An article in the Washington Post profiles Pvt. Mohammed Ali al-Shwele, a 19-year old bulldozer driver for the Iraqi Army. Shwele drives an armored bulldozer and is pretty much the tip of the spear for Iraq's offensive to retake Mosul.
The young private drives a Caterpillar D7R armored bulldozer, one of more than a hundred transferred to the Iraqi Army in 2015. The D7 series has been in more or less continuous use with the U.S. Military since World War II, usually behind the lines grading airfields or digging holes, but has been outfitted with anti-mine systems. Twelve feet wide and 23 feet long, the D7 is powered by a Caterpillar 3306T diesel engine generating 247 horsepower.
The Israeli Army, with combat experience in both the West Bank and Gaza, began using larger D9 bulldozers for urban operations starting in the late 1990s. Civilian vehicles were up-armored both in the chassis to protect the engine and transmission and with the installation of thick, bullet-resistant armor to protect the driver. In 2003, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps reportedly borrowed 14 armored D9s from the Israeli Army for use in Iraq. Today armored D7Rs serve in the regular US Army, while the Marines use the John Deere 850.
Schwele has one of the most dangerous jobs in the war against ISIS. The top of the D7R's cab sits more than 11 feet above ground—the excellent visibility of the bulldozer's cab also makes him an excellent target for suicide bombers, mortars, bullets, and anything Islamic State militants can throw at him. Schwele's only protection is the bullet-resistant glass and the bulldozer's huge steel plow.
Still, the role he and other bulldozer operators play is a vital one. Armored bulldozers can, well, bulldoze buildings, obstacles, and enemy fortifications. The 23-foot-long vehicle can provide cover for friendly troops, and with the plow level to the ground bulldozers can sweep for enemy mines and booby traps.
Source:The Washington Post
