Safety

What does the word safety mean to you? Does it mean protecting yourself from harm? Does the word safety convey a feeling that you’re secure in your current position, whether that be physical, emotional or psychological? Safety means different things to daifferent people. Safety is the state of being safe; freedom from the risk of injury, danger, or loss. One group that stands out for being safety conscious is our military servicemen and women. They put their lives on the line everyday so that we as Americans can feel safe. They should feel safe in the vehicle that they travel in 90 percent of the time. What can be done to make their Humvees safer? We should make improvements to their equipment as the times change. Since its first introduction in 1979, many improvements have been made to the Humvee to increase military safety.

The HUMVEE is the most versatile vehicle in use by the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy which is scattered throughout the United States and overseas. Trying to accommodate a broad range of configurations the Humvee offers exceptional agility, mobility, as well as exceptional speed built on a multi-purpose platform. Featuring a full-time four wheel drive, an independent suspension, steep approach and departure angles, 16 inches of grounded clearance, as well and a 60 percent grade ability.

Although it was released in 1979 to the military, preliminary design work on the M998 Series High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV also pronounced Humvee) began in 1981 with Am General receiving the prototype contract from the U.S. Army. After a five-month development and operational testing phase, this 1.25 ton truck was intended to replace the previous M151 and other lighter tactical vehicles. The U.S. Army then in August of 1989 again awarded a new multi-year contract for the production of more than 33,000 Humvees. Not beginning till the late 1990’s were the first deliveries under this new contract made. Having...