The Army Demolition Derby at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
Given the U.S. military’s dire financial straits – it can’t send a carrier to the Persian Gulf to check Iran’s ambitions, for example – you might be surprised to learn the Army is seeking to buy a fleet of 130 used cars “to be used as evasive driving training aids.”
It seems the Army’s Military Police School at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., is in pressing need of “One Hundred ten (110ea) with Automatic Transmissions mid-size or large 4 door sedans (similar to Chevy Corsica or Plymouth Acclaim, Ford Taurus)” and “twenty (20ea) with Manual transmissions mid-size or large 4 door sedans (similar to Chevy Corsica or Plymouth Acclaim, Ford Taurus)” so fledgling MPs can learn how to drive, well, evasively.
The clunkers lets soldiers learn how to ram into other vehicles with minimal risk of injury. Airbags are removed and students wear helmets and padding for safety, alongside an instructor.
The Army’s wish list for the fleet will sound familiar to anyone who ever tried to buy a used car. Having driven Interstate Route 44 to and from Fort Lenny Wood, Battleland knows there’s already plenty of evasive driving done by soldiers, just outside the post, at little cost to the government.