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 Marines' leaky ski boat packs a punch
By Martin Savidge
In our Behind the Scenes series, CNN correspondents share their experiences in covering news and newsmakers around the world. KUWAITI DESERT (CNN) -- "Somebody's gonna lose a finger ... " That observation was made to me by a young Marine crewman of an amphibious assault vehicle, an AAV. We were in a command version of the transport, and the officers were having a hard time getting the hang of opening and closing the heavy top hatches. From my vantage point, it looked more like someone was going to lose a head. The AAV, also known as an Am-track, is to the Marines what a Bradley fighting vehicle is to the Army, only the AAV does more than just run, gun and carry troops: It also floats. That explains its weird shape. The front looks like the bow of a boat, which of course as "amphibious" implies, it is, at least for part of its life. Launched off of ships over the horizon, the Am-tracks chug to shore at about 10 mph. Not exactly waterskiing speed, but then again, how many ski boats carry 18-21 heavily armed Marines? They're apparently not the most stable of watercraft. I gleaned that from the safety briefing by the crew chief, who said that if we go into the water, I shouldn't be alarmed to see it streaming in through the back hatch. That, he said, "was normal." The Marines who ride sealed in the back have another nickname for AAVs. They call them tuna cans. The motion of the ocean tends to upset a number of things, most notably Marine stomachs. "That's what their helmets are for," another crewman said. So what are these boats on tank treads doing in the Kuwaiti desert? Plenty, according to the Marines. More than 500 of them are ready to make a run for the Iraqi border and beyond, if President Bush gives the word. On land, AAVs can roar along at nearly 50 mph. Not bad considering each one weighs more than 27 tons. They can close in on enemy positions, drop off their cargo of Devil Dogs, and back them up with their .50-caliber machine gun and Mark 19 automatic grenade launcher. You don't find many ski boats with that kind of punch, either. On land at high speed, the AAV sort of bounds over the desert, creating the sensation of, again, riding a boat, until the Am-track cuts into a tight turn. When the driver stomped on the brake while cranking the steering wheel, it felt like we were up on just one tread. Speaking of driving, it's not hard to do. You see, this beast is an automatic. Put it in third, and you're good to go. I wanted to learn all I could about the AAV because if there is a war, that's the vehicle I'll be riding in while imbedded with the 1st Marine Division. I've got a good seat right up next to the engine in the tuna can. That's good because the machinery offers a little more protection. The only drawback is that I'm seated next to all of the ammunition. One stray bullet and a finger is the last thing I'll be worried about losing. For latest developments, see CNN.com's Iraq Tracker.
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