Soldiers focus on safety at Scout Jamboree, continue adventure

ARNEWS ^ | July 27, 2005 | unattributed

[SandRat]

FORT A.P. HILL, Va. (Army News Service, July 27, 2005) – About 42,000 Boy Scouts and adult leaders from around the world have arrived at the National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, Va., and following an accident July 25 in which four adult leaders were killed, activities continue with an added emphasis on safety.

A safety review was conducted by the joint task force supporting the jamboree after the four scouting leaders were electrocuted while setting up their tent. Both scouts and about 2,000 service members of the task force have been cautioned to adhere to all safety procedures, and in temperatures exceeding 90 degrees in the afternoon, to drink plenty of water and seek shade.

Soldiers here are providing security, supporting jamboree logistics and running the Army Adventure Area, a series of hands-on exhibits grouped by branches and career fields. A wide assortment of equipment, vehicles and tools are on display for the Scouts to look at and ask questions.

An ordnance display, for example, includes Andros, an explosive ordnance disposal robot. Andros is mostly used for improvised explosive devices, said Army Staff Sgt. Nathan Chapman of the 59th Ordnance Brigade, 832nd Ordnance Battalion stationed at Redstone Arsenal, Ala. “It’s capable of lifting 30 pounds, which makes it strong enough to move most of the devices a person could easily place,” Chapman continued.

The Signal Branch, meanwhile, is represented by the 235th Signal Company from Fort Gordon, Ga. There Scouts saw the Army-Navy Tactical Satellite Communications vehicle.

“The ANTSC can be driven to a location and be operational in 45 minutes,” said Army Sgt. Ryan B. Simms. “This is a great way to show the Boy Scouts how we process incoming data and send it to the right locations,” said Army Spc. Christopher Plunski. The aviation display features OH-58DR Kiowa Warrior helicopter and an AH-64 Apache helicopter for the Scouts to look at. Scouts could also climb into the Kiowa Warrior and look around the cockpit. At the Military Police display, Army Sgt. Mahonri A. Telles of the 978th Military Police Company, Fort Bliss, Texas, told Scouts about the capabilities of the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, or HMMWV.

Telles explained some of the differences between the standard “Humvee” on display and the 10,000-pound up-armored Humvee used by many troops in Iraq, and includes his own experiences there as examples. One of those experiences involved a pick-up truck that ignored an MP directing traffic and hit the Humvee in the driver’s door. The Humvee shook a bit. The pick-up, said Telles, bounced backward about 25 feet. Some parts of the Army Adventure Area resemble a military auto show. Vehicles on display include the Stryker Engineer Squad Vehicle in the engineer display, the M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle in the infantry display, and the M1-A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank in the armor display.

The Adventure Area was filled with wonder for scouts. Andros, moving around picking up objects to simulate improvised explosive ordnance, was clearly one of the hits of the AAA’s opening day. And of course most Scouts rush over to the laser pistol range to test their reaction time and accuracy.

But if anything can compete with robots and guns for a young Scout’s fancy, it’s a big, powerful vehicle, and many were eager to climb into or on all of the massive vehicles on display. At least the ones they were allowed to by the safety-minded Army tour guides.

“Now, more than ever, we must stay focused and continue to do our utmost to make the remainder of this jamboree safe and secure for all involved,” said the joint task force commander, Maj. Gen. John A. Yingling, in a message to his troops.

(Editor’s note: Spc. Bryan Randolph of the 204th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment provided the majority of this article.)

[SandRat]

[Tax-chick]

the Army Adventure Area, a series of hands-on exhibits grouped by branches and career fields. A wide assortment of equipment, vehicles and tools are on display for the Scouts to look at and ask questions

My sons would be totally thrilled by this.

[RonF]

God bless those men who died. But it seems they died due to their own poor judgement.