Here is some of the equipment types I do have:
M113 Family: M113A2, M548A1, M901A1, M113A3, M1064 120mm mortar carrier
Bradleys: M3, M3A1, M2A2
Tanks: M1A1, M1IP (2 of each)
Howitzers: M109A5, M109A4, M198 155mm towed, M102 105mm towed
HEMTTs: M978 fueler, M1074 PLS, M985
Engineer junk: 25t Crane, Grader, Scoop Loader, SEE, D7 dozer, JD-410 backhoe, M931A2 5t dump truck, Scraper, F5070 20t dump truck, M817 5t dump truck
Recovery equipment: M578, M88A1, M936 wrecker, M816 wrecker
HMMWVs: M1037, M966, M998
Misc. Wheels: M1008, M1009, Shop Van, M1070 Super HET, M1078, M1084, M911HET, M920, M915, SECM, M35A2, M36A3, M923A2, M818, various fork lifts.

Bunch of other stuff too. Of an interesting note to Jan, we have an M35 that has been upgraded with six big wheels and CTIS instead of the normal 10 wheeled deuce.

Rob, you´re in the heaven and not realize it yet, or do?
Why don´t you make an article or a reference page (Jim?) to make all these stuff avaliable to everybody?
Just an idea
Cheers!

Maybe, seems like a big project, lots of heavy junk to photograph. And, yes, I know I have it good. Most of the equipment I have is in multiples (2 or 3). A lot of it is just near obsolete and unused awaiting diposition.

I'd like to see pictures of the Big Deuce with CTIS - sounds like an Air Force M35A3...

Gunnie

Correct me if Im wrong SABOT, but is the M1070 Super HETT the on that looks "boxy" and has a trailer with a ton of wheels with individual hydraulic systems. If so and possible, good pictures of that beast would be appriciated. Accurate Armor is releasing that vehicle this spring and since I have the Dragon Wagon and a M911 HETT, that piece would complete my HETT collection.

In short Sabot - we want pictures of EVERYTHING :-)

Gunnie

Figures, I just filled up the digital camera with pictures of the deuce, "tag axle" of the M911 and a couple of shots of the motor pool. I go on leave today (have 65.5 days accumulated) and just came in to reenlist one of my sergeants (hence all my free time today).

Yes, the M1070 is the boxy HETT, I was standing on it when I too the shots where the hangers and tower are visible in the background. It is in the background of the shot where the tanks and howitzers are. I was standing on the road scraper roof for those shots.

I'll post pictures this evening and on Monday or Tuesday will take requests for particular machines. I did get good interior shots of the remanufactured deuce. It is an M36A3 w/wench and longbed. The CTIS reservoir is behind the left front bumper. Got a good picture of that too.

Rob - I speak for everyone - thanks for taking the time out for photos. We all appreciate that!

Gunnie

Rob, I think you could earn a pretty penny on the side by organizing a guided tour trough that heaven of yours... I know that I'd like to be one of the more frequent visitors. ...but for now, some detailed pics will do... :-)

Mario M.

Actually, I let a lot of the units around here borrow equipment for parades, family days, recruiting set ups and the like. Unless we have a class going on that requires that specific piece of equipment, then it's not too big a deal.

I'd love to borrow some stuff.. I guess it won't fit in my garage, though... :-)

Mario M.

Rob,
My eare are pointed to hear more about those beauties. Som much even must be looking like a Vulcan. That M35 story has my full attention !
I look forward to seeing those pics.
Sounds like you're in armor heaven there !
The first time I saw modern US armor was when I was in the army (drafted reserve offr) in Germany in 1986. We were on field ex for a month, at Bergen-Hohne, a huge British army camp. At the same site, a large part (or all) of the 2nd Armored Division was there at the end of their Reforger exercise. All vehicles were brought together there for inspection, repair and cleaning before they were mothbolled again untill the crews would fly in from the US again for an exercise. There must have been hundreds of M1's, M2's, M113-TOWS, and many, many hundreds of hummers and trucks. It was mind-boggling !

Why I write this, I now remember how those M2's were guarded : while we wore our FAL guns with live 7.62 ammo, they used... baseball bats !!! When I asked one of the officers what the use was, he replied : "nobody's gonna steal one of these babies. Only risk is someone climbing inside to steal something that's inside. And when they see these baseball bats, they know we mean business !"

My hopes before the ex. started were to ride on the commandpost of a Belgian Leopard (1 !) , maybe even sit in on a battle run. Since I saw those US vehicles I realised what a sorry bunch we were. "how do I get out of this chickens**t outfit ?" - Aliens 2-
I had plenty of time to drive around and admire it all. I ran the platoons that delivered the exercise ammo for our tank battalions to the site : unloading the trains, stockpiling in field ammo dump, for a week, doing nothing but enjoy the US gear, the shooting ranges and the battle run competitions for two weeks. When the Leo's were loaded on the trains to return, we collected the shells and leftover ammo and put it all back on transport to our unit. That was not an exercise : it was a holiday !
All this just to say how impressed I was with all those machines I only knew from modeling. Normally, US troups were rarely seen in the Belgian sector of Germany, so this was a great opportunity.
Then later, in the nineties I contacted the US army to take pictures of an M35 for my modeling. Instead of just letting me photograph the one I had in mind in Belgium, they invited me to a depot in Germany where there was (among others) a HUGE repair station for M35's only. There must have been thirty or fourty they were working on at the same time ! some were complete, most were taken all apart, showing their underwear if not their private parts. I took plenty of pics. That's how I was able to scratchbuild the M35.

Well, enough blabla for one night. I must go to sleep. Thanks for the pics !!!

Jan

Good story Jan. If you ever in your life time, if you havn' all ready, try to see a live fire exercise or Gunnery training. Being that I work on the TOW system of the Bradley, I always have to be on the range with the Bradley's. NOTHING SAYS HEAVEN LIKE HEARING THE 25MM MAIN GOING OFF. MUSIC TO MY EARS. The first time I heard a M1 fire was my first time at NTC in California. I was on the MST team and we set up our vehicles about 300 meters away while they where bore sighting there main guns. Let me tell you, when they fired, I fell of my chair.

"PEACE THROUGH SUPERIOR FIRE POWER - THE BAD BOY DUO - M1A1 & BRADLEY"

I remember when I got a new loader straight from AIT. He had gone through school on the M1, and had never been in an M1A1. During our calibration on the live fire range, when one shot is fired at a time to ensure proper boresighting, after the main gun went off, he jumped out of the turret real fast. The recoil of that big 120mm inches away from him scared the pants off of him.

Here is the requested translation to my post

BOY!!!! Us military guys can go on forever with stories. I've got thousands. May be Jim should make us a discusion group just to tell or stories.LOL

I couldn't add anything to that group but I would read every story. I have so much respect for all you military guys. I could listen to you tell stories for weeks at a time.

Ask and you shall recieve. ::::poof::::

There is now a "Soldier Stories" forum in Other Interests.

Rob & Ken - I volunteered you as moderators! Can't be me... I haven't served.

Thanks Rob!!

I'm an Airforce brat, combat pilot school wannabe, almost-been-run-over by a big hunk of tracked metal, but for the life of me abbreviations are still a nightmare!!!! Appreciate the time and effort to fill in my lack of knowledge!!

Jim,
I was only joking, but thanks anyways!!!!!!! I guess alot of guys could get some good info out of "OLD WAR STORIES" LOL!!!!!!!!

Rob, err ahh, Colonel, (man I've been at work too much lately) very nice job...indeed!
Now, is there any way that perhaps you could go back in time... say, 57 years, + or - one or two? LOL. Almost makes me wish I was into modern arms modeling!!

Jim, what's that???...sounds like my old duty station...eeek...