ATC wins praise

COL Kenneth R. Dobeck, Project Manager for the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV), hosted an awards ceremony at Aberdeen Test Center (ATC) late last year to honor test personnel for technical excellence. Test engineers, technicians, drivers, mechanics, data collectors, logistics technicians, and other test personnel were recognized for their important roles in the high-profile technical test effort to isolate and fix a persistent problem with the FMTV driveline/powertrain system.

"Without people, without a team of people working together the way you did, we could not have solved the FMTV powertrain problem in just 7 months. It was an incredible effort, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart," said Dobeck at the ceremony.

The problem was first discovered in the field. Reports indicated that a number of FMTV flywheel housings were cracking. In separate but related incidents, rear driveshafts on several 2-ton, or Light Medium Tactical Vehicles, cargo variants failed, resulting in loss of vehicular control. Because of driveshaft failures, a safety-of-use message was issued restricting paved FMTV operations to below 30 mph. The Army had to fix the problem before proceeding with a fullrate production contract.

Dobeck contacted ATC Auto Core Director John Sobczyk, who assigned the project to ATC Test Director Marty Bindel. Bindel, together with award-winning Engineering Technicians Kerry North and Bob Schoffstall, began assembling a test team and making assignments. They set up 12-hour shifts to meet the ambitious development schedule and consulted with members of the ATC Automotive Test Team on how to instrument the test vehicles to capture essential strain and acceleration data. Working "torture tests" around the clock with instrumentation and data processing contractors, ATC members solved the drivetrain problem through a material change in the flywheel housing (nodular iron replacing gray iron), material change in the U-joint thrust washers (nylon replacing steel), and a redesign of the driveshafts.

After presenting each member of the ATC team with a certificate and an FMTV coin at the commemoration, Dobeck emphasized that what he found particularly valuable in his dealings with ATC was honesty.

"I trusted your answers to my questions," he said, "and I took your answers with confidence to the highest levels of the Army.

"Your outstanding technical performance with the FMTV drivetrain test, your commitment to the task, and your honesty throughout the test are several reasons that I'll be spending money here for years to come. We're not stopping now. No way. We intend to make the FMTV an even better tactical truck than it is now," he added.

ATC Commander COL Andrew G. Ellis concluded the ceremony by thanking Dobeck for his high confidence in ATC.

The preceding article was written by Lena Goodman, Public Affairs Specialist at the US. Army Aberdeen Test Center Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.