Hi guys, why not making a threat with pictures and stories from military service?
I start with some scans of my “stoneage” collection.
Harris Barracks Coburg
Two pics of M1IP from Bundeswehr Open House
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Here are a few shots from one of Aberdeen Proving Grounds Armed forces day open houses back in the good old days, I think ‘93 or ‘94
Munson ? automotive test course
And static displays
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Camp Ripley, MN 2002
Great photos. Speaking of Berlin…
It must have been the first or second week in February (because it was freezing ass cold out) 1986. I heard on the radio that something cool was about to go down, so I grabbed my buddy and my two Minoltas. I always had B&W film in one back then during my “B&W” phase, and color in the other.
We got there in plenty of time. Enough for me to talk the Polizei into letting me past all of the photojournalists there and getting the absolute best spot for my photos. For some reason they may have been under the impression that I was there in some sort of official capacity.
Of course the cool thing that was happening was that the Soviets were releasing Anatolii Shcharansky in exchange for some of their guys.
Best view in the house:
The only guys in front of me were Army types who were actually supposed to be there:
And of course I had my buddy photograph me, because if you didn’t get a photo, it never happened…
Still had the OD field jacket back then.
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Ah yes Dan , Erlangen !! Great pic!
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Wow that’s awesome 18Bravo!
A major moment in history. Wow.
when the M1ip hit the ground, they did a dog & pony show in Speedway with a brand new tank. The parked it in the Allison parking lot on Grand Ave so everybody could get a good look see. Then later in the afternoon brought it indoors. (a whole story could evolve out of that alone). The crew was out of Ft. Knoxx, and they brought it up on two flat bed trailers. Assembled it it right away (two hours max). Then the public saw the newest and biggest tank the Army had ever owned. Families showed up and my Wife and youngest son showed up to see what Daddy was working on. The TC picks up the youngest kid (about five but small for his age) and sets him in the driver’s compartment. The turret is forward and there just a small gap in the inside to go in there, and guess who just fit!! They turned around an Mitchell is gone, and they look around for him. Then they hear him talking inside the turret. They can’t find the key to the turret hatch (key lock?), but finally find it to get him out. They were more worried about him getting hurt in there, and his Mom promised him something he didn’t want if he didn’t get out of there right now. An adult couldn’t have gotten into the turret, but a little kid could!
gary
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C26 getting a front torsion bar replaced, had to roll the track back
Just reading on the back deck, not me though
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What unit?
You picked a difficult torsion bar to remove.
Is that a M60A2?
Well, after 37 years and still ongoing, I have a few memories lol …. I was looking through the thread and @Stikpusher Carlos’s post above about Reforger and was thinking back to Germany and the exercises we did with the American Green machine & German Army, and then about one we did in Egypt in 97 – Bright Star, I cant remember for sure who the lead US Div was, but I have a notion it was possibly 3 Inf Div, maybe lol.
While we were out there, C Sqn (me) and B sqn HCR were the lead Div Recce unit. We were doing some independent low level troop training and we had wandered off about 15 miles away from everyone else down near the Qattara Depression on the edge of the Sahara. We had found a small hill and used it as our operating base for 3 days and me and a mate had wandered up to the top of this hillock and we had a breath taking panoramic 360 view for about 15 miles down into the Depression, we then found the tripod marks of a dug in MG position and realised this small hill must have been either an OP or a pure defensive location, as after an hours search we had found about 2000 .303 rounds ( all spent) around the top of the hill alone. These and the numerous cut down ammo boxes and tea ration tins and burners led us to believe it was a Brit or commonwealth position. Certainly a perfect OP, but also an obvious one from an enemy point of view.
And while we were out there it really brought home about the vast differences between Armies in WW2 and now and just how easy we have it compared to what they had to endure.
The way in which we had rations on hand when ever we wanted them, bottled water was flown in daily from Germany by the US for all troops, and in my Striker, I must have had at all times about 10 full boxes of 2ltr bottles – in the end I was just giving it away to locals as we couldn’t drink it fast enough and down to things like the comfy uniforms made for that environment compared to the hideous woollen stuff and hob nailed boots they would have been sweltering in during WW2. The American admin set up also had a mobile shower unit brought in and built a huge open plan shower unit within a large marquee sized tent.
In true American fashion ( and we loved it), Just outside of Muburak Military City US QM had built a huge tented camp for all nations (US, UK, German, French, and an African nation as well as Egyptian troop) and within a small row of building shells, they flew in from a major US Base hub in Germany, a McDonalds, a Burger King, a pizza parlour, and Ice cream shop and a gift shop (all pre fabricated to fit inside the shells) and for each one, stock was flown in daily from Germany by Galaxys and Starlifters. Those shops were the most popular places on earth, there was a constant stream of Landrovers, Humvee’s, trucks from all nation dropping off hungry troops lol …. Also while we were out there, I discovered the American soldiers love of trading bits of their kit for the most ordinary boring things we had to offer …. A US Engineer Capt was happy to trade 2 of the lightweight folding sleeping cots for one of my 10 man ration packs …… crazy guy lol.
The whole Bright Star Ex culminated in a Div fire power demo on 4 large ex fuel tanker type trailers painted yellow with a 1 Km grid square which ran with heavy Arty barrage from MLRS and Div arty assets, a fast air - air to ground attack from attached land based aircraft, and assets from a carrier task force in the area, then Apache’s firing off Hellfires in a salvos from above and behind our Striker position which was on a high ridge line, then we fired off 4 Swingfire missiles, and then the US Ground force element did a combined live M1 Armour and M2 Inf assault onto the tanker trailers. All pretty impressive.
Will try and post some pics of us out there in the wagons on the build up training and of the MG position.
As promised, some Bright Star 97 images.
Me in my Striker
Scimitar leading a BG convoy.
Sqn convoy on way to Ranges.
Sqn replen
My Striker in full
After the fire power demo, an M1 leads the American Armour and M2s to the start line of their combined armoured Company attack for the final part of the demo.
And this is the MG/OP position on top of the main hill… To the left is the Qattara Depression and about 40 km to right is Alexandria.
Sorry these are not top quality but they are pictures of pictures that I just took.
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