New combat turret design named for fallen Airman

12/9/2006 - SATHER AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- Sometimes a tragedy inspires others to strive for excellence. That's what happened here for two Air Force units near Baghdad as they worked together to bring in some good for fellow Airmen.

Airman 1st Class LeeBernard Emmanuel Chavis was killed while patrolling the streets of Baghdad Oct. 14 in the turret of his armored humvee. His death motivated a team of vehicle maintenance Airmen to design and build a new protective turret to avoid similar deaths.

"This is a story about Airmen helping Airmen. We're trying to help the people who go outside the wire by giving them the best equipment they can have," said Col. Gregory Marston, 447th Air Expeditionary Group commander. "Our vehicle maintenance had already done repairs on a lot of the vehicles from Det. 7, and this just goes one step further. Our Tiger Team is committed to this fight and wants to support its fellow Airmen."

The original, custom-made turret has been dubbed the "Chavis Turret" to honor Airman Chavis. The initial prototype was made from scrounged materials using pieces cannibalized from junked vehicles and old parts. The design was a combined effort by Airmen of Detachment 7, 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron and the 447th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's vehicle maintenance shop.

Colonel Marston said he approached the 732nd ESFS leadership after the Airman Chavis memorial service to form a partnership to conceive a new turret design to help alleviate some of the problems with the current models.

"We believe this new turret design solves many or all of the vulnerabilities that earlier designs have missed," the commander said. "Right now, there's no standardization in terms of up-armored humvee turret designs."

Chief Master Sgt. Stephen Rossi, 447th ELRS vehicle maintenance superintendent, challenged Staff Sgt. Derrick Bowman and Senior Airmen John Adams and Richard Gil to man the Tiger Team tasked with redesigning the turret.

Airman Gil said his initial reaction to being selected to work on the turret was total surprise.

"After the shock wore off, I was honored to take part in such a project," he said. "I feel like this has been the most important and highest impact part of my military career."

Airman Gil said he's never depended on his own creativity and talents for the sole purpose of saving someone's life.

"If I was a gunner - the safer I feel in my station, the more I can concentrate on my duties, even down to taking better shots when and if the time comes to do that. With that comes better protection for the entire fire team," he said.

"The first thing we did was ask the troops who actually use the turret what they would like to see," said Airman Adams. "From there, we went into researching what parts would go where and what would be most beneficial to the actual cause."

Colonel Marston was impressed with how the Tiger Team members donated so much of their off time in an environment where off time is rare.

"It's a great story because three young Airmen are using their off time to scrape up spare parts and cannibalize all the pieces they need to design this prototype. It's a really good prototype," said the colonel. "We've had a lot of really positive comments from Det. 7 and the Army personnel."

Sergeant Bowman said the turret allows the gunner to remain protected from multiple threats in all directions.

"One big benefit is the increased protection from improvised explosive devices. That was one of the biggest things the Det. 7 guys we talked to were worried about," Sergeant Bowman said." We also added a removable wire cutter to the front of the shield to protect the lead truck from choke wires strung under overpasses."

Lt. Col. Michael Cannon, 447th ELRS commander, said he feels like he's been blessed with a squadron full of outstanding Airmen.

"The efforts of these three have been phenomenal," said Colonel Cannon. "They worked on this design at every available opportunity, including their down time, to try and get this right. They solicited feedback and continued to tweak and rework the design to eliminate areas of vulnerability. Their drive has been to use their talents and skills to protect other Airmen, and the results are awesome.

"Regardless of the outcome of this effort, I am proud to have been associated with this project, even in an indirect role," Colonel Cannon said. "I'll be telling this story and showing pictures of my Airmen and their turret to my grandchildren."

Colonel Marston said the turret will be tested in-house before going out to those other units. The 447th ESFS Airmen will put it through its paces and make necessary modifications.

"We want to make sure this is ready for prime time," said Colonel Marston. "It's like an airplane or any other type of design. You've got to try it at a slower pace to make sure it won't let you down when you really need it. We're also going to continue production of these because we think this design is going to bear fruit."

"These Airmen should be proud of their dedication and accomplishments," Colonel Marston said. "If this turret can save even one life, then this team's effort, ingenuity and dogged determination will be worth it."

Leebernard Emmanuel Chavis
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/lechavis.htm

Airman First Class, United States Air Force
NEWS RELEASES from the United States Department of Defense
No. 1036-06 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 16, 2006

The Department of Defense announced today the death of an Airman who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Airman 1st Class Leebenard E. Chavis, 21, of Hampton, Virginia, died October 14, 2006, while performing duties as a turret gunner with the Iraqi police in the vicinity of Baghdad, Iraq. Chavis was assigned to the 824th Security Forces Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.

__________________________________________

October 17, 2006:
Michael Chavis was on a cell phone for a half-hour on Friday, talking about cars with his older brother in Iraq.

The next day, Airman First Class Leebernard Emmanuel Chavis, 21, of Hampton, Virginia, was killed by a sniper's bullet while patrolling with Iraqi police near Baghdad.

"We were told that he was near to where some Iraqis were bombed out," Leebernard's father, also named Michael, said Monday. "They said that he exposed himself when he left his truck to try to get them out of danger."
Family members said they were informed of his death Sunday.

Leebernard, who had joined the Air Force a year after graduating from Phoebus High School in 2003, manned a .50 caliber machine gun in a turret atop a truck. He was charged with extra vigilance as a lookout because his perch was higher.
"His commanding officer told me today that they called him the 'Guardian Angel' because of that," Leebernard's father said.

Leebernard - called Lee by his friends and "Nard" by his family - had talked of the future with Michael, his younger brother by 14 months, on Friday.
"He said he wanted to get a car when he got back," said young Michael Chavis, a 20-year-old student at Thomas Nelson Community College. "We talked about our girlfriends. I always told him that he should have gone to school. He was a smart guy."

Leebernard began his second tour in Iraq in June, 13 months after beginning his first tour. He was due home near the end of the year. "He just didn't know what he wanted," his father said of the interim between high school and the military. "He spent a year trying to figure out what he wanted to do and decided he wanted to join the police, maybe join the FBI or CIA."
With that in mind, Leebernard joined the Air Force to train in police work. He was a member of the 824th Security Forces Squadron, stationed at Moody Air Force Base, near Valdosta, Ga.
"It was just something he wanted to do," his father said. "He could have gone to college and then go on to the police force, but he wanted to explore life a bit first."

While at Phoebus High School, Leebernard played the cymbals with the marching band and was a member of the Marine Corps ROTC.

"He was in a group that called themselves the 'Stick 'n Move,' a very close-knit group of young men and ladies," said Kevin Davis, assistant principal at Phoebus, of roughly 14 percussionists. "They were sort of a band within the band, their own fraternity. They would eat lunch together, practice together."

Davis remembered the group and Leebernard in particular.

"He had a wonderful smile," Davis said. "He would turn around and throw that smile at you, and you knew it was Lee."

This old ramp rat says Rest In Peace.

There's got to be some way with modern polycarbonates you could put a ball turret with a dual or quad .50 or even a couple of Mark 19 Grenade launchers in it.

The round shape would deflect blast forces around it and the laminated polycarb material could be proofed against anything up to 7.52 X 51 Russian pretty easily.

It'd give great visual SA and be a lot lighter than armor steel plating.

Put some servos in it and you could spin that sucker around like a top.

Imagine the suprise of the jihadi bad guys when that thing comes rolling into Anbar Province!

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