The success of Army missions depends on keeping automotive and heavy equipment in top working condition. As an integral member of the Mechanical Maintenance team, the Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic handles the maintenance and repair of light and heavy tactical vehicles and select armored vehicles.

The Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic is primarily responsible for supervising and performing maintenance and recovery operations on wheeled vehicles and associated items, as well as heavy-wheeled vehicles. Some of your duties as a Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic may include:

• Maintain wheeled vehicles, their associated trailers and material handling equipment systems
• Use of applicable references, inspecting, servicing, maintaining, repairing, replacement, adjusting and testing of wheeled vehicles and material handling equipment systems, subsystems and components
• - such as: power plant/packs, compression ignition engines and engine fuel systems, air induction and exhaust systems and cooling systems
• Vehicle chassis and power train components including, frame cross members, clutches assemblies, transmissions, transfers, final drives, propeller shaft assemblies, brake systems and
• - steering systems, suspensions systems, fifth wheel assemblies, wheeled vehicle crane, hoist and winch assemblies, and hydraulic systems
• Automotive electrical systems including wiring harness, starting, and charging systems
• Perform wheeled vehicle recovery operations

Job training for a Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic requires nine weeks of Basic Training, where you'll learn basic Soldiering skills, and 12 weeks of Advanced Individual Training. Part of this time is spent in the classroom and part in the field. Some of the skills you'll learn are:

• Engine repair and tune-up
• Troubleshoot mechanical and electrical problems
• Repair and replace body panels, fenders and radiators
• Recovery Operations

Helpful attributes include:

• An interest in auto mechanics and the industrial arts
• A preference for physical work
• An interest in troubleshooting and repairing mechanical problems
• An interest in automotive engines and how they work

Advanced level Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic provides guidance, supervises and trains other Soldiers within the same discipline. As an advanced level Light-wheel Vehicle Mechanic, you may be involved in:

• Conduct in-process inspection/troubleshooting procedures, during repairs and overhaul of engines, transmissions and power train major assemblies and components, hydraulic system and fuel system components
• Supervise recovery team performance of wheeled vehicle recovery operations
• Supervise compliance with shop safety program and use, maintenance and security of hand and shop power tools
• Supervises and performs diagnostic troubleshooting to determine maintenance repair criteria using Test Measurement Diagnostic Equipment (TMDE)
• Perform equipment classification inspections and annotate and submit appropriate forms and documents
• Perform battlefield damage and assessment and repair (BDAR)

The skills you learn as a Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic will help prepare you for a future with civilian service stations, auto dealers, farm equipment companies and state highway agencies. You'll be able to pursue a career as a garage mechanic, carburetor mechanic, transmission mechanic, radiator mechanic, construction equipment mechanic or endless track vehicle mechanic.

Learn more about the relationship between military training and civilian certification requirements.