So the next installment in the series is B-15, an M561 Gama Goat, this one assigned as the Battery XO’s vehicle. When I first arrived in the battalion in October of 1972 we were in the midst of a TO&E change and just getting these issued. Originally the XO had been assigned an M151 1/4 ton and in many ways was a more convenient vehicle, but the TO&E took that away and equipped the XO with a Gama Goat.
Which he HATED! But despite the fact that there were a couple of “spare jeeps” in the motor pool due to the fact that we were authorized three FOs, (who WERE authorized jeeps), but only had one assigned, the BC said to the XO that’s your vehicle and you’re using it. Eventually the XO figured out that all the sutff he had to take to the field made the Goat a better choice. SO much so that he decided that he needed a TRAILER which he WASN’T authorized. So you’ll notice that his trailer, B-33, is NOT the bumper number that would “normally” be assigned to B-15. So whose trailer was it? The Commo Section. They were authorized two Gama Goats, numbered B-30 and B-32, with trailers, B-31 and B-33, and the Commo section lost out on one of its trailers. You can’t make this stuff up!!
So here’s the XO’s vehicle.
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