IronMikeGolf -> RE: Here come the French (12/25/2014 5:29:34 PM)
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About that AMX-30 TIS... In '91. shortly after transitioning to M2A2s, my company (A/4-8 IN) participated in a river crossing exercise. Elements of 15RCh from down the Autobahn (they were stationed between K-town and Mannheim), our mech company, a US bridging unit (boats used as pontoons, not sure of designation for those), and a BW ferry unit (2 x ferries). Of course, troopers were crawling all over each other's equipment. The AMX-30's had an armored box to hold the TIS. They were empty. They also appeared to be very poorly maintained. Just might have been old and in need of depot level work, though. Each tank had 2 x half 55 gal drum for drip pans fron and rear and they parked each on a tarp as well. Even so, 'Rad came with a backhoe to scoop up POL contaminated soil. Watched an AMX-30, during dress rehearsal (it was a dog and pony show. bleachers, etc) drive onto, down the full length, and off the far end of a German ferry with into the Rhine. About 10 inches of antenna was all you could see. Oh, yeah, and the French put a main gun tube in some local's living room, too. We got to spend a day and night busting track. The redesigned track shoe for the M2A2s arrived and we switched them all out. Now *that* was a J.O.B.!
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