I was perusing through the day job thread and saw that a lot of us are/were armor crewman. It made me curious as to what different types of armor or armored fighting vehicles everyone's crewed during their careers or stints in the service.

I started out as an M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle crewman in the National Guard. Training at Ft. Leonard Wood included time on both the CEV and M60 AVLB, but my unit had the M48 AVLB so I got training on both variants. Also the majority of tasks conducted during weekend drills and ATs were as part of an engineer squad learning how to operate an M113A2.

As an ROTC cadet, I spent an AT (two weeks) with a New Jersey ARNG unit on their M48A5s at Ft. Drum. That same summer I got to drive both an M551A1 Sheridan and an M60A1. Not any real appreciable time on these two tanks though.

As a lieutenant, I trained on XM1 serial #007 which was modified to M1IP standards. Training at Ft. Knox consisted of gunnery on the M1IP, maneuver on the M60A3TTS, cavarly weapons familiarization on the M3 Bradley, M901 ITV, mounted land navigation on the M113A2 and recovery operations with the M88A1. We were also given familiarization on the M1A1.

As a tank platoon leader in Germany, I commanded an M60A3TTS and a brand new M1A1. As a tank company XO I got another brand new M1A1 Heavy Common. I also got the opportunity to command another older M1A1 in the desert. I remember wishing I had either of my previous M1A1s over the current one.

Back at Ft. Knox after my advanced course, I attended the Cavalry Leader's Course and got additional training on the M3A1, M3A2 and the M1025 HMMWV. First time I got to use the Mk-19, an interesting weapon that is quite handy when dealing with dismounted troops and light trucks. I also got to play on the M88A1 some more during the Battalion Maintenance Officer's Course.

Another trip to the desert, this time as a staff officer, gave me thousands of miles in the seat of a basic M998 HMMWV, including an eventful trip through a cluster mine field.

As a company commander, I got another older M1A1 Heavy Common, but hey, I was on a tank again. My tanking days were ending as we were rolling over to M1A2s. At least I got the training on it, but it was for only a couple of weeks.

Now I get to ride whatever I feel like when I'm not too busy. While I have driven most of the tracked vehicles in my motor pool, if I do go out, I usually drive an early M1A1, M113A3 or an old M3 Bradley. I guess it is because I feel more comfortable driving what I've been trained on.

Year and half at Ft. Hood as a M106 driver which meant I also got to cut charge for the 4.2". The year and half after that was riding around the back of the M577 FDC track in Germany.

Got to pull PMCS on a M577 down at the Texas Military Forces Museum, Camp Mabry, Austin, TX about 2 years ago. Ah, memories.


Paul

As a grunt, I drove and TC'd the M113 during my Mech days. Later on, I 'owned' a couple of HMMWV's. An HQ-1 being one of them....

Well,

I got to ride M60A3s for AOB (Armor Officer Basic course) then to a TDA M60A3 Tank Platoon at Ft Knox that provided vehicles and trainers for the M60A3 Tank Commander's Certification Course. We later added three M60A1s to the five A3's in the platoon.

Once I had pissed the Squadron Commander off enough, I got sent to serve under the tutelege of one each, Dave Judge AKA "2-10 Cav" in the 194th Separate Armored Brigade's D troop 10th Cavalry. I once again became a M60A3 Platoon leader, then a Scout Platoon Leader who got to ride M113A2 the typical .50 caliber, Dragon missile and a single ACAV swing arm with no shield...

After the Advanced Course, had a HMMWV as the BMO, a Lima serial numbered M1A1 the tank company in Kitzingen, then a Lima serial numbered M1A1 Heavy Armor in the tank company in Erlangen and back to the HMMWV as the HHC commander.

Once I got to NTC, I split my time between a HMMWV and a M113A2 (the 13 ton bedroom) as a Live Fire Scout and Armor Company/Team Observer Controller.

The last ride was a Detroit serial numbered M1A1 Heavy Armor in Korea. It was one of those that 3ACR drew just before ODS and was a hand me down to 2d Tank in Korea...

Now, unlike Rob, i drive a computer, desk and desk chair... Maybe my future will be back with Big Iron but I doubt it.

John

Crewed an M1A1 in Korea. I was my first stop outta AIT, and because of a significant lack of NCO's they threw me into the gunners seat. We actually had two PFC gunners in our troop.

Then was "demoted" to the driver position upon my assignment to Ft. Carson.

I was trained on M-60A1's at Knox in 1974.
but I did too well on various tests,and got to stay 8 more weeks and learn the M-60A2.
I finally ended in Germany,with all this great High Tech training.


And I was assigned to a company with M-60's and A1's.I was on an M-60.I was a single wing Pvt.The company was understrength.I was made a gunner inside of 3 weeks there.I did my first preliminary Gunner's exam,and went to graf for the first time,and shot the ranges as a Pv-1.in september of that year,I was quickly promoted to PFC.and within a year,and after we got our A2's,I became spec 4.
But
They needed NCO's so I got a lateral promotion to Corporal.

well I used to own a 800 series 5 Ton and a 900 series 5 Ton also...they where the "tool" trucks in the units I was in. During my time in I got to drive the following:

Humvee
M557A2
M113A3
2 1/2 ton truck
800/900 series 5 ton tucks
M88A1
MLRS
M2A2

Nothing exciting for me:

A couple of years in the fastest-known production model of the Chrysler "K" Car - Security Police Cruiser in a land where 30 kph is the average speed. Traded that in briefly for a HMMWV Armament Carrier before cross-training.

Rest of the time, I got to fly satellites and space probes...

Gunnie

I once drove the M88 at Ft. Devens... Biggest chunk of steel that I ever had 'command' of... even put out a smoke screen!

Ah, the 2-1/2 ton trucks... back in the days of manual transmissions...

Hey, whats this? Only yanks signing in here?
Gotta change that. :-)

I was a mech inf squad leader on a tank company (4 tank platoons with Centurion and 1 mech inf platoon)
As we have conscripts in Sweden I did 10 month of service in the back of a Hägglunds Pbv302 APC.
I did get to test drive the Centurions but mostly i ran around in the forrests trying to kill the enemy.
After my basic I have done three tours as a UN peacekeeper, one in Lebanon where I got to ride as HMG-gunner on a SISU wheeled APC from time to time.
My real duty was supply squad leader but you gotta take the chanses you get.
Next to trips I was in Bosnia, first trip as mech inf squad leader and second as gunner in the pbv302 APC.
Now I work as an instructor in a engineer regiment and the only armour we have there is the Patria APC but not on my platoon.

/Thord

CREW,
10 weeks @ the Wood and HONOR grad, got me as a crewman on an M728 CEV,
and M48/M60 AVLB's. Did that for 3 years with the 330th CBT ENG's. Then in 89' I was transfered to an Aviation unit, back to my primary MOS of 67N, which I did 6 years. Then 3
year brake to go to college, then back to a COMBAT Brigade in 97' to support an M1 unit in
Alabama.. Then to the 20th Special Forces in 99' as a Vehicle Recovery Specialist on the
M936 and M88. Now Im back in PA and Im with the 309th Regt in NJ as an Observer Controler Trainer , evaluating activated units. Looking fwd to retirement. Go to the Board in
January for Warrant Officer as a 915A, and that will finish my carrer. Todd

From north of the border...

M113A2 ambulance and Bison (LAV-25) ambulance.

Not armour. Long time ago gunner (#3 in British RA numbering) on 105mm PAK-HOW, also a couple of goes as gunner in the Abbot.

nothing exciting for me beford CL's, MK's ect some of which were older than me! also
land rover 110's and an airportable ones. currently drive land-rovers "surprise surprise"
and one of these babys

Oh yeah, back down Memory Lane,,,
1973-1978 2d Armored Div Ft Hood M113, M113A1, M125A1, M106, M106A1, M578,,
Yes, even the short-lived hot rod M114A1/M114A1E1 (20mm).

Though I was 11B by trade, I was assigned as a driver for a line company, and actually liked pulling PMCS on those toads to the point that I was drafted into the motor pool for two years.

After 1978, I changed MOSs to Military Police, and aside from museum piece V-100s, haven't come into any other hands-on armor since. Still in the Reserve, but that's all Hummer action, except for the short-lived Guardian ASV.

Jim Peterson

Pulled National Guard duty '91-'97

Started out as a 13F in M151A2's and then went to CUCV's...hooray...

Finally got M981's (yuck) and M577's.

Near the end I was retrained as 64D, so I learned to drive the M1 series (for recovery reasons), and to properly use the M578 and M88A1. Ran around for 4 weeks in the summer recovery EVERYTHING on God's green earth. (Our division had "gotten" a large number of vehicles from the 24th ID, mainly M109's, and a bunch of M578's from the South Dakota NG (total piles of crap). Also ran around in the old 5 ton and 2 1/2 ton trucks, both in vanilla flavor and some of the maintenance rigs. Ended my years helping out in the Red River Valley Flood of '97 running around in a hummer and helping pull axles out of 5 ton trucks at the local Dept . of Transportation maintenace shops and Technical College garages...more fun.

Oh, and I got to be a BUS driver (real busses) too. #:-)

Chevy 5/4 ton & 81mm Mortar
MLVW & 105mm C1
M109A3
M577
M113
The mighty iltis
Soon to get a G-Wagen

My turn to chime in.......
Started off as an In-flight tech on an EC-130 Hercules then upgraded to an E-6A Mercury then went backwards to an EP-3E Aeries II. Not much on firepower but we could find anything that emitted RF and what the heck, I never got muddy! LOL

My two cents....M-41 Walker Bulldog, M48 series (except A5), M60, A1, A2 and the beloved A3. Loved that tank! M1 and M1A1. Also did the APC route while in the 3rd ACR. Great vehicles. But, for my money, nothing ever beat that M60A3.
DJ

My first platoon consisted of the M48A5s which Sabot mentioned. The unit transitioned to M60A3 TTS right after I finished Armor Officer Basic Course, and I rode around on these until I was posted as a Scout Platoon Leader in the Divisional Cav Squadron. My scouts used M113A2s and M901 ITVs.

Way back in 79-82 I had the pleasure of crewing / riding an M113 engineer version and the Lyxn recee vehicle in 1 Combat Engineer Regiment here in Canada. Since then I only get to play with shiny police cars

In all of my appointments I was involved with the YPR-765 :

Sergeant : Squad Leader on YPR-765 PRI version (also second 25 mm Gunner)
2nd Lieutenant : Platoon Leader 120mm Mortar Platoon on YPR-765 PRMR
1st Lieutenant : Second in Command of support Company 120mm Mortars and TOW antitank platoons, YPR-765 PRCO, PRMR and PRAT

and now..... I drive a 10 year old FIAT

2 1/2 ton, M113 dozer, M548 all while a reservist. Having spent the bulk of my regular force career in Petawawa during the days of the SSF (light), I generally only was a passenger in an Iltis and crewed combat boots.

Got to drive most vehicles the Army had during my time in the forces. Couldn't say i really crewed them though as i worked in various vehicle depots we just stored and maintained them. So i got to drive anything from a fully laden tank transporter, plant vehicles and afv's down to motor bikes and staff cars.

The vehicles I have owned/operated are:

M113A2 as a 12b20 Combat Engineer
2 1/2 ton and 5 ton trucks as a 12b10 Combat Engineer
I have operated D7 dozers, MW-24C front loaders, Cat graders and scrapers as a 62E10 Heavy Equipment Operator.

I am now blessed (yeah right) with a M35A2 with M66 ring mount and M2 .50 cal. I occasionally swap out the M2 for a MK. 19 depending on what the threat brief tells me about my route. When I'm not hauling beans and bullets in my 2 1/2, I spend part of my time cruising Baghdad in an M998 HMMWV.