Private (PV2) Doug Wallace

Private (PV2) Doug Wallace. . , Doug Wallace entered active duty as a PV2 in Evacuation Platoon, Charlie Company, 101st Forward Support Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, in October 1990. Two months later, his company was deployed to the Middle East as part of Operation Desert Shield and attached to the "Devil Rangers" of Task Force 5-16 Infantry, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division., During Operation Desert Storm, PV2 Wallace served as a driver of an M113A2 Armored Medical Ambulance (similar to the M113A3 version here). Consisting of a crew of two (driver and troop commander), the medical track could carry up to four wounded men on horizontal litters, or ten ambulatory patients. While a little slower than other American armor like the M2 Bradley and M1 Abrams, Wallace's M113 kept up with the advance against the Iraqi 26th Infantry Division on February 24-25, 1991, and during the fight against the Iraqi Republican Guard's Tawakalna Armored Division on the night of February 26-27, 1991. He and the rest of Task Force 5-16 were in a mining quarry the troops called the "Valley of the Boogers" when the ceasefire took effect a day later., After the war, Doug Wallace remained as an active duty Combat Medic for over thirty years, serving in multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan during the War on Terror. He retired from the Army as a Command Sergeant Major in June 2022.,

I was nervous and excited about deploying with the 1st Infantry Division. My father had served in the Big Red One on his first deployment to Vietnam as an infantry officer. The great NCOs I served with in Desert Shield and Desert Storm kept me focused and trained. Their examples helped shape me into the leader I would become. , Command Sergeant Major Doug Wallace (Retired), M113A3 Armored Medical Ambulance. Armament: None , Engine: General Motors 275 Horsepower, 6V53T Turbocharged Diesel Engine , Maximum Speed: 40 MPH on land / 3.6 MPH in water , Weight: 27,200 pounds , Length: 17 feet 5 inches , Width: 8 feet 10 inches , Armor: 1.1 - 1.7 inches of aluminum alloy , Crew: 2 + 4 or 10 (Troop Commander, Driver, and up to four litter-borne casualties or ten ambulatory patients) , Manufacturer: Food Machinery Corporation/United Defense Limited Partnership, and BAE Systems

, [Captions:] , PV2 Doug Wallace (right) and SPC Davidson Hall in front of their M113A2 Ambulance during Operation Desert Storm. The Geneva Red Cross symbol is visible on the vehicle's trim vane between both Soldiers. (Courtesy of CSM dough Wallace (RET)), Doug Wallace's Combat Vehicle Crewman's Helmet sits on a bed of sandbags inside his M113 during Operation Desert Storm. The artwork consists of a Combat Medic Badge and a Combat Medic aiding a casualty, and was done by an officer in his platoon. The sandbags were placed on the floor of the track to provide additional protection from mines. (Courtesy of CSM Doug Wallace (RET))