Air Force plays major role in delivering 10,000 MRAPs to troops Published Sept. 25, 2008 By 1st Lt. Justin Brockhoff Air Mobility Command Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- A significant milestone will be reached as early as Thursday when the 10,000th mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle, commonly known as the MRAP, is delivered to troops supporting Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom - an effort completed in considerable part by the men and women of Air Mobility Command. Since MRAPs were introduced in 2007, AMC Airmen have been working around-the-clock planning, coordinating and executing air transport missions to rush the life-saving vehicles to Iraq and Afghanistan. Using a variety of aircraft, including C-5s, C-17s and contracted AN-124s, AMC has transported nearly 3,000 - roughly one third - of the total number delivered. MRAPs are constructed with V-shaped hulls and a raised chassis design to deflect underbelly blasts, and have proven to be a lifesaver against improvised explosive devices, small arms fire and mines. "Our Airmen are directly helping to keep our troops on the ground safer," said General Arthur Lichte, the commander of Air Mobility Command. "I'm extremely proud of them and their efforts to speed the delivery of this life-saving equipment to our forces." The efforts of AMC's Airmen are part of a multi-service effort to quickly get the vehicles in the hands of troops on the ground. The Air Force was the primary delivery option for MRAPs until December, when the Navy also began transporting the vehicles. "It's a great feeling to deliver MRAP vehicles to the AOR because of the impact on safety it provides other service members," said Master Sgt. Bill Lesage, a C-17 loadmaster with the 14th Airlift Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C. "At the end of a long duty day you really feel a sense of accomplishment knowing that the MRAP is saving lives." * A supplementary article will run following the delivery of the MRAP highlighting Team Travis' role in the mission.