I'd like to share some photos I took while in active duty as a Bradley crewman. I was a driver for 2 years and a gunner for 1 year before I got out.
I have two sets of photos to share, the first set is of a vehicle that I received new from the factory in 1985. IT literally had zero hours on the meter when we started it up. The second set is of a older vehicle that I signed for when I went to Germany. From what I remember, this vehicle was already 2 years old when I got there in1986. What I am showing is how the vehicles fared during multiple field exercises.
The First set shows the new vehicles at delivery through the desert training in Ft Irwin CA. My unit was attached to an armor battalion who had a commander who loved the field. We deployed every other week for the whole year I was at Ft Hood. So these vehicles were constantly in use. Not to mention dirty and washed a lot.
During the three weeks in the Cali desert I lost the rubber off the rear-most two sets of road wheels twice. The track pads were pretty much gone and the paint on the inner surface of the road wheels was worn off.
On to the pics!! Ft Hood and the new vehicles..
a brand new M3 Bradley
First ride in our brand new M2s, note the tape on the smoke grenade launchers and periscopes
on the move
The guy climbing on top is the Bradley instructor.
Swimming the vehicles
in the field
at the wash rack
Other vehicles -
in the rain
after being towed in by a M88 (transmission failure)
These are from Germany
in the CA desert, I only have one photo, I didn't take my camera with me.
What I'm trying to show is that I didn't see rust, I didn't see chipping, I saw paint worn off from rubbing brush and equipment. Tracks never rusted on active vehicles. And in Germany we painted our vehicles once a year because of the NBC properties in the paint.
Fresh paint in 1986
And more
Some white wash fading...
I hope this helps with weathering and details.
Chris
I have two sets of photos to share, the first set is of a vehicle that I received new from the factory in 1985. IT literally had zero hours on the meter when we started it up. The second set is of a older vehicle that I signed for when I went to Germany. From what I remember, this vehicle was already 2 years old when I got there in1986. What I am showing is how the vehicles fared during multiple field exercises.
The First set shows the new vehicles at delivery through the desert training in Ft Irwin CA. My unit was attached to an armor battalion who had a commander who loved the field. We deployed every other week for the whole year I was at Ft Hood. So these vehicles were constantly in use. Not to mention dirty and washed a lot.
During the three weeks in the Cali desert I lost the rubber off the rear-most two sets of road wheels twice. The track pads were pretty much gone and the paint on the inner surface of the road wheels was worn off.
On to the pics!! Ft Hood and the new vehicles..
a brand new M3 Bradley
First ride in our brand new M2s, note the tape on the smoke grenade launchers and periscopes
on the move
The guy climbing on top is the Bradley instructor.
Swimming the vehicles
in the field
at the wash rack
Other vehicles -
in the rain
after being towed in by a M88 (transmission failure)
These are from Germany
in the CA desert, I only have one photo, I didn't take my camera with me.
What I'm trying to show is that I didn't see rust, I didn't see chipping, I saw paint worn off from rubbing brush and equipment. Tracks never rusted on active vehicles. And in Germany we painted our vehicles once a year because of the NBC properties in the paint.
Fresh paint in 1986
And more
Some white wash fading...
I hope this helps with weathering and details.
Chris
