I' ve got a OIF picture showing a Marines Humvee with no fording kit fitted. Is it a one-of-a-kind vehicle (with a absent-minded driver maybe ) or is it something "frequently" seen in combat zone ?

TIA
Frenchy

Frenchy,

what do you mean with fording kit? Only the exhaust extention or also the higher air intake?

If both are missing my best guess would be it's an Army vehicle "borrowed" by the USMC, otherwise maybe the exhaust got damaged... MC humvee's should always have the fording kit installed

OK,

I saw it some minutes ago on TV. It was a USMC humvee in Bagdad, with a Mk.19. It had the armored (flat) doors, the MC style air intake, but the Army style exhaust...

I don't believe in the possibility we both saw the same vehicle, so there must be some reason, but I don't know wich..

In fact, the pic I have (from RAID special OIF issue) shows the right side of the Humvee with the missing fording kit air intake, so I don't know about the exhaust pipe (altough I think its end should be visible if present)..."My" humvee is a "Nato camo+4 doors + soft top+2 antennas" vehicle (no weapon) . It belongs to the 2nd Bat. 5th Marines (according to the caption).

Frenchy

Hello All,
It is an optional item that can be added or removed from a vehicle. I talked to a Marine in our shop that has just returned from Iraq. He was in recon and they had removed the Air Intake stack to improve visibility. Another thing to remember is that these vehicles came from prepositioned supplies that come from RORO (Roll On Roll Off ) ships.

Andy