I just posted the next update on Prime Portal. This time there are 6 new shots of vehicles on the railway to OIF including two real nice shots of Bradleys.

Also there is a 15 picture set of a HEMTT getting its cab changed.

What's New at Prime Portal

More to come!

Don

Do you know why they changed the cab? It didn't look mashed like it had been in a accident or battle damaged.

Just curious...

That is a question I am trying to get the answer to. As soon as I have that information it will be posted.

Don

I was talking to a pair of National Guard contractors about this yesterday (coincidentily). Both of them are retired military mechanics who now work at the Fort Devens CSMS (consolidated support maintenance site). They happened to be looking for one of my NCOs who is retiring next year in hopes of getting him to work there. Too many of the dual status Reserve or Guard soldiers who work there as civilians are deployed with their units.

They are in the process of installing ring mounts on various trucks like 900-series 5 tons and HEMTTs. Apparently when the truck cabs and ring mounts were originally designed, they may have been more for show than to take the vibration and beating the .50 cal or Mk-19 actually give the vehicle during prolonged use.

I was told they had to check each cab to see if it was still structurely sound. They did this by banging on the roof with a ball peen hammer to see if the hammer went through the roof. If the cab had too much rust from years of minimal use, they had to replace the entire cab. The rust comes from the headboard padding in the roof holding moisture and causing the roof to rust from the inside.

They basically gutted the interior cab of 5 ton trucks. Removing seats and battery box. They then installed an armored box inside the cab. This box made both the frame and the cab more rigid. Then they mounted the new ring mounts. This is supposed to compensate for all the vibrations.

Neither mechanic had ever replaced truck cabs in their 30 year careers. But since doing the ring mount installation, they replaced about every fourth cab. That could be why the cab is being changed out in these photographs. Just a guess though.

Ok, I got the answer for the guys who were doing the work. The truck was in a convoy. There was a Humvee in front of them that stopped short. They ran into that Humvee. The damage wasn't too major, but now that you know what happened you can see it on the cab. The doors were jammed to where they wouldn't open, the windows were popping out, everything was a bit ascew.

And now you know the rest of the story

Don

What did the HUMVEE look like? Man I'ld hate to ger smacked by one of those HEMTT's even in a tank. That's gotta hurt !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If nothing else it proves that the Humvee has better brakes than the HEMTT :-)

I will see if I can find shots of the Hummer.

Don

Thanks again Don!