Ohio State University's new toy! And it ain't 'bout football

Parents Forum
1

<p>Has Ohio State University had a problem with roadside bombs recently? </p>

<p>No, but you'd be forgiven for thinking that after seeing the school's new mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicle. OSU received the vehicle from the U.S. military through a state military surplus program last week.</p>

<p>The 19-ton armored truck (specifically, a "MaxxPro," manufactured by the Illinois defense-vehicle maker Navistar) is built to withstand "ballistic arms fire, mine fields, IED's, and Nuclear, Biological and Chemical environments," according to its product description.</p>

<p><a href="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1360024/thumbs/o-ASDF-570.jpg?1%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1360024/thumbs/o-ASDF-570.jpg?1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>PS Perhaps I should have appended this to the "Why do college years cost so much?" threads.</p>

2

<p>Who says it ain’t 'bout football? </p>

<p>I think it’s probably to protect the school’s president as he makes his way through throngs of drunken, violence-prone Buckeyes football fans after games. They regularly set fire to couches, mattresses, and trash cans after a big game. Thev’ve been known to overturn, vandalize, and burn cars with Michigan plates after their annual rivalry game. Sometimes university officials get caught in the crossfire; some have had to be hospitalized.</p>

<p>[Fan</a> violence mars Ohio State’s big win over Texas - College Football - ESPN](<a href=“'Framework agreement' details PGA Tour, PIF alliance - ESPN”>Fan violence mars Ohio State's big win over Texas - ESPN)</p>

3

<p>Don’t tell that to Sparkeye! Perhaps that is how they define an explosive offense at OSU.</p>

<p>Come to think about it, John Pike of the UC-Davis spray police might be looking for a job. He might enjoy driving that limo.</p>

4

<p>with this equipment, they might even be favored over in a bowl game against 'Bama or Johnny Football.</p>

5

<p>did they buy this with a DHS grant?</p>

6

<p>Not the first time a college tried to buy one. From the same Huffington Post article:

</p>

<p>One of the points used to rationalize the purchase is that Columbus Police don’t have a bomb squad. Are the campus police trained to do that??</p>

7

<p>

I thought that was WVU …</p>

8

<p>I read that the military spent a fortune on a type of vehicle that was supposedly resistant to IEDs, but the vehicles didn’t work well in the field. The military is phasing them out, which probably explains why they are being transferred to locals. An armored vehicle is very useful when you have a hostage situation or a Va. Tech type shooting event. Most city police forces now have one.</p>

9

<p>They had to go with a Maxxpro? I hated that thing, the drivers seat was clearly designed for shorter individuals much less a taller than average guy with full gear on. Going on 12+ hour convoys with that thing was a pain in the a**. OSU should’ve gone for an M-ATV, looks much cooler, and generous leg room to boot!</p>

10

<p>Looks like it was free.</p>

<p>[OSU</a> Police Obtained Army Surplus Armored Personnel Vehicle - WCMH: News, Weather, and Sports for Columbus, Ohio](<a href=“http://www.nbc4i.com/story/23457727/osu-police-obtained-an-army-surplus-armored-personnel-vehicle]OSU”>http://www.nbc4i.com/story/23457727/osu-police-obtained-an-army-surplus-armored-personnel-vehicle)</p>

11

<p>with this equipment, they might even be favored over in a bowl game against 'Bama or Johnny Football.</p>

<p>Yup…it would take an armored vehicle for the Big10 to roll past the SEC. </p>

<p>;)</p>

12

<p>If the U. has any type of SWAT team, those vehicles are also valuable to secure the weaponry. I talked to a police chief one time who was very worried that all of his police department’s SWAT gear (including M-16s) was stored in an ordinary cargo van.</p>

13

<p>Perhaps the students at Harvey Mudd, Caltech, and MIT might get tired of playing pranks on one another and collaborate to steal this unit from OSU and ask for a ransom. :)</p>

14

<p>

</p>

<p>how would this vehicle have helped at Virginia Tech?</p>