The JCB High Mobility Engineer Excavator [HMEE] saved the life of Staff Sgt. Adam Smith Jr., 9th Engineer Battalion, 172nd Infantry Brigade, when an anti-tank mine exploded as Smith dug a culvert trench near South Balad Ruz, Iraq, May 29.
The device exploded and immobilized the JCB HMEE, the Army’s replacement to the Small Emplacement Excavator [SEE]. Impressively, Smith walked away from the wreckage.
“I’m thankful I was in the HMEE and not the SEE,” Smith said.
“I am extremely happy with the blast protection offered by the HMEE; it saved my Soldier’s life,” said Capt. Andrew Maxa, Company B, 9th Engineer Battalion commander.
The biggest improvement in the JCB HMEE, is that it puts armor around a backhoe. A SEE has no armor, and wasn’t meant for work as a combat vehicle, Maxa said.
Co. B deployed to Iraq in January, and has been working with other units, in a variety of humanitarian functions including clearing routes for and restoring infrastructure for the Iraqi people.
“Our unit was initially focused on clearing the routes. Now that they are largely cleared, we continue to clear them, but we are providing general engineering support as well. A lot of support has come from the 5th Engr. Bn., a great help to the task force’s efforts — using heavy equipment to improve local canal routes, and emplacing culverts, which is what we were doing with the HMEE,” Maxa said.
“Since January, we have cleared 50 mines and IEDs from the South Balad Ruz area. The area is now largely freely traveled by coalition forces,” Maxa said.
When Smith dug up the mine, he was installing culverts to create canal-crossing points, Maxa said. Iraqi farmers rely on canals for irrigation.
Smith’s life was saved by the armor of the HMEE, and there is one less threat to the Iraqi farmers, Maxa said.
JCB deployed the first units to Iraq and Afghanistan in September of last year. Today, JCB has nearly 70 HMEEs in theater with more units throughout the United States. All of the HMEEs are being produced at the Savannah facility.
The vehicle is a big improvement in many ways, Maxa said. “It’s a great combination of mobility, survivability and capability.”
Maxa’s unit has already replaced the damaged HMEE and continues to provide support to Coalition Forces and the IA.
