Tracked Vehicle Drivers Course (TVDC)
Fort Benning, GA
The Tracked Vehicle Drivers Course (TVDC) at Fort Benning, GA is used to train soldiers to operate wheeled and tracked vehicles ranging from tactical to M1 tanks. The new TVDC project was required to support the Armor School relocation from Fort Knox to Fort Benning per BRAC recommendations. The TVDC is the first place soldiers are allowed to drive vehicles outside of the simulators. It includes two courses, the Basic Drivers Course (BDC) and the Advanced Drivers Course (ADC). The project consisted of over 5 miles of concrete roads of varying widths, the BDC, the ADC, course obstacles, urban terrain site, two Combined General Instruction/Operations Storage Buildings, two Covered Messes and two Vault Latrines.
The BDC is an oval shaped course consisting of 30-foot wide concrete roads and 4 battle positions. With the wide roads and oval shape, the basic course allows soldiers to get comfortable in their vehicles before proceeding on to the ADC.
The ADC is much more complicated and complex than the BDC. The advanced course consists of 20-foot wide concrete roads that wind and turn at very tight angles and radii and follows the natural terrain of the area, including many inclines and declines in the topography. This course includes multiple obstacles that soldiers must overcome to prepare for active duty, including a railhead simulator, C-130 mock-up simulator, overpass, underpass, armor vehicle land bridge (AVLB), water fording site, gap crossing and an urban terrain site consisting of single and two story facades.
