But define "fully operational." Seems to me if your RWS can't move and shoot at the same time you're not fully operational.
Two Stryker vehicles being flown directly to 'hot zone'
EIJIRO KAWADA; The News Tribune
As thick fog began clearing above McChord Air Force Base, a dew-covered Stryker combat vehicle appeared on the tarmac and approached a C-17 cargo plane for a lift.
Though famous for its durability and speed, the 19-ton Stryker showed its nimble side Monday. Like a commuter showing off his parallel-parking skills, the driver backed it into the belly of the C-17 while lining up its tires within inches of the plane's metal tie-down plates.
This Army-Air Force duet wouldn't be complete without the cargo plane and its crew. If called upon, the C-17 can land in a combat area, unload as many as three Strykers and take off, all in 20 minutes, said Tech. Sgt. Mark Riekena of the 97th Airlift Squadron, Air Force Reserve.
On Monday, Fort Lewis and McChord joined in sending the Army's first pair of backup Strykers to the Middle East since the brigade's 300-plus vehicles shipped out from the Port of Tacoma in October.
This is the first time U.S. forces are transporting Strykers by air to a hostile zone.
The $2 million Strykers have seen a wide range of action in Iraq and sustained all kinds of damage: from rocket-propelled grenades and roadside bombs to taking a tumble into an irrigation canal. Most of the eight-wheeled troop carriers have returned to service.
The Stryker brigade commander, Col. Mike Rounds, requested the extra vehicles, said Capt. Tim Beninato, a Fort Lewis spokesman. One of the two, a reconnaissance vehicle, is set to replace another Stryker that was destroyed about 1 1/2 months ago after a loose hose in the engine compartment started a fire. The other Stryker, a medical vehicle, will be held in reserve as a "floater."
Before the aircraft took off Monday, Army officials spoke of their confidence in the Strykers, which are being battle-tested for the first time in Iraq.
"They are performing at their expectations," said Maj. Shawn Phelps, the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division rear detachment commander.
He noted how Strykers in the last few weeks withstood rocket-propelled grenade attacks as they were designed to. On Jan. 30, a round struck above a vehicle's improvised slat armor cage, cutting a hose. Crew members received only minor injures and drove the vehicle out of danger. Two days later, another Stryker was hit by an RPG in its slat armor on the right front side and kept moving under its own power.
Two Strykers that accidentally overturned in a canal on Dec. 8, killing three infantrymen inside, will be refurbished after replacement of electrical equipment, Phelps said.
Staff Sgt. Matt Conover was one of three soldiers who waited in a large, empty warehouse before flying out with the Strykers on Monday. He's with the brigade's 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment.
"I've driven Humvees and Bradleys (Bradley Fighting Vehicles), and this is by far the best vehicle," said Conover, who's been training to drive since October 2002. "It's a lot quieter and (more) maneuverable."
Conover said he was ready to deploy with the rest of the brigade in November but was held back for health reasons.
The C-17 will fly into an unspecified location in the Middle East after stopping in Germany to swap crews. The two Strykers will be unloaded directly into the combat theater, which is a new way of doing business, said Maj. Anna Sullivan, an Air Force Reserve spokeswoman.
She said the Air Force used to airlift combat vehicles into bases at so-called strategic areas, such as Germany. The vehicles then would be reloaded onto another cargo plane, which would take them wherever they were needed.
Nowadays, "C-17s and Strykers can go directly into the hot zone," Sullivan said.
Eijiro Kawada: 253-597-8633
eijiro.kawada@mail.tribnet.com