Voltron

When my son was very little he loved watching Voltron. It’s an old Japanese cartoon where these kids control robotic lions that merge together to form a giant robot, Voltron.
I don’t know why today’s trip reminded me so much of Voltron. It probably should have reminded me of the Transformers instead. But, it didn’t.

Normally when I go off the FOB, to visit one of our contractors located immediately outside the gate, I travel in my Land Cruiser Prado. I wear body armor but the Toyota does not. It’s right next to the base, it is quite safe.

Today felt quite different. Today someone else arranged the trip. We had to deliver a piece of equipment to the contractor and then check on the trucks coming onto the base. Today we traveled in three up-armored Humvees. Large, sand colored SUV’s with appliqué armor and turrets. These are the vehicles that can take significant small arms fire in stride. Each had a Mal Duce (M2 50 cal heavy machine gun). Each of the passengers had weapons as well, M9s, M16s, M249s. We all wore body armor.

Where I normally have a windshield, side windows and rear window to look out, I now had a small ballistic glass square to observe from. I was in the back but giving directions trying to see out a windshield obscured by radios, computers, the legs of the turret gunner dangling next to me. This was my first ride in a full up Humvee. It was a surreal way to travel: bouncing along, rapid ratcheting clicks as the turret traversed, black rubber padding lining the inside complemented the olive drab paint and khaki dust, the guy in front entering updates into the computer/nav system. It’s a very claustrophobic ride, a very industrial ambiance.

When we arrived at our destination a full 10 seconds outside the gate, I got out and felt pretty normal. The Humvees looked like Humvees again. That’s when the Voltron connection struck me. From the inside these machines don’t resemble SUV’s or trucks much at all. They look pretty normal on the outside, even with the turrets. At least, I’m used to seeing these 11,000 lb 4x4’s so now they look pretty normal. On the inside things are quite different. You are divorced from your surroundings on the inside. You can see out but you don’t feel like part of the surroundings. You feel like you are transiting through an alien place, clearly an observer who does not belong.

Now I could be unduly overcome by the newness of this means of travel. As I said this was a first for me. I don’t really think that’s the issue though. Getting in these and traveling instantly creates an, us vs. them mindset. There are the guys inside the robot and all manner of potential dangers and strange people outside the robot.

I miss my Prado.