From: grntrks@juno.com
Date: Tue Jun 29 2004 - 22:48:07 PDT
As long as we are on this subject--- I watched the live coverage of the
blitz to Bagdad every waking moment. At one point during the major sand
storm, one of the "imbedded" reporters talked to track crew ( live ) that
had pulled their pac at night, during the storm, and ask why they were
doing it in a sand storm.
The reply was (paraphrased ) If we don,t get it fixed now we could get
killed tomorrow, because it won't run.
'Nuff said!
Frank Cox
USAF, 'Nam 1966
MVPA 14530
'45 GMC 353 DUKW
'66 M35A2 w/w
On Tue, 29 Jun 2004 23:48:59 -0400 "Thomas M McHugh" <tmmchugh@msn.com>
writes:
> 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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