Hood Soldiers take trucks, experience to KISD Career Center campus

            Killeen Independent School District Career Center automotive students got the chance to peruse, climb and explore military vehicles brought out to the campus by 85^th Civil Affairs Brigade Soldiers as part of a Preventative Maintenance Checks and Services class Thursday, February 28.

           Sgt. Bradley Macik, a mechanic with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 85^th Civil Affairs Brigade, along with three additional soldiers assigned to the brigade, introduced students to the Light Medium Tactical Vehicle, LMTV, and the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, HMMWV during the class.

            “The students are getting a view of military vehicles in comparison to a civilian vehicle, to give them the confidence and structure they need to feel like they can work on anything,” said Macik.

            The sheer size of military vehicles can be daunting and intimidating to some, but to Jessica Plousky, a junior at the KISD Career Center and budding race car driver, these mechanical goliaths are nothing new.

            “I’ve been working on cars since I was in Kindergarten—getting tools and eventually doing the work; I have built eight race cars,” Plousky said.  “These trucks are basically the same, just a little bigger.”

            Some students were taken aback by the massive nature of systems within the vehicles as well.

            “The engines are huge,” said Trevor Norris, a sophomore in the automotive class.

            As the students looked at engines and undercarriages, some vocalized ideas of using the trucks for hunting, while others argued about advantages and disadvantages of drive train configurations on the HMMWV.   All arguments stopped though as the turbo diesel engine of the LMTV roared to life and the students looked as children do in a candy store.

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Sgt. Bradley Macik, a mechanic with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 85^th Civil Affairs Brigade, instructs KISD Career Center automotive students on the proper PMCS procedures for the LMTV while other 85^th CA Bde Soldiers discuss the same procedures for a HMMWV February 28.  The class provided the students an opportunity to see military vehicles up close while highlighting the importance of preventative maintenance.  The Career Center is the adopted school of the civil affairs unit. (Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Gregory Sanders, 85^th CA Bde Public Affairs)

Jason Collar, an automotive technology instructor at KISD Career Center, and Jessica Plousky, a junior automotive student at the KISD Career Center, take a look at the undercarriage of a HMMWV Friday, February 28.  Soldiers from the 85^th Civil Affairs Brigade brought the tactical vehicles to the Career Center campus for a PMCS class intended to allow students an up close look at military trucks while focusing on the importance of preventative maintenance.  Poulsky said of the military vehicles that they are “basically the same” as the cars she works on, “just a little bigger.”  (Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Gregory Sanders, 85^th CA Bde Public Affairs)

Sgt. Robert Anderson, a petroleum, oil and lubricant clerk assigned to 85^th Civil Affairs brigade, talks to an automotive student about size differences of components within a HMMWV as compared to a civilian vehicle during a PMCS class Thursday, February 28, at the KISD Career Center campus.  The class provided automotive students at the Career Center an opportunity to see military vehicles up close. (Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Gregory Sanders, 85^th CA Bde Public Affairs)