JLTV training officially kicks off at Fort McCoy.

The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle has rolled off the assembly line, and Army Reserve instructors with the 94th Training Division -- Force Sustainment were the first to begin training Soldiers on the Army's newest vehicle in the first JLTV Operator New Equipment Training here May 6-11, 2019. Sgt. 1st Class Emily Anderson reports on U.S. Army’s website.

Army Reserve instructors from the 94th Training Division, 80th Training Command taught the very first class of students in the Operators New Equipment Training course for the U.S. Army's new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle at the JLTV Training Center on Fort McCoy, Wis. May 6 to 11, 2019. (Picture source: U.S. Army / Master Sgt. Benari Poulten, 80th Training Command (TASS)

"It feels really great bringing the 21st century into the Army and the military as a whole, because this new vehicle is the future," said Sgt. 1st Class Richard Saunders, the JLTV course instructor assigned to the 100th Battalion, 1st Brigade, 94th TD, 80th Training Command (The Army School System). "This course gives me the opportunity to ride in and teach on a vehicle that the new generation will be driving."

The first JLTV OPNET course taught 32 students on the vehicle's characteristics, operations, operator maintenance, and safety. "It's a 40-hour course [for students] to learn from us how to handle this vehicle," said Saunders. "This vehicle is really great with safety and has a lot of features that protect the Soldier. It's a top-notch vehicle compared to what we used to have," Saunders added. "The 94th and the 80th are doing a really great job with having this vehicle here, bringing it to the military, and spearheading the training."

The Army Reserve has procured 60 JLTVs to train Soldiers and Department of Defense Civilians. The responsibility for this training lies with the instructors from the 94th TD, 80th TC. "In this JLTV OPNET course, our Army Reserve instructors are at the forefront of the Army's modernization strategy," said Maj. Gen. Bruce E. Hackett, the 80th TC's commanding general. "Their efforts enhance wartime readiness and will prepare this generation of warfighters on equipment they will use to fight and win our nation's wars."

In addition to learning about safety, the students were required to operate the vehicle approximately 100 miles across multiple surfaces and scenarios. These included: steep slopes, tight turns, obstacles, rough terrain, city streets, night driving, highways, and high-speed avenues.

The 94th TD, headquartered at Fort Lee, Virginia, supports the 80th TC's mission of more than 2,700 instructors providing essential training to DoD Civilians and Soldiers from the Reserve, National Guard, and active duty.