Joshua bridges, a private at the time, was the bradleys driver. Bae systems has acted as the manufacturer and systems integrator of the bradley program for over 30 years, including conducting various. The m2 bradley, or bradley ifv, is an american infantry fighting vehicle that is a member of the. A bradley linebacker crewmember is an important part of the armys air defense artillery team. In terms of personnel, the platoon consists of a mounted element and dismounted element. Taking the fight to the enemy, the soldiers of the armor mos community use their tanks and cavalryforward reconnaissance operations on the battlefield as the army s longrange ground fighting force. Bae systems to support us armys bradley armored fighting. The gpfu system was only connected to the vehicle commander, driver, and gunner, while the infantry squad had to use their own from mopp suits. New infantry fighting vehicles a top army priority, secretary. The several bradley variants include the m2 bradley infantry fighting vehicle. A seventh infantryman was also added just behind the center of the turret. The m3 bradley cfv cavalry fighting vehicle is very similar in most respects to the m2 bradley ifv infantry fighting vehicle and varies in a few subtle ways and by defined battlefield role.
The m2 carries three crew, commander, gunner and driver plus six fully. Air defense drive the bradley linebacker, which is still a bradley, but the ada configuration. M12 into mechanized infantry units, and has a major investment in training. The system allows us to compare 3dimensional imagery controlled by. A total of 202 kits have been used for the conversion of bradley ods vehicles to the bradley odssa configuration and remaining will be retained for future vehicle conversions. Bradley vehicles carry a crew of 3 commander, gunner and driver.
The us army a3 bradley upgrade programme includes improvements based on operational experience in the gulf war. He entered the united states army in september of 1990. M3 bradley cavalry fighting vehicle 3 commander, gunner, driver plus 2. This need emerged directly from the arrival of the soviet bmp series of amphibious vehicles appearing in 1966. Bradley fighting vehicle system maintainer 91m goarmy. Army soldiers head out on a mission in their m2a2 ods, seen here fitted with explosive reactive armor boxes, iraq, october 2004. Bradley m2m3 tracked armoured fighting vehicle army. Bradley gunner maintains accountability of up to 2. Army extends contract for bradley fighting vehicle upgrades. Engineers are getting the bradley engineer vehicle, which again is a bradely.
The m1 armor crewman is responsible for operating armored equipment such as the m1a2 abrams to destroy enemy positions. The m2 bradley infantry fighting vehicle ifv fulfilled a u. Vehicle has a threeman crew, including a commander, gunner and driver. In our initial article, we will address the organization of the mechanized infantry platoon. Bridges was a bradley driver for eight months last. Army has begun introducing the bradley infantry fighting vehicle. In the field of field artillery i was both a driver and a gunner in a 4 wheel drive, high mobility vehicle. The system was approved for fullrate production in may 2001. The bradley fighting vehicle serves as a troop transport, and can lay down covering fire during deployment.
Embedded diagnostic equipment for army m3a3 bradley fighting. The m1 was first tried out in combat in april 1962 after the united states provided the south vietnamese army arvn with heavy weaponry such as the m1, under the. The bradley linebacker crewmember primarily works on and operates the bradley linebacker, a treaded vehicle tank capable of neutralizing air targets through firing missiles and other ammunition. Testing will help the army decide how to integrate robots into.
He received training as a 19d cavalry scout at fort knox, ky and held the positions of bradley fighting vehicle driver gunner, bradley fighting vehicle commander, drill sergeant, section sergeant, scout platoon sergeant, first sergeant, operations. Mar 17, 2020 us army battles skepticism in congress after bradley replacement failure washington the u. Armys infantry fighting vehicle, although as of 2019 it is currently looking to replace it under the optionally manned fighting vehicle omfv program. The red river army depot in texarkana, texas, is the center of industrial technical excellence for the maintenance and repair of the bradley system. The bradley crew earned the distinguished qualification title during. Army combat readiness center developed this toolbox to assist commanders, examiners and instructors in the management of driver training. Jun 18, 2019 armor the armor officers and crew conduct ground combat operations using armored vehicles as the m1 abrams tank and the bradley fighting vehicle. Bae systems to provide additional bradley a4 ifv to us army. Providing only the most reliable digital display technology to warfighters on todays digital battlefield. This prototype helmet and sensors could help bradley drivers solve. Drivers vision enhancer dve display control module dcm. Plata, the driver on the previous mission, was gunner for the next one. Just as we did in our dissection of the light infantry platoon and company, we will get into significant detail.
Use communications equipment to receive and relay battle orders. Perform maintenance on gas particulate systems, vehicular mounted armament and associated fire control systems. Lightweight and vehiclemounted, the dve dcm couples with drivers vision enhancement to provide firstclass situational awareness in a compact form. Mar 22, 2019 csm ausbun is a native of colorado springs, co and enlisted in the us army in november 1998. The first lowrate initial production m2a3 m3a3 bradley was delivered in november 1998 and entered service in april 2000. Tc 26 tracked combat vehicle driver training headquarters. The bradley fighting vehicle is a combat proven platform that provides outstanding survivability, mobility, and lethality and is an integral part of the u. Bae systems has received a contract modification from the us army for the upgrade of an additional 168 upgraded bradley a4 infantry fighting vehicles ifv. May 15, 2018 bradley infantry fighting vehicle systems master gunner 010asij3. Currently, the bradley can only be driven closedhatch with the driver looking through.
Overall, the bradleys fulfills 5 critical mission roles for the us armys heavy brigade combat teams. Thousands of army bradleys dont have the power to use new. Complete list of army enlisted mos the balance careers. Army m2a2 bradley crew member stands up through the open turret hatch. The m2 holds a crew of three a commander, a gunner, and a driver along. Army requirement that began in the 1960s calling for an amphibious mechanized directcombat support vehicle to operate alongside the m1 armored personnel carrier apc. United states army enlisted rank insignia wikipedia. The bradley is designed for reconnaissance and to transport a squad of infantry, providing them protection from small arms fire, while also providing firepower to both suppress and eliminate most threats to friendly infantry. The us army a3 bradley upgrade programme includes improvements based on. Bradley fighting vehicle bae systems united states. Operate tracked and wheeled vehicles over various terrain. The m1 was sent to usareur to replace the mechanized infantrys m59 apcs in the 196162 time frame. The proponent of tc 26 is the united states army maneuver center.
Tactics 101 101 the mechanized infantry platoon armchair. The m2 bradley, or bradley ifv, is an american infantry fighting vehicle that is a member of the bradley fighting vehicle family. The m2 infantry version specializes in maneuverability and firepower, while the m3 cavalry version is optimized for reconnaissance and security missions. The bradley fighting vehicle bfv is an american fighting vehicle platform manufactured by bae systems land and armaments, formerly united defense. After successfully completing this training, soldiers are commonly assigned to an armored unit in support of army missions as a loader or driver for an m1 abrams tank. As part of the tank and armor unit, they are ready to defend our country anywhere in the world. Bradleys mobile firepower in highres hq photos bradleyifv92025 see more. Bradley infantry fighting vehicle procedures guide.
Armys top official said tuesday that the services next generation combat vehicle program will focus first on fielding a replacement for the bradley fighting vehicle. Responsible for maintaining military vehicle and driver during. Within our discussion of mechanized infantry, we will use the us army and the bradley fighting vehicle bfv m2 as our model. Sep, 2019 hunt started as a bradley driver for staff sgt. Supervises and advises junior enlisted soldiers, enforces us army policies and regulations, and supports organizational missions. Michael bradley team leader iav commander us army linkedin. Bradley parke field artillery crew member us army linkedin. The bradley is armed with an m242 25mm chain gun, m240c 7. The us army chose to create an mshorad vehicle out of the stryker instead of the bradley. Gi awarded silver star for role in iraq fight news stripes. The toolbox provides a central location for the materials necessary to establish and maintain an effective driver training program.
It also has defense capabilities against enemy tanks, armored vehicles and helicopters. The m3 mainly conducts scout missions and carries two scout troopers in addition to the regular crew of three, with space for additional bgm71 tow missiles. The m2 and m3 bradley fighting vehicle is a lightly armored, fully tracked transport vehicle with mounted firepower and protection from artillery and smallarms fire. The bradley infantry fighting vehicle system master gunner course is an 8 week 2 day course which utilizes small group training methodologies to train master gunners on bradley fighting vehicle weapon systems maintenance and abct gunnery training strategies. Bradley fighting vehicle system maintainer 91m army. The bradley is designed to transport infantry or scouts with armor protection, while providing covering fire to suppress enemy troops and armored vehicles. Us army battles skepticism in congress after bradley. Oversee and repair system malfunctions in the armys bradley fighting vehicles as the bradley fighting vehicle system maintainer. Soldiers to operate armed robotic vehicles from upgraded. Riding in the belly of the beast how bradley fighting vehicles. Field artillery crew member us army january 2010 present 9 years 11 months. Its a new 50mm quickfiring cannon, largely developed by the armys armaments center, which is many times more powerful than the 25mm on the bradley or the 30mm weapons on many russian vehicles. The m1 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier apc that was developed and produced by the food machinery corp fmc.
The several bradley variants include the m2 bradley infantry fighting vehicle and the m3 bradley cavalry fighting vehicle. The contract includes active protection system integration. It is designed to be highly maneuverable and to be fast e. In this mos, soldiers train rigorously not just in classrooms but in realistic field environments and battlefield simulators. Garrison command sergeant major united states army. My chat with bradley brincka former us armythe experiment of. The m2 and m3 bradley fighting vehicle is a lightly armored, fully tracked. The bradley fighting vehicle system maintainer handles the maintenance and repair of the m2m3, a2a3 bradley fighting vehicle, the m6 bradley linebacker air defense vehicle and the m7 bradley fire support team vehicle. The question did not specify the bradley ifv specifically.
Armys bradley fighting vehicles cannot be fitted with a new israelimade active protection system for one simple reason, they cannot generate enough power to operate it. He completed both basic combat training and advance individual training at fort dix, new jersey earning the military occupational specialty of transportation operator 88m. The bradley fighting vehicle bfv is a fighting vehicle platform of the united states. The us army plans to keep its bradley fleet for some time to come, and. Army has received praise for its innovative approach to modernizing the force through its new fourstar command, which reached full operational capability earlier this year. For personnel in us army mechanized infantry, a bradley infantry fighting vehicle m2a2 is commanded by a staff sergeant, the gun is manned by a specialist or sergeant and the driver is specialist or below. Feb 11, 2020 bradley vehicles carry a crew of 3 commander, gunner and driver, plus additional soldiers in some variants. Hard choices in bradley replacement, rfp out friday the army will sacrifice some protection to fit two ngcvs on one air force c17. A total of 202 kits have been used for the conversion of bradley ods vehicles to the bradley odssa configuration and remaining will be retained for future vehicle. What us army mos is for being a bradley fighting vehicle driver. Dec 15, 2008 the f drive the fistv version of the bradley, but it is still a bradley. Hard choices in bradley replacement, rfp out friday. Aug 02, 2017 bradley brincka is a former us army officer and worked as a volunteer ambulance driver for the free burma rangers in mosul from january to may 2017. The bradley is designed for reconnaissance and to transport a squad of infantry, providing them protection from small arms fire.