| Graduation Year | Class of 2002 |
| Date of Passing | Aug 13, 2010 |
| About | After completing his role in the Movie “Flag of Our Fathers” Mike first joined the Marine Corps’ ABV program in June of 2006. He was one of approximately 20 Marines that were initially trained to take the ABV through Field Users Test & Evaluation (FUT&E), and Initial Operational Test & Evaluation (IOT&E). Upon the ABV's successful completion of these two significant milestones, Mike was ordered back to Fort Knox, Kentucky to participate in Instructor & Key Personnel Training (IKPT) to help validate the lesson plans for future ABV Crewman. Following the completion of IKPT, Mike was among the first four Marines to earn the coveted 1372 Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) of ABV Operator. Mike was in such high demand because he was so skilled at operating and maintaining the ABV that he received back-to- back orders to units who deployed to Afghanistan. The U.S. Marine Corps developed the ABV from a program that the U.S. Army cancelled years earlier called the “Grizzly.” The slightly smaller Marine version was specifically designed to breach minefields, IEDs and obstacles with a deliberate, in-stride breaching capability. The ABV allowed Marines to move rapidly through obstacles before the enemy have the full opportunity to mass fires, improve defenses and hide behind IEDs. Weighing 70 tons, powered with a 1,500 horsepower engine, and traveling up to 45 mph, the ABV was built on the tracked chassis of a M1A1 Abrams Tank. It was equipped with a 15 foot wide mine-clearing plow, a .50 caliber machine gun and a device that fires up to two rocket-propelled nylon rope line charges each with 1,750lbs of C4 explosives. Each line charge has the capability to clear a 50 foot wide path more than 300 feet in length. The explosive overpressure caused by the detonation of the line charge is designed to detonate or disrupt many or all of the IEDs or mines in its path. The ABV provides crew protection and vehicle survivability while having the speed and mobility to keep pace with a maneuver force. Like all military systems, the ABV was not without its flaws. The most common problem to the first series of the ABV was the inconsistent performance of its MK155 linear charge system, originally designed in the 1960s, to detonate as designed following its launch along the path of suspected IEDs and mines. When this occurred, one of the ABV crewman or another combat engineer is forced to leave their cover or concealment and manually detonate the line charge. During Mike’s second deployment to Afghanistan, he left the relative safety of his ABV numerous times during his assaults under heavy and accurate small arms fire in the Jusyalay Valley to detonate launched line charges that had failed to operate properly. On August 13, 2010, Mike fell to a sniper’s bullet from the Taliban who had undoubtedly seen his effectiveness and repeated courage under fire on the battlefield. For his heroic and life- saving actions, Mike was posthumously awarded the Silver Star. The ABV proved itself to be an effective tool in the fight to combat IEDs, the enemy’s primary casualty producing tactic in Afghanistan. However, what truly saved countless U.S. lives and limbs in Afghanistan were the brave Marines who led the ABVs into the most dangerous corners of the battlefield. Staff Sergeant Mike Bock, the superb Marine leader born on September 11th 1983 who answered our Nation’s call to service following the attacks eighteen years later on 9/11. Mike was a devoted father to Alexzander and loving husband to Tiffany, as well as a caring brother and son. He epitomized the bravest of the brave. Rest in peace Mike. |
