At just under 8 tons, the Army Extreme Truck will give the Army a very visible presence at Army Recruiting Command and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps events starting this year.
Extreme Truck Gears up to Support Army Outreach
By Sgt. 1st Class Edward Kester, USAREC, Mission Support Battalion
May 12, 2014
The word extreme means “exceeding the ordinary, usual, or expected,” according to Webster’s Dictionary. It is the perfect word to describe a new mobile Army exhibit set to hit the road in July to support Army Recruiting Command and the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
The Extreme Truck is a heavily modified pickup truck on 47-inch tires designed to turn the heads of even the most seasoned truck enthusiasts. However, the behemoth’s shock and awe effect is also a savvy marketing tool to attract young men and women nationwide.
Since 1936, the Army has used a variety of fixed and mobile exhibits to attract potential recruits and spread a positive message about America’s Army across the country.
Army Mission Support Battalion, located at Fort Knox, Ky., is the only unit in the Army charged solely with a marketing mission. The battalion includes a Mobile Exhibit Company with rolling semi vans and trailers, and a National Conventions Division that staffs Army displays at high-profile events.
The Extreme Truck adds variety to the Mobile Exhibit Company fleet.
“It is a symbol of independence and power,” said Mobile Exhibit Company Commander, Capt. Korneliya Waters. “The truck is a whopping 15,700 pounds, with a length of 23’ and height of 9’4. We expect the Extreme Truck to become one of the most frequently requested assets, especially during the first stages of its deployment.”
The truck is loaded with features to keep up to 12 people engaged at the same time. Its payload includes: two gaming stations with 32-inch flat-screen televisions, an additional 60-inch flat screen, and pull-up and push-up platforms to challenge participants.
The Extreme Truck includes a diesel engine producing 900 pound-foot of torque, 325 horsepower and a heavy-duty transmission. It is also equipped with a front mounted winch capable of pulling nine tons. It has two 107 gallon fuel tanks and retractable steps.
“As the U.S. Army continuously evolves; its marketing mission remains of the utmost importance,” said battalion operations officer Maj. William Davis. “Attracting young Americans to become Soldiers requires ingenuity and faster interaction with our future Soldiers and officers. This is where the Extreme Truck will help recruiters and ROTC departments take their interactions to another level.”
Battalion exhibitors are mostly Army recruiters who drive and staff the mobile assets virtually year-round at destinations across America. The battalion’s mobile fleet includes five adventure semis, four interactive semis, two Army adventure trailers, an Orange County Chopper and a Mobile Deployment Rapid Assembly Shelter Field Surgical Team (Mobile DRASH FST). During fiscal year 2013, the Mobile Exhibit Company supported 457 events, drawing crowds that totaled more than 195,000 visitors at sites across the U.S.
Recruiters and ROTC departments may request the Extreme Truck through their brigade headquarters, similar to other Mission Support Battalion assets.
(Editor’s note: the Army Extreme Truck and other Mission Support Battalion vans and semis are requested and scheduled through the Army Marketing and Research Group’s Event Marketing Management system.)
By Sgt. 1st Class Edward Kester, USAREC, Mission Support Battalion
May 12, 2014
The word extreme means “exceeding the ordinary, usual, or expected,” according to Webster’s Dictionary. It is the perfect word to describe a new mobile Army exhibit set to hit the road in July to support Army Recruiting Command and the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
The Extreme Truck is a heavily modified pickup truck on 47-inch tires designed to turn the heads of even the most seasoned truck enthusiasts. However, the behemoth’s shock and awe effect is also a savvy marketing tool to attract young men and women nationwide.
Since 1936, the Army has used a variety of fixed and mobile exhibits to attract potential recruits and spread a positive message about America’s Army across the country.
Army Mission Support Battalion, located at Fort Knox, Ky., is the only unit in the Army charged solely with a marketing mission. The battalion includes a Mobile Exhibit Company with rolling semi vans and trailers, and a National Conventions Division that staffs Army displays at high-profile events.
The Extreme Truck adds variety to the Mobile Exhibit Company fleet.
“It is a symbol of independence and power,” said Mobile Exhibit Company Commander, Capt. Korneliya Waters. “The truck is a whopping 15,700 pounds, with a length of 23’ and height of 9’4. We expect the Extreme Truck to become one of the most frequently requested assets, especially during the first stages of its deployment.”
The truck is loaded with features to keep up to 12 people engaged at the same time. Its payload includes: two gaming stations with 32-inch flat-screen televisions, an additional 60-inch flat screen, and pull-up and push-up platforms to challenge participants.
The Extreme Truck includes a diesel engine producing 900 pound-foot of torque, 325 horsepower and a heavy-duty transmission. It is also equipped with a front mounted winch capable of pulling nine tons. It has two 107 gallon fuel tanks and retractable steps.
“As the U.S. Army continuously evolves; its marketing mission remains of the utmost importance,” said battalion operations officer Maj. William Davis. “Attracting young Americans to become Soldiers requires ingenuity and faster interaction with our future Soldiers and officers. This is where the Extreme Truck will help recruiters and ROTC departments take their interactions to another level.”
Battalion exhibitors are mostly Army recruiters who drive and staff the mobile assets virtually year-round at destinations across America. The battalion’s mobile fleet includes five adventure semis, four interactive semis, two Army adventure trailers, an Orange County Chopper and a Mobile Deployment Rapid Assembly Shelter Field Surgical Team (Mobile DRASH FST). During fiscal year 2013, the Mobile Exhibit Company supported 457 events, drawing crowds that totaled more than 195,000 visitors at sites across the U.S.
Recruiters and ROTC departments may request the Extreme Truck through their brigade headquarters, similar to other Mission Support Battalion assets.
(Editor’s note: the Army Extreme Truck and other Mission Support Battalion vans and semis are requested and scheduled through the Army Marketing and Research Group’s Event Marketing Management system.)
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