To the Editor:

The M-ATV was designed for the current battlefield of the US Military. It is the second generation of counter-IED vehicles. The first generation were rushed into Iraq/Afghanistan as IEDs were one of the leading causes of service member deaths. These first-generation vehicles were slow, unwieldy, and prone to rollovers. The M-ATV was an immediate improvement to the battlefield.

I could go on about the vehicle’s capabilities. I was an 0402, a logistics officer in the Marine Corps for five years. I licensed Marines to drive these vehicles. I oversaw Marines’ training, screened their qualifications, and ensured the proper employment of them in Afghanistan. I was responsible for their maintenance. If I ever had a wheelhouse, this was it.

Licensing for Marines required over 250 miles of training. Half those miles were off-road training. At least a quarter of the miles were done at night. Marines conducted sustainment training on a monthly basis to log road miles.

An M-ATV has no place in Newtown. Who will perform the maintenance? These vehicles are maintenance pigs. Because of government contracts, my Marine mechanics were not authorized to do extensive maintenance on them. When they broke, we were under orders to call civilian contractors. These repair parts are not found off the shelf and are staggeringly expensive.

The M-ATV is not a search and rescue vehicle. You do not send one M-ATV alone without a backup. One may think that rule exists for security reasons, but the second reason for that order is to tow the other one. If this M-ATV were to become stuck (a common occurrence through two OEF deployments and training stateside), what vehicle would come get its 25,000-lb v-shaped hull? Its “recovery winch” is a joke and snapped regularly.

Every time I interact with a Newtown police officer, they are friendly, outgoing, and supportive. Some may be veterans with similar experiences to mine. I sincerely hope that they understand the strengths of this vehicle as well as the danger of it. Accidents are common with this vehicle. Untrained, over-confident operators are just as lethal as an IED.

I strongly disagree that this “brawny new truck” is a proactive measure to increase the safety of the community and local area. Military equipment used in combat can be twisted or misconstrued for utilization in Newtown. Federal programs that transfer excess military equipment have led to the over-militarization of local police forces.

We had a saying in the Marine Corps, “Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.” That may be the mentality behind this decision. But my personal favorite was, “The good idea fairy.” Just like a fairy, these good ideas were mythical creations that served no real purpose except to sound and look pretty. But deep down, once a subject matter expert analyzed it, you realized it was all just a myth, a folklore that served no real purpose except to entertain.

An M-ATV in Newtown is a good idea fairy.

Kevin Bennett

29 West Street, Newtown February 19, 2020