what did i crew...this info. might date me but then one is only as young as one feels-joie de vivre was a m-56 scorpion (spat)graduated? to M-41, M-47, M-48series, M-60 series including the M-51, M-88 series, M-578, foreign military trk.veh. and finishing w/the M1A2 and M2A2-if my memory does not fail me and my calculator works-a span of about forty years-give or take a few months.
Least I forget the M-114 and M-113 series of vehicles and enjoyed every minute of it.
cheers and carpe diem

Rolled with a "Hummer" . Ran the .50 then the TOW. Also the M2A2.

As a Panzergrenadier I served with a M113 in the swiss army. Folowing you can see a few pics of the swiss M113.






pzgren

PzGren,

I have had a few experiences similar to the second photo - self made defilade position!!! Generally tanks are much easier to "sink" than M113s

Jeff

My first post was at Ft. Lewis as a " line dog" 11 bush. Then over to Germany to fine out what a fine vehicle the M113-a1 was.
After a change of career field I did mait on both the M551 & the M60-a2. When thouse went away I found out more about the TOW system in the back of The great ol M113. When the M901 came on line I worked on it a bit. But most of the time I did was on both The M2& M3 Bradley. Not only did I work on Tow system I was also part of the transition team that gave the users tips on how to get the best use out of the rest of the rig.
As to wheels I drove the 800 series Dodge, the 1000 series GMC. The M998 And last but not least the tied and true M35-A2 2 !/2 ton truck.

Got to drive and play with a 113 in Korea. The hummer was a lot more fun, and I could SEE! More toys on top too... M-60, Mk-19, and MY favorite, the MA-DUCE. Gotta love it! ALL also please understand that I am a zoomie and so my play time is limited to when I was deploying. On the other hand, not many zoomies get to play with these kind of toys!

Still love a Hog overhead!

Just finished armor OBC, so just enough experience to enjoy sponging FRH out of the subturret on an M1A1. Still waiting on a tank platoon.

I started in the M60A1 in the Marines and am now playing with the M1A1. Thats when I get away from my desk.

Tanks Out
Andy

As my job (in the SADF) was to repair electronic fire control equipment (aka GCE, GCS, FCS & IFCS) namely:

Olifant Mk1 / Mk1a / Mk1b
Rooikat
Valkiri & Bateleur (MRLs) Rocket Launchers
Oerlikon Contraves 35mm AAA (Solis, Tevere & Mk5) skyguard’s guns

And repair of the internal communication systems (known as HARNAS) on all the Ratel and Eland variants.

I got to be a crew member on just about every recovery the SADF operated, from the Olifant ARV, MAN 8X8, Ratel recovery right through to the Withings. Of all I enjoyed the ARV the most.

This is me in the T50 turret of an Australian B Squadron 3/4 Cavalry Regiment M113A1 in Townsville, Queensland back in about 1998. The markings on the side of the turret denote the several injuries that the crew and any vegies (Grunts - Infantry) got whilst onboard

I'm an Anti-tank Platoon Infantryman so technically I shouldn't be in this thread now should I? :-)

Why are vision blocks covered with black tape? Were you training shooting targets with your MGs "the Jedi" way? You know, like Luke Skywalker with light saber on board of Falcon Millenium in the first (ups, sorry - "fourth"...) Star Wars movie

Regards,
Pawel

Hi Vodnik,

The vision ports were blocked out because you can't see anything out of em! Crew commander sights fall of shot by slightly unbuttoning the turret hatch and peeking out with either Mark 1 eyeball or a pair of binoculars.

They are also blacked out because when you've got red/white light on inside the vehicle in dark conditions, that light is reflected back up the episcopes and lights up your cosy little bucket aka M113

Sorry to burst the Aussie digger "Jedi" myth for you mate :-) One of my soldiers, Maciej Dunski (Polish by birth came out here as a young fella) was actually the one of our best shots - from pistola right up to 84mm Carl Gustav "Marty" was the best. Must be something in that lovely home cooked Polish food eh!

I started out on an M-48A1 in the VMI Tanker platoon back in 1973, and was the cadet platoon sergeant three years later. My tank was ROTC-VMI-4 (The Jack of Spades).

After AOB, riding things like M-60A1s, M113s, M114s, and M-551s, I was sent to 4/12 CAV at FT Polk, where I did my platoon leader time (with an M113 for a plt ldr's track). Moved from there to an assignment at FT McClellan, then on Germany and M-1s. After that it was on to staff assignments.

About 10 years ago I came to Saudi to train their National Guard on LAV-25s. We are now training them up on the last variant of the series, the LAV-AG (90mm assault gun).