Jammed Humvee Doors Make Death Traps for Soldiers in Iraq

The approximately 18,000 Humvees American soldiers are using in the Iraq war have been a source of problems from the beginning. Initially, makeshift bombs targeting Humvees were the number one killer of American soldiers. According to USA Today reporter Tom Vanden Brook, 70% of the injuries and deaths of soldiers in Iraq are from makeshift explosives, often planted on the roads. As a result, the government added heavy protective armor to the Humvees to protect the soldiers, but doors jamming was an unintended consequence.

According to USA Today, the Pentagon doesn't generally identify the vehicles in which soldiers are killed or injured; therefore, it's virtually impossible to know how many troops are killed because of this new door problem. However, the military is actively fixing the doors of every Humvee in combat. A quick fix is to weld D-shaped hooks to the Humvee doors so another vehicle can rip the doors off with a cable in the event they jam because of an attack.

Tom Buckner, an owner of IbisTek, a small military contractor, told reporters that the Humvee door problem became apparent early in 2006. His company manufactures a device known as the Rat Claw, which grips the Humvee door, while cables attached to another truck rip it off. So far, the military has bought about 1,500 of the $400 devices.

According to reporter Vanden Brook, the military intends to spend $284 million in 2007 on armor kits, which also includes latches and hinges for the heavier doors. Democratic Representative Gene Taylor told reporters that when armor kits are added to the Humvees, a Humvee door can weigh more than 600 pounds. Taylor says the Humvee has run its course as a useful vehicle. "It wasn't designed for urban warfare," he said.

According to Major Jeff Pool in Fallujah, a more recent decision has been made by the Marines to not only fix the Humvees, but to replace them with MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles. According to USA Today, Major Pool also said that the Army intends to continue using some Humvees.