Re: [MV] Deuce carrying capacity

From: Thomas M McHugh (tmmchugh@msn.com)
Date: Tue Jun 29 2004 - 20:48:59 PDT


The maintenance thread is just going around in circles. Pretty much the way
the REAL WORLD maintenance system has & will always work.

In my 43 years in the Military System, I saw a well rounded routine of the
requirements & the needs of the troops & units. Some Officers never wanted
shortcuts, those individuals were left out of the informational loop.
Others knew what you would do, but never said "Don't Do It" as they wanted
the job to get completed.

Anyone that served a 2 or 3 year tour at any time, even during peacetime,
has seen canibalization & midnight requisitions.
The Army NEVER could get by without some under the table decisions being
made. The person that quoted all the very specific regulations, was
correct. Unfortunately, it is impossible to talk to the personnel that
were in the chain of command, down on the level of survival. At that level
it is survive any way you can & cover your A** about it later.

I served from March 1951 to April 1954 in the Regular Army, in SCARWAF.
Special Catagory Army Attached With Air Force, building Airfields,
Extensions & Roads on Ait Force Bases. We had many ways to keep our Heavy *
Support Equipment & Vehicles rolling. We were hit & we hit others at
night, to swap broken parts, because we would not deadline a piece of
equipment. It would take an hour to describe some of the greatest Midnight
Requisition tricks.

I further served 30 years in the NJARNG & 10 in the Army Reserve. The
veihcle supply system worked great at times & other times it was
non-existant. Then the canibalization was common. It was worth it to tie
up 5 trucks to keep 40 others on the Engineer Projects.

Some paper officer would have fits later, but that was long after the jobs
were finished. At that time, we would all hang our heads & look truly
sorry. Not long though, later we would have a drink & smile, until the
next time of chastizment.

And so it went. after the fact, we can all sound pompous. When it is time
to work, it was time again to do what needed to be done. Job first.
Cover your A** second. Be contrite later.

Tom McHugh, NJ
1952 M38A1
M-416 Trailer
US ARMY Retired ( I cannot play any more, now they send money )
MVPA, MTA

----- Original Message -----
From: "paul carrier" <paulc@teleport.com>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2004 9:31 PM
Subject: Re: [MV] Deuce carrying capacity

> I was also in Korea in 1978.
> The replacement parts system at that time was broken, period.
> Authorised and unauthorised canibilazion was used to try and keep enough
of
> our tracks up
> to just train. We waited 4 months for a replacement pack for my M113.
> Eventually it arrived and I, the driver did most of the install.
> The company mechanics were there to help lower it in place.



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