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To: sauropod
"Over how much of the earth's surface can you really go 50 mph in a Main Battle Tank"

Back in 1993, when I did my transition into the Abrams tank, I went through the TCPC (Tank Crew Proficiency Course) wherein all of us rotated through the positions which must be occupied in the vehicle: Gunner, driver, loader, and commander. When it came time for me to drive this sports car of armored vehicles, I was able to scream through the driving portion and was told by the instructors that at one time the tank went "airborne" with daylight visible under the treads all around. Inside, my fellow officer trainees, didn't notice the acrobatics, so smooth was the ride. The same thing happened on the gunnery course, except that time (I was loading as I recall) the main gun fired at the top of the arc and hit it's target over a thousand meters away. One shot, one kill.

168 posted on 01/01/2004 9:02:43 AM PST by ExSoldier (When the going gets tough, the tough go cyclic.)
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To: ExSoldier
...I was able to scream through the driving portion and was told by the instructors that
at one time the tank went "airborne" with daylight visible under the treads all around.


Maybe 10 years ago, Joan Lunden (sp?), the lady who was on "Good Morning America"
did a news special in which she got to drive the Abrams at a training facility.
IIRC, she put the pedal to the metal and had the tank mostly (not totally) airborne
while topping some rises at high speed.

I don't know if the Army has females jockeying Abrams, but the Lunden special
but I suspect that some ladies that don't get enough of an adrenaline rush out of
their civilian Hummer probably were saying "I've got to get me one of those!"
173 posted on 01/01/2004 9:30:36 AM PST by VOA
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