Anyone ever drive a tank?

[pcgeek11]

How long was the average deployment and what is it like living in a tin can underwater for several months at a time? I've often heard people who serve on submarines are not quite right in the head.

The longest deployment I had on a submarine was 110 days due to us having to stay out and cover targets for another boat as they had some issues....

When you go aboard it seems very small and cramped, but after a few weeks your mind adapts and it all seems normal. ( A submarine is not a tin can a tin can is a Destroyer ) As for staying in sewer pipe or a boat as it is known is no different than sealing up your house and staying inside with artificial lighting for a few months at a time. Then when you pull into port everything is so damn big!

I cannot imagine what it is like today having females onboard, I think that would be nothing but trouble for all involved. I made an around the world Magellan Cruise when the Navy first had females onboard surface craft. That was a real shit show. A third ended up pregnant, another third couldn't take it and had to be transferred off ship and the last third did ok.

I'm sure it is no longer the same as in my day. I retired in May 1993.

" I've often heard people who serve on submarines are not quite right in the head. "

Lets just say that Bubble heads have their own way of expressing themselves and leave it at that.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

I cannot imagine what it is like today having females onboard, I think that would be nothing but trouble for all involved. I made an around the world Magellan Cruise when the Navy first had females onboard surface craft. That was a real shit show. A third ended up pregnant, another third couldn't take it and had to be transferred off ship and the last third did ok.

Was funny going from AF where females were literally everywhere to working for an army unit that hadn't been permitted them yet (this was a few years ago, special forces unit). Those guys absolutely lost their minds about the prospect of having women around, like they had never seen them before or worked with them in any capacity.

Day came, and ... bum bum bummmmmmm, nothing happened. Bunch of apes.

 

[mrblotto]

Sorry, just popped into my noggin

 

[JPS35]

The longest deployment I had on a submarine was 110 days due to us having to stay out and cover targets for another boat as they had some issues....

When you go aboard it seems very small and cramped, but after a few weeks your mind adapts and it all seems normal. ( A submarine is not a tin can a tin can is a Destroyer ) As for staying in sewer pipe or a boat as it is known is no different than sealing up your house and staying inside with artificial lighting for a few months at a time. Then when you pull into port everything is so damn big!

I cannot imagine what it is like today having females onboard, I think that would be nothing but trouble for all involved. I made an around the world Magellan Cruise when the Navy first had females onboard surface craft. That was a real shit show. A third ended up pregnant, another third couldn't take it and had to be transferred off ship and the last third did ok.

I'm sure it is no longer the same as in my day. I retired in May 1993.

" I've often heard people who serve on submarines are not quite right in the head. "

Lets just say that Bubble heads have their own way of expressing themselves and leave it at that.

Wow! Thank you for sharing and your service. I can't stand being stuck at home without going out for more than a day or two, let alone a week, month, or 110 days. I'd go nuts. Yeah, just because females want to serve does not mean it is a good idea in some cases. I imagine this happens quite a bit on deployments like that on a boat, sub, etc. Any potential scares of war or launches or close calls during your time?

 

[shortylickens]

No.
In the 80's my dad worked at FMC and let me sit in a tank.
It was underwhelming, even as a 6 year old.

 

[pcgeek11]

Wow! Thank you for sharing and your service. I can't stand being stuck at home without going out for more than a day or two, let alone a week, month, or 110 days. I'd go nuts. Yeah, just because females want to serve does not mean it is a good idea in some cases. I imagine this happens quite a bit on deployments like that on a boat, sub, etc. Any potential scares of war or launches or close calls during your time?

Yes, we had some close encounters / events with Russians during the cold war days when they would try and track us out of ports etc.

Nothing that can be spoken of off hand however.

 

[pcgeek11]

Was funny going from AF where females were literally everywhere to working for an army unit that hadn't been permitted them yet (this was a few years ago, special forces unit). Those guys absolutely lost their minds about the prospect of having women around, like they had never seen them before or worked with them in any capacity.

Day came, and ... bum bum bummmmmmm, nothing happened. Bunch of apes.

I understand that aspect of it, working with females when you aren't use to it...

The submarine culture had to be drastically changed in order to accommodate females onboard. Then to have them at sea for extended periods of time in not so good conditions. Once we had a potable water still and evaporator problem and couldn't bath or perform any personal hygiene for over two weeks. But then again that was the old Navy. These days I guess they would just say screw it and pull into port and let someone else cover their targets. That is pretty much the story of how the Trident Hull boats were going when I retired. They didn't fix crap at sea they just pulled into port so we could fix it at the repair facility.

 

[shortylickens]

I joined the Navy in 97 and left in 2006.
Women on ships tend to cause an awful lot of problems and solve very few. They don't pull their weight with regards to workload. They have a tendency to get pregnant and avoid sea duty anyways. They also have about 3 times the number of sick days even when not pregnant (3 times relative to males, there are 9 times as many males in service as women, so sometimes the numbers get skewed when a politician wants to push a progressive agenda). No one is gonna like what I'm about to say but I don't know how to lie and it needs saying: Motivated, dedicated, hard working women tend to avoid military service.
They tend to hit up prestigious universities and go on to lucrative professional careers like law and medicine.
The military tends to get men and women who don't know what to do with their lives. Many of them actually find their calling and go on the great success. Some just realize they arent cut out for the life, so they fuck off, do their minimum, and get out with a general discharge.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

I understand that aspect of it, working with females when you aren't use to it...

The submarine culture had to be drastically changed in order to accommodate females onboard. Then to have them at sea for extended periods of time in not so good conditions. Once we had a potable water still and evaporator problem and couldn't bath or perform any personal hygiene for over two weeks. But then again that was the old Navy. These days I guess they would just say screw it and pull into port and let someone else cover their targets. That is pretty much the story of how the Trident Hull boats were going when I retired. They didn't fix crap at sea they just pulled into port so we could fix it at the repair facility.

I guess that's the agility that comes with having double the hardware you need to police the world

 

[BoomerD]

Yes. i have driven a tank. 1964 Chrysler Imperial.

 

[Captante]

Yes. i have driven a tank. 1964 Chrysler Imperial.

Buddy of mine had one of these except it was light blue ... the very definition of "Land-Yacht" lol.

You could steer that thing with your pinky! (despite its positively svelt nearly 6000lb curb-weight)

 

[mrblotto]

Speaking of tanks/land yachts
This guy is great!

 

[skyking]

No military service, but 29 years of heavy equipment operator experiences. Big dozer are fun but have horrible visibility forward.
My car in front of the D8U: https://photos.app.goo.gl/zdv52SpLwjDh5jDs8

Can you see it? No way!

New photo · Friday, Aug 26, 2016 ð¸

Tap to view!

photos.app.goo.gl

Most all around fun are the 6wd articulated trucks. They will climb so steep it seems unpossible

 

[Red Squirrel]

Seems like poor design they put the exhaust stack right in front of the freaking windshield LOL. Never really considered how bad the visibility can be from some of these machines haha. I guess you get used to it, you see enough to get the job done.

 

[Svnla]

There is a place in Texas that if you have money, you can drive a tank or two (real ones, not fake or downsize model) around -

Drivetanks.com provides various packages for adrenaline junkies, which range anywhere from $300-$30,000. There is no age restriction for this unique experience. It all just depends on the parents and kids ability to follow instructions. In the past, kids as young as young as 12 have driven their tanks.

Texas Hill Country Ranch Lets You Drive and Shoot Real Tanks

Ever wish you could get behind the wheel of a military-grade tank? This unique Texas businessman wants to put you in the drivers seat.

www.wideopencountry.com

When I traveled outside the US, if you have money, you could shoot real automatic (non NATO pack/Western countries) guns (rifles and machine guns) at the army's range. Just have to pay about $1 or so per bullet or a few hundreds USD per RPG shot. Not sure if they would let you fire a real artillery battery or not.

 

[BoomerD]

Buddy of mine had one of these except it was light blue ... the very definition of "Land-Yacht" lol.

You could steer that thing with your pinky! (despite its positively svelt nearly 6000lb curb-weight)

That's from an era when a full-sized car really was full-sized...

 

[Red Squirrel]

That hood is so long if you get into an accident you have time to safetly get everyone out of the car before the cabin is affected by the crash.

 

[Captante]

That hood is so long if you get into an accident you have time to safetly get everyone out of the car before the cabin is affected by the crash.

It was like driving a battering ram lol.

Got less then 10 mpg even if you limited throttle-input to your big toe and was on the slow side despite sporting a 472 ci V8.

 

[olds]

Never drove a tank.
Different tracked vehicles, M113, M577 and dozers.

 

[BoomerD]

It was like driving a battering ram lol.

Got less then 10 mpg even if you limited throttle-input to your big toe and was on the slow side despite sporting a 472 ci V8.

yeah, but gas was ~$.30/gallon.

 

[shortylickens]

My uncle had a diesel Cutlass Sierra.
If you pushed down on the gas it would shudder for 3 seconds and then slowly roll forward.
I think thats what a tank feels like.

 

[Captante]

yeah, but gas was ~$.30/gallon.

Not when we were cruising around in that monster ... we're talking early 1980's.

I'm old but not quite "Boomer-old" !!!

 

[olds]

My uncle had a diesel Cutlass Sierra.
If you pushed down on the gas it would shudder for 3 seconds and then slowly roll forward.
I think thats what a tank feels like.

They have pep for their size.
At one point in the Army I was a Forward Observer for a Tank Company. When they got the M1s, we still had M113s. We couldn't keep up with them. Best we could do was follow their dust trail during the day (and hope you followed the right tank) and at night, use NODs and pray you didn't drive into a deep ditch.

FO
M1
M113
NOD

 

[highland145]

'68 Lincoln with suicide doors.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Good friend of mine has, I know an M1 a few times and some other smaller/older tanks while in training.
He said it’s really hard and really fun to drive them.