Johnston, Iowa — The Iowa National Guard is training soldiers from across the country on how to operate its new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
Iowa Guard Sergeant First Class Bradley Meyer says the JLTV takes over the duties that had been pushed onto the Humvee.
He says the Humvee was never originally intended to be a combat vehicle, but the JLTV is designed specifically for that. One big improvement over the Humvee is the electronic systems.
Meyer says its designed to protect soldiers and that makes operating it a little different.
He says the JLTV has a top rated speed of 76 miles an hour, which is unlike most other military vehicles.
Meyer says it has an adjustable suspension that increases the comfort of the soldiers with a much smoother ride than other military trucks. Other features include cameras, an automatic fire extinguisher, a heated windshield, and something common in the civilian vehicles, but not in the military.
The suspension system on the JLTV that allows it to go from a very low stance to rise up higher, and in some versions can go through five feet of water. Meyer says it also has a drivetrain that can be synced up to get it out of some tough terrain.
Meyer says there are four different variants of the JLTV from a general purpose model, to one that is only a two person capsule with a pickup bed on the back. Meyer says the training is also different for the JLTV. They normally would train soldiers for several weeks on how to handle all types of vehicles. But he says the JLTV training is one week straight and focuses solely on how to operate it.
