New the Monster Jam arena this year, the Soldier Fortune Black Ops truck team has already made quite a name for itself. An instant hit among kids and adults alike, this truck looks like a supped up version of a tactical vehicle seen in popular military video games such as Call of Duty and Halo. The rookie driver, Tony Ochs, was a fitting addition to the team. A 10-year Army veteran who served in Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan is well known among vets based out of Fort hood and Fort Bliss. Tony worked as an Apache helicopter technician and has friends in the Army who are techs for the Black Hawk helicopters out of East Mesa's Boeing plant. “I have some really, really good friends who work right there,” Tony said. “I’m looking forward to putting on a show for them, too. One of my friends is an Army liaison for the Boeing factory. Hopefully I can go over there and do a little tour.”
When asked about the transition from the Army to Monster Jam, Tony said “The Army keeps you in shape. It really takes someone in top physical condition to operate the Monster Trucks at a top-tier level. When you’re driving a Monster Truck, it’s like a two-hour weightlifting session and a 3-mile run all crammed in. That’s how much it takes out of you.”
Tony's history with the Soldier Fortune Black Ops truck goes back before he was the driver. When he was leaving the Army his girlfriend was a motorcycle stunt performer for Feld Entertainment's Marvel Universal Live. He put in his resume and was hired as a stunt motorcycle mechanic for 2 years before becoming the truck's driver. “They wanted a driver with a military background and sports background -- which I had,” he said. “Next thing I knew, they were testing me to see how I handle the truck and how well I drove. I passed the test to debut the always-beautiful Soldier Fortune Black Hawk truck.”
The favorite part of Tony's job is bringing awareness to veterans. “The biggest intention I had was to get my name on the map with Soldier Fortune Black Ops, and just pay tribute to all of the military and their families with the truck,” he said. “So far, it’s been a huge hit with children and adults alike. The kids associate it with the Black Ops video game. All of the adults know what it’s supposed to be associated with.”
