (MEV) to a range to provide support in the event of a mishap. I quickly headed to my tent, gathered my ruck, grabbed my weapon, and informed everyone where I was going and when I expected to return. This was a night range, so the sun was already on its way down when I arrived at the MEV. I climbed in the back and greeted the driver. The young Soldier asked me to jump up top so he would have a truck commander (TC) in case the first sergeant was watching. 

I put on the headphones and performed a mic check to ensure the Soldier could hear me. He then began to maneuver around another Stryker in front of us. All of a sudden, I felt a thud and heard the driver curse. At that point I realized we had hit the other vehicle. My first thought was, “This is my first time as a TC in a Stryker and we hit another vehicle in less than 60 seconds.” I asked the driver what happened. He replied our vehicle had slid sideways while maneuvering, causing us to hit the other Stryker. 

Fortunately, the collision occurred at low speed and I had secured myself with the restraint device, so I did not sustain any injuries. The driver had also secured himself and did not sustain any injuries. We were also both wearing our Advanced Combat Helmets, which would have protected our heads had they struck any part of the vehicle. There was no damage to the vehicle either, and we were able to continue with our mission and provide medical support to the range. 

We discussed the incident later and agreed there had not been sufficient communication between the two of us during the maneuver. Additionally, I was completely unfamiliar with commanding a Stryker. I had no idea what I was supposed to say or when I was supposed to say it and I didn’t know the vehicle’s dimensions or capabilities.

In retrospect, I should have refused to TC the MEV that evening. Sure, we would have had to get someone else to come with us to the range, but all things considered, it would have been the safest choice. This mishap could have been much worse. We were extremely lucky that there was no damage and no one was injured. 

Luckily for me and the driver, we learned an important lesson without any serious consequences. My takeaway from this experience was that even though the most experienced person in a given situation may assure you something is safe, in this case the driver of the MEV, you have to make your own decisions regarding safety. Sometimes you just have to be the squeaky wheel.