WEST POINT — Navistar Defense in West Point is expecting layoffs at the end of the month and more by the end of the year, but North Mississippi”s federal representative is trying to minimize those losses.
District 1 Rep. Travis Childers, D-Miss., was at the West Point plant Monday to witness the production line of the MaxxPro Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, commonly called MRAPs. He reiterated his promise to direct whatever funds possible to West Point, Clay County and North Mississippi to maintain jobs via an amendment in the Department of Defense”s National Defense Authorization Act, “which will diminish ebbs and flows in production and hiring within defense companies that manufacture MRAPs.” The amendment passed the House of Representatives in May.
“We have consistently voted for jobs and we always want to stand up for defense manufacturers like those here at Navistar in West Point,” said Childers.
According to a press release from Childers” office, “the Childers Amendment requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a report 120 days after passage to evaluate potential strategies for lowering costs and increasing efficiency in the production of MRAPs. The report will also assess the potential of sustained low-level MRAP production as part of a long-term strategy to further reduce costs and save jobs.”
John Munro, plant manager for Navistar in West Point, said the plant has some contracts which will last until 2013, but the high-volume MRAP production will end in 2011, leading to an unknown number of layoffs. The plant currently employs 505 workers.
“We”re always looking to get more contracts. I”m sure the congressman was here today to find out about our capacity,” said Munro.
The West Point plant has current contracts to continue producing general transport vehicles for the U.S. military as well as a new replacement for the standard Humvee for the British military.
Childers acknowledges the urgent demand for MRAPs, which deflect blasts from explosive attacks to protect the vehicle”s occupants, will wane as conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan calm, but the need for military production will remain.
“This (trip) is not only about national security, but certainly it”s about national security first. Certainly the need (for MRAPs) will go down at some point, but we”ll still need vehicles for training. We don”t know what”s going to happen in Iraq or Afghanistan. I know what most of us wish, but if it suddenly takes a turn and needs to ramp up, this is a company that”s prepared and can step in and increase production whenever necessary,” said Childers.
“They have been selling some (MRAPs) already to (U.S.) allies. I would like to see that to help my district and help Clay County. We”re going to produce MRAPs somewhere, why not produce them right here in Clay County.”
Army Sgt. Tim Bell, 35, of Guntown, knows first hand the protective power of the MaxxPro MRAPs. Bell, a member of the Alpha Troop of the 198th Cavalry, part of the 155th Brigade Combat Team, was at the Navistar plant with Childers Monday at Childers” invitation to witness the production of the vehicles that saved his life.
Bell was part of a convoy just outside of Baghdad in Iraq in December 2009 when a rocket propelled grenade struck the front of his MRAP. The explosion threw the truck”s gunner, who was exposed through the roof of the vehicle, into the cabin, knocking him unconscious. But Bell and his driver were unharmed. The gunner was hospitalized for his injuries and released two weeks ago.
“As far as the cab, nothing penetrated whatsoever,” said Bell. “The concussion was the biggest thing because the truck survived the main part of the explosion.”
His initial reaction following the explosion was fear, which he shook off in seconds. His second concern was for his men and alerting the convoy to what had happened.
Bell says the armored vehicles save lives on a regular basis in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“It”s awesome to be able to see these vehicles being produced in the state of Mississippi knowing what they can do and what they did for me. It”s a great honor to me to know this plant is producing stuff that saves soldiers” lives,” said Bell.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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