Good times! Half the fun was always getting a track stuck in the mud and having to wait for either an M60 to roll by to give you a pull, or wait for the M88 to dop the same. Of better yet, break a drive sprocket or throw a track and wait for a guy like me (supply) to go back to the rear, pick one up from the motor pool, then drive back on the old Deuce and a half and spend all afternoon in the mud and dirt, putting it all back together.
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And then eat a cold MRE because you missed chow doing it. Yep, good times!
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Hello Brant,
If you are referring to my post, you missed my point. I was referring to the paint job.
Allen
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no sir the post above you didn’t know what it was called after I posted I saw that you had answered my bad.
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Hello Brant,
Darn, I missed your point…lol, thank you, sir.
Allen
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Did the m-981 ever make it to kosovo or bosnia? asking cause im currently working on one and i wanna throw on either KFOR or IFOR markings…thanks
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Based on the timeframe, they should have been in both IFOR and SFOR, but not KFOR.
IFOR was Dec '95 - Dec '96 and 1st Armored Div was the main US force in it. SFOR was Dec '96 until 2009. Multiple US units rotated through SFOR over the years. M981 FISTVs were in use at those times.
The M981 stared being replaced by M7 BFISTs in 2000 at 3ID. Other units followed with pretty much all M981s replaced by 2004.
KFOR didn’t start until 2009.
However, I can’t find any pics of one w/IFOR or SFOR markings on them.
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FOUND ONE!!!
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I’m not sure the FISTV has IFOR on it though. The M113A3 definitely does, but I don’t see it on the FISTV. It looks to just have 10 on the back and sides.
Here it is blown up and lightened up.
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Actually SFOR ended in Fall of ‘04. The last US forces from that mission withdrew at that time, and a “new” operation started, “Enduring Mission”. I was there for that. We fell under NATO HQ in Sarajevo, but were stationed at Eagle Base in Tuzla. For the first several months we had no markings beyond bumper codes for the Task Force, but in late Spring ‘05, we had “NATO” stenciled onto the sides of our tactical vehicles.
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MR Modelbau makes a conversion set and it is readily available. It is really nice and easy to do. I have done the conversion twice for customers and have another for myself…someday.
M1064A3 Mortar Carrier 120mm on M113, MR-35074, (mrmodellbau.com)
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Does anybody have any pictures of the underside of an M113 I want to chip and scratch up the bottom and want it to look correct.
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Depending on where it is and what is has been through, there may be none, or a lot. Also, unless drstroyed, the underside is raraely seen.
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true so to me it’s the perfect place to try chipping for the first time.
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Mainly they get polished smooth by running over dirt.
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More like scoured clean of paint. I spent a lot of time under there doing maintenance over the years, and it was bare aluminum armor underneath.
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