I was in the field years ago. It was cold as hell and one of these tanks showed up. The TC got out and told us that we could all gather behind his tank and he’d keep the engine running so we could get warm. Very cool of him. This was at Fort Lewis Washington sometime around 00-01. Thanks a lot my brother. I never forgot it.
We would let the infantry warm up behind our tank... Then my TC would pop up and scream at them... "Why carry your weapon???, When your weapon can carry you!!!! " And then gave me the order to move out... Great times!!!
I remember being in Germany last year and I was driving the CO around and mind you I’m infantry- he asked the tankers if I could hop in and fire a sabot and they said hell yeah!! I’m still close with that captain to this day, he is a huge help in my career
I knew it, I thought that was you that I saw in Germany last year, I wasn’t sure it was you and you were with somebody so I didn’t want to say anything.
I was a driver on the "original" M1 in West Germany in 1980-82. The firing system has certainly changed since then lol. Would've loved to have that tech back then!
We had M1 IPs at Hood and then rotated to West Germany as a COHORT battalion and got basic M1s. Loved each and every version up to the M1A2 TUSK. What is not to love about Chobham armor, a gas turbine, and armor piercing, fin stabilized, discarding sabot rounds with a 66mm depleted uranium penetrator?
I got out 2 years ago and being a tanker was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The job sucked a lot, but doing Gunnery made the entire job worth it. Thanks for sharing, got me to relive some of my best memories.
I got out in early 2019 but decided that people should see the full badassery of the Abrams. Since I haven’t seen a video like it of any kind on RUclips yet. I always said being a tanker is 90% maintenance 10% fun. Furry had it right, Best job I ever had.
@@19-Kilo do you think Abrams is currently one of the best(or the best) MBTs out there? Is its equipment better than other tanks, is its armour more reliable, is its weaponry better? Comparing to, for example, Leopard 2, what's the difference between them? I heard Abrams is not using autoloading system to decrease the chance of ammorack detonation, is that true?
@@broderzzcompany with the Abrams the back of the turret where ammo is has blow out panned if used right there is a very low chance of smmo rack but compare to a t80 all the ammo is next to the crew because of its auto loader so if smmo racked there is extremely extremely low chance they will survive . And the 2a7 is like the Abrams with it beeing manually loaded but it blow out panels aren’t as affective I pretty sure
@@popcorn8153 Correct me if I wrong, but this is turbine noise and probably microphone charateristic to be most sensitive in that annoying range of sound frequency
God this brings back memories, I was a tanker from 1986-2015. I served on the M60A1, M1IP, M1A1HA and M1A1 HC, and finally the M1A2 SEP, after that I was done with my PSG time and was a staff puke then a First Sergeant (for 6 companies) Best job I ever had.
One of the very few times the video description was accurate. Best tank video I've ever seen. I was not privileged to serve and at 6'4", I'd never have made a tanker but this certainly makes it look like fun. (I'm sure not nearly as fun in actual battle.) Thank you for taking time from your lives to serve guys. I appreciate it.
There's no height min or max for a tanker. In my Basic training there was a guy that was 4'11" and when stationed in Germany in our company we had a guy who was 6'10". Although, I would think that life on a tank had to be a bit more difficult for either one of them.
@@notyouraveragegoldenpotatoWeird. I used to work with a guy who used to be a tanker in the army. He was almost an inch taller than me and I'm damn near 6'3. He was probably 6'4ish.
This Navy vet has a ton of respect for anybody who would go to war inside a machine that's as much of a target for missiles as a tank is on the modern battlefield. Similar to being on a surface ship, in a tank there's nowhere to hide. Many of the worst service-connected injuries I see at my local VA hospital are from combat vets who served in armored units.
My first GQ in USS Mahan,we were told that"Current Soviet tactical thinking is to shoot heat seeking missiles to take out the escort screen before going after the carrier...." I'm sitting on the mess deck between the stacks of the firerooms thinking about all the heat that I can feel. "Nowhere to hide",indeed.
Every once and awhile lightning strikes and somebody invents THE Thing for a given task. The Thing is the standard by which everything else doing that task is measured by. The Thing is perfection. You can improve on The Thing, make tweaks to it, but it is still basically The Thing. In the Infantry Weapons category, most folks consider the following items to be The Things for their task: The Ma Deuce M2HB heavy MG, the MG34/42/3 GPMG, the Browning Hi-Power and the M1911 .45 pistols [co-equals there], the M79 grenade launcher, the RPG-7 anti-tank rocket, the AK 47 assault rifle. I'm sure there are more, and there will certainly be other opinions, but you get what mean.
That's an absolute BEAST of a machine right there boys. They had a show on Hulu called "Ultimate Factories" where they took Abrams tanks and basically refurbished them to brand new. Awesome stuff!
@@Casualplayer Weird, we ran diesel in the M1 and M1A1 in the late 80's early 90's. Unless something has changed, they are still running diesel. We COULD run jet fuel, but that was only for "special" occasions(actual war)
It’s more closely related to a jet engine like on an aircraft than a gas turbine but yes you are correct, kind of funny thinking that a tank needs jet fuel
wow, firing the main gun is way more hectic than I thought it would be. There is A LOT going on. I can see how a tight team can be so important. Hats off to all the tankers out there
@@JohnSmith-nw2ls "It is better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war." be glad you are not the warrior and that these tank crews are protecting you, even if you don't live in the US don't doubt these guys wouldn't get shipped over to where you live to help your country.
My teacher lost both his legs when his tank went over an IED around 13 years ago before he was a teacher. He has been at my school for 3 years and I didn't know he had prosthetic legs. He recently shared his story during Rememberance Day 2021
This is one of the best (if not THE BEST) tank gunnery videos depicting the action from the tank commander's point of view that there is on RUclips (or, so I think). He really did an amazing job considering that he was consumed with commanding his tank and watching the rest of the platoon and capturing the action with his camera. Hats off on this great video and he who produced it! (I was an armored brigade S-3 operations officer for two years.)
Thanks a lot Sir! We of course had to work hard as a crew and platoon to achieve synchronicity. Once the repetition reaches a certain point everything becomes second nature. I have spat out responses on the radio that made perfect sense and I had to stop and think, “where did that come from” lol. Thanks for watching!
The sky is the limit for one’s imagination and engineering skill. My dad and my grandpa are both engineers. Grandpa was an electrical engineer, dad was an engineer for machines that reform tires.
@@peterpenberthy2918 Yessir. 100%. I met 10 or so on the football field at the Air Force Academy a few years ago. Later went to a couple of presentations, lectures, from a couple of these gentlemen. A Tuskegee airmen lived down the street from us. Knew my dad pretty well. He passed away recently. Fine gentlemen, and man... loved hearing the gentlemen talk about flying. Pilots.
Man I miss being a tank commander. This reminds me of the good old days doing gunnery with my crew. Love the sounds of the 120mm cannon going off and smelling the fumes from the rounds. Keep up the awesome job my brothas. One shot one kill!!!
Retired tanker here and Master Gunner for M60, M60A3, M1 and M1A1 tanks, thank you for your video it brought back great memories! Keep up the great work.
19 ECHO 10 , FT. KNOX , KY . O.S.U.T. , " DISNEY LAND " , THE HOLDER COMPLEX , HEARTBREAK , MISERY & AGONY : " ON THE WAY " BROTHER " TREADHEADS " ARMOR RULES !!!!! U.S.A. " THIS WE'LL DEFEND "
@@rattussapiens2854 better than not being on the ball with the main gun, the 120mm. Besides, the 50. isn’t even at his station. He was reaching a pretty good arm length
Glad you noticed that, it was a pretty smooth transition from movement to setting into the BPs. I looked over and i dont know you could hear me but I said “hell yea” because it looked flawless on my end.
Damn dude, thanks for your service. I'm just a 15 year old that plays tank games for fun. Must have been a strange feeling actually operating a tank in real life. What did you have? Was it an Abrams? Or something else like a Bradley?
Thanks for sharing. I have been a military nerd and fanboy my whole life, but as I got older and learned more about it all, my interests changed and evolved in 2 main ways: A: I got more interested in the "less sexy" aspects, organizational stuff, the infrastructure and supplies and the elements that keep the "sexy" stuff like the MBTs and the fighter jets running, like recovery vehicles, maintenance and the such. B: I got less interested in the raw stats of machines and more in what it is like to be a soldier using and living with those machines. Long story short, that is why I appreciate videos like this one a lot. Still, there is so much I haven't learned yet, despite scouring the internet for a long time, like how accommodations for tank crews work, for example. Would the tank platoon or company carry its own tents with it for the crews to sleep in, in a "Operation Desert War" or World War 3 type scenario, when you can't rely on large, prepared, fortified bases, or would that be job of the battalion? Are there spare crew men to replace wounded or fatigued tankers? I know the French tank forces, when they introduced auto loaders to their Leclerc tanks and thus technically didn't need the human loaders anymore, still didn't get rid of the 4th crew man, but the companies ferry them after the tanks in armored personnel carriers, so they can still help with maintenance, camouflage and all the other work tank crews have to do. That always seemed smart to me. I also know that German tank battalions in WW2 carried spare crew men with them and even had their own handymen like cobblers, tailors, gun smiths and even a plumber. I guess in case the battalion resides in a building and the toilets are clogged? An amusing thought, but perhaps more common than I think? I know that US tank companies contain 2 cargo trucks, one attached to the Field Maintenance Team and one to company HQ, but I don't know what that truck transports for the company. I also don't really know how the 2 HQ tanks interact with the regular tank platoons. Do they form their own 2-tank platoon in combat, or do they attach themselves to one of the platoons? Do they lead from the front or stay back as reserve to help out in case of one of the 2 platoons getting in trouble or is that up to the company commander's digression? You know, stuff like that.
I served on the very first generation of Abrams with the 11th ACR in Germany way back when rocks were soft and fire was new. You guys have a smooth drill. Nice work getting everyone trained up. I have to say though, my leadership would have lost their freaking minds and 'Article 45'd' the whole crew for letting this much footage get out to the public. In my day, we couldn't even take photos inside the track. Everything had to be approved from PIO.
@@bradleyroon7639 AFAIK, no Abrams were captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan. All that was left behind were MRAPS and Hummers. I might be wrong, but that's what I understand as of now. Even if an Abrams was left behind, there is an extensive SOP on abandoning a vehicle. It includes everything from wiping the computer to throwing a thermite into the breech of the main gun. An Abrams was 'combat lost' in the Iraq invasion during OEF this way.
If you are up in Graff that is probably Range 301 or Range 79 . We built though ranges in 1984 I was with the 535th Eng Co ( CSE ) along three other brigades of Construction Engineers. It took us 10 months. You are at Range 301
as a tank commander of a south african olifant tank in the 1980s, this is a fascinating look at new american tech. that gyro is loud! and you're almost plugged into google maps with that comtab :) we had a laser range finder and a zooming scope screen with night vision, that's it. ranging inclination was still dialed by hand on a slider with different scales for ammunition types, but we did have the first stabilised gun in africa. (and our gyro was quiet) really cool to see, thanks.
That's not the Gyro you're hearing, that's the turbine engine. Abrams do not have a standard diesel engine, they are powered by a jet turbine. The turbine engine is able to propel the M1A2 Abrams ( one of the heaviest MBT in current usage at 64 tons) to impressive speeds, a governed 42 mph. The engine is actually quieter than diesel engines of similar power output.
@@kobruh229 that's cool, thanks for the info. when i first saw "turbine" i thought you meant turbo and it was a typo :) i'll look this up, it sounds like great tech.
I wouldnt say new. Abrams are like 40 years old at this point lol. Also thats a turbine. The Americans chose a jet turbine, the same kind they use on helicopters, for their tanks LOL. Thats where the whining noise came from. I think during desert storm, Iraq didnt desert a desert, because they thought it would be impossible for tank crews to cross it. Americans already developed GPS at the time, which I guess was a surprise lol
I took my dad (Korean War tank vet) to see M1 tanks firing at "hard targets" in Texas. He was shocked that we were using his tanks of the 50s as targets in the 80's.
My dad told me a story about keeping warm from the tank engines in the field. The infantry would get behind the tank and would spin around like a rotisserie chicken so they didn’t get burned. He also told me that the best place to sleep was on the engine on a cold night.
The only thing worse was having the snow come down hard in Graf while my wife waved to me from our housing across the tank trail. Why do I miss that soo much?
I was at Ft. Knox in 97. Used to love listening to Live Fire Exercises at night. These tankers have tremendous firepower at their disposal and are trained to use it effectively.
My son is finishing up his last 3 weeks of OSUT down at Benning right now for 19K....man, I thought what I did in my Army career was cool, but I'm totally jealous of the kid! These machines are just amazing.
A Proud Father for sure, thank you both for your Service. My Father and I were lucky enough to Serve at the same time, not a day goes by that I don't think of him and how much he did for me.
I went to AIT as a a loader/driver. Then, i joined ROTC and got my commission. Went on to other things. These guys are very good. Very fast. They are a top level crew. If you were to film an AIT crew, it would be about 1/4 this speed. Or slower. These guys are like a NASCAR team - very well drilled and cohesive.
Actually battle speed would be more involved, much faster. The reloading of the 50 cal, should have been readied. Your life or theirs plus a 8.5 million piece of Depleted Uranium with all the trimmings. No, they are in training. Watch the Gulf War video's. Men ran those!
Man, that brings back some awesome memories. I spent 4 years on that steel beast, just the A1 and not the A2........shooting the big bullets at gunnery was the best.
I miss being on my tank and my tank crew. I started out as a driver, skipped loader, became a gunner, then a Commander! B-22, 2nd platoon, Bravo Company 2nd Tank
I really admire American engineering. I can't even imagine using it while it's so enjoyable to watch. I hope one day my country will have engineering wonder tanks like the m1. Love and respect from Turkey
Don't give all the credit to Americans by any means. The 120mm main gun alone-yeah we got the stabilizing technology from Germany so it could shoot while on the move and have similar accuracy as if in a static position
It's really cool. Live shooting, I saw what Abrams looks like inside. As a man who has served in the tank forces, this is very interesting to me. Thanks for the live footage. Greetings from the tank troops of Russia with the best wishes, I express professional solidarity. I wish you successful activity in such a difficult service :)
Some of the best days of my life were on a tank. I once loaded 17 rds in a mad minute in Hoenfels, but it was on an M60-A3..Good times !! Awesome video !
"Pete" I was a track (tank) mechanic in the late 60's in Germany. We could live fire all the guns at the ranges at Grafenwöhr, but only the 7.62 and 50 cal at Hoenfels. That rate of fire would keep the loader busy, a good crew could maintain around 11 to 12 rounds a minute. After a few minutes at that rate you had to start throwing empty 105 casing to make room to stand. The M-60 and A-1 were both fine Tanks, which progressed from the 46 and M-48.
@@j4fsledgehammer Many a turret refit were done on the upgrade. Hatches etc. Pulled the old in, tore down, re-weld, additions. re-machined, assembly updated, Wham! M1 is now an M1A1, then M1A2 the M2A2. Now classified!
Was an Armor Platoon Leader back in 1977 at Friedberg, West Germany and was assigned a platoon of M-60A3's. M1A2's are so far ahead of what we had then, but I enjoyed leading my men back then. Thank-you for the video. Being a PL today isn't much different other than having to play the political games which are far worse these days. I would not be able to stomach that crap from the, "five-sided square" that you folks have to consume, so my hat is off to you, brother!
I've did a tank driving course just outside of Leicester in the UK and I was shocked at how smooth and easy they are to drive. The driving side in particular is designed to be as simple as possible in case of an emergency. You could get an infantry man with no training behind the 'wheel' and they'd be able to do successfully.
Hope the country of Taiwan gets their Abrams soon! Though the Abrams is not perfect, it will always have a special place in my heart and will always be the best MBT in the world in my humble opinion. And thank you so much for your service and sharing this vid, sir! God bless America! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Well, to be honest, I don't think Taiwan needs an offensive maneuver tank like the M1. They really need AFV's more like tank destroyers, IMO. A Merkava variant would probably be a better idea. I suggest FOG missle launchers systems as well.
This video truly captures what I love about tanks. There's nothing more fascinating to me than the laborious and intricate engineering that goes into every inch of those machines, and then to couple those masterpieces with weeks, months, and years of training for the tankers that crew them. Unparalleled brotherhoods form under the hatches, to the point where God forbid one day a shell breaks through that turret and your loader is no longer there to be found, you will have not lost a comrade, it will have been losing a part of yourself that will never come back, even after the tank is repaired and the seat is refilled. And then the command structure around the tanks, forming beautifully orchestrated formations and firing lines. Technology meeting the human mind and spirit. The tank was born in the fires of mankind's darkest hour over a hundred years ago, a desperate innovation to break the suffering of trench warfare. And it succeeded in every way possible. Tanks became an essential staple of armies and flew under dozens of flags under masters of all walks of life. They served the most noble of causes, like the M4 Shermans liberating the concentration camps in WWII, just as others facilitated the most horrendous of atrocities, like the Type 59s slaughtering protestors in the Tiananmen Massacre. They have brought hope into cowering soldiers being crushed under suppressive fire with their arrival, just as they have brought terror to those ahead of them as the marching steel leviathan brings doom upon them. They have aided in times of struggle, such as the German army sending APCs to aid civilians after floods, and they have been part of blockades that starve those same people. But since the formation of the UN, many of those tanks have stood together despite their contrasting nations. German crews, French crews, British and Americans, all combining their training together and sharing their machines and cultures with each other. Even in the time of relative peace we find ourselves in, we harden and train on to keep our tanks and tankers sharp. For the tank is Mankind's greatest instrument of change, and there will come an inevitable day where they shall march again against those who want to bring suffering to the good people of the world. Give your crew a pat on the back for me next time you chat with them, and good shooting. My best wishes to you, your crew, and Circle X herself (if that is the tank's name as I am assuming by the description.) "Remember your jobs, boys. Take care of each other, and Big Bess will take care of you." -Commander Townsend, Battlefield 1 Through Mud and Blood campaign
Great video for reminiscing about good times during live fire. The loader is pretty good at his job. One of the few besides myself who used the vertical round-flip to get the round into the breech, instead of the slow, clumsy horizontal flip. I got an avcap stuck in the deflector a few times, but never had to deal with an avcap that failed to extract from the breech. He handled it like a pro. I don't miss the Army, but I sure miss being a tanker!
@@НиколайКалугин-т5н Версия не верна Командир не пулеметчик Так стоит зенитный пулемет как и на советских танках И как и у нас у них есть упражнение стрельба по низколетящим вертолетам Не более того При закрытых люках как и у нас включается система отвода пороховых газов путем повышения давления в машине при помощи нагнетателя Все очень просто-физика
In 78-81 I was a Sgt/TC in 1/46 Inf in W. Germany. Got to spend plenty of time sucking dust at Graf and Hohenfels. One day at Graf my squad and I saw the first Abrams we had ever seen. Had some tankers and brass standing around it so we weren't allowed more than a quick look. What a sleek beast.
Omg this is so awesome! my 2 brother in laws are both Cold War/ Steel Curtain tank crew members/ warriors and I love listening to their stories, this video helps me understand now. God bless our troops
Us Army enlistee here, finalizing the process on fully getting in and will be headed to MEPs soon, shooting for 19 Kilo. Badass machine, looks like she’ll be fun to work on and get used to. 70 tons of American steel and firepower sounds better than 100 pound rucks and walking to where ya gotta go!
Every Abrams vid : EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Seriously badass though! When he stood up out the turret and the main gun fires while on the move! This is almost porn lol.
As a former tanker this has been as legit as I've seen on here so far. In a war situation though, all these operations happen so much faster. With 4 different round types it's truly a machine of destruction.
Appreciate you sharing this. I served with 3rd ID, 4/64 Armor, West Germany, way back in what now seems like the stone age! Was a gunner and TC on the M-60. Would love to sit/shot in the M1A2.
my dad lives on a mechanized infantry base so when i'm vistiing i'm able to see a lot of armour. I've even seen Abrams shooting! it's truly great when your dad is a staff seargant.
Crazy, I used to drive the M60 tank in the military, but the Abrams is like a spaceship from Star Wars. just how incredibly loud and oppressive it was in the M60.
Yea, but you could fit 8-10 tankers drinking beer inside an M60 turret if you tried ;). Thing was a Winnebago , compared to that VW-bug space inside an M1 turret. The driver's holds were both alright, but the M1 driver's hold was the best spot in the Army.
Nice to see Graf again. Spent MANY months at Graf in the mid 90s and early 2000's as both a driver and Commander (M2A2 non ODS) out of McCully barracks (5/3 ADA and 1/4 ADA). Picked up DIV (1AD) top gun out of Graf in 2000. See you had good weather. Spent many many many many hours waiting on the ready line or sitting in BPs waiting for the fog to lift or rain tolet up. Thanks for the video. Brought back many memories (espeecialy the gray mud and dirt from the parking pads in Graf)
Machined many a race and commander hatch, 120 mm Gun pins 70 some inch boring bar, whoosh. No numbers here. Eight hours race pin side, top side, 12-14 hours then to de-burring and inspection then final. Hulls, repair, side windows, front drive, crossdrive pre-machine. Station #2 all threading, station 3 top race, very developed, to top hull side station four. Man I have missed that job, or any job. Many ppl do not want to work Ppl need to be engaged.
I was in a light infantry unit, and we were training down in Ft Polk. We had just came out of the woods after a fight with opfor onto a road after dark and an M1A2 came out at another location just down from us onto the road. Hearing that thing rumble and shake the road was awesome.
Amazing! Thanks for sharing! At first I thought "those shots aren't very accurate", but then I realized I was looking at the Commander sight and not the gunner sight.
The commander has a setting to view exactly what the gunners sights are looking at or, it can be switched to the commanders thermal viewer. The TC also has the ability to take control of the main gun and fire at will
I had a good friend that was a tank commander in the Vietnam war . He was badly wounded his last day there . Had to spend months in hospital. He died of cancer couple years ago I miss him 😢
I took care of a lung cancer patient that was a Sheridan driver late in the war. He got messed up by a land mine. Went AWOL from the hospital and made it back to his unit before the MP’s picked him up. Such uncommon valor and camaraderie rarely seen today.
I was a combat engineer stationed in Germany in 1984. We helped build a combined arms live fire range at Graf. It was and has been great training for all.
As FSO for a cav unit my track had four radios and was used for commo to bore sight a company of Abrams. It was fun, relaxing and watching that E-6 talk to each tank as they dialed things in.
I trained on the M60 got to Germany found out what a M551 Sheridan was.. (72-74) I Troop Got out rejoined in (77-79) M-Company M60 .. Both times I was stationed in Am,berg, Germany.. Wish I had stayed in to see the M1A2 Abrams come into Pond Barracks.. Love that sound of the tanks inside & of course the M2 50cal.. I was a tank driver, loader and finally TC before I got out in 74.. I maybe 70 now but I still think I could hump afew rounds in that bad boy.. If I could only go back in time again, 3/2 ACR..
The fire command for this action is called “Top Hat”. You can hear the Platoon Leader announce this and then starting the countdown over the net. We are moving from defilade to enfilade and are all up in the firing posture at the last second. “Fire and adjust” is given for all tanks to fire at once.
Tank warfare has come a long way since the history modern war. It's harrowing to see the Abrams on the move with ease, & lives up to all the hype in battle.
I was a fueler, got sent to a tanker unit at fort hood Texas after AIT. We ended up doing two NTC rotations and a year in Kuwait. Spent a lot of time watching these guys shoot. Ended up with epilepsy so staying in wasn’t an option. Driving multimillion dollar vehicles with night vision was kinda dope 😅
Awesome video. Brought back great memories. I started out on M48A5s, then M60A3s, M1IP and M1A1. We were just getting M1A2s when I got transferred to TRADOC HQ. That loader got a workout. Crew made a couple of mistakes but they still did pretty good. Worked well as a team!
Thanks for the vid SSG. You're doing a great job with your crew. The loader assisting with the 50 reload speaks to that. Platoon looks great too. Keep it up!! - 19A
@@19-Kilo How much training, if any do you guys get on enemy equipment? Like new tanks and anti tank weapons? If you have to kill me if you told me that's cool, so could you tell my exwife!!
Потому что Т-72 это советский танк, а не америкосовское говно. им с открытыми люками дрон гранат накидает прямо в люк ..а если люк закрыть то задохнёшься без противогаза =)))
Being inside of one of those when it goes off must be insane. We were doing some training in the summer. When I say training, I mean we were probably meant to be reading maps or something but probably just faffing about and smoking cigarettes. This was about 20 years ago. There were some M1's all lined up at a range. I was walking behind them thinking "wow...those are cool looking tanks". Then one fired off and the feeling just from being close is like someone just punched your whole body without actually hitting you. It's weird to explain but the shockwave just goes through your whole body.
The armor absorbs most of the recoil and our headers minimizes the sound of the rounds and the turbine engine. I know exactly what you’re talking about with the concussion because anything around the outside of the tank get shook to its core.
I fought in Ramadi Iraq and we had tanks with us and I loved having them. When we did convoy escort through the city we had them to help beef up security. We had them on foot patrols also. Loved those boys.
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I was in the field years ago. It was cold as hell and one of these tanks showed up. The TC got out and told us that we could all gather behind his tank and he’d keep the engine running so we could get warm. Very cool of him. This was at Fort Lewis Washington sometime around 00-01. Thanks a lot my brother. I never forgot it.
**turns on rear view camera** **Giggles and presses tac idle**
We would let the infantry warm up behind our tank... Then my TC would pop up and scream at them... "Why carry your weapon???, When your weapon can carry you!!!! " And then gave me the order to move out... Great times!!!
now M1A2 will enter in ACTION in the russian-ukrainian war
Ok high speed
@@dand7763 slava Ukrajna!
I remember being in Germany last year and I was driving the CO around and mind you I’m infantry- he asked the tankers if I could hop in and fire a sabot and they said hell yeah!! I’m still close with that captain to this day, he is a huge help in my career
I knew it, I thought that was you that I saw in Germany last year, I wasn’t sure it was you and you were with somebody so I didn’t want to say anything.
@@wizcorn9958 small world
You got to fire an APFSDS round out of a friggin' M1 Abrams? Your CO sounds awesome!
@@SeanCMonahan Probably was a Leopard 2A7 or 2A8 as this was in Germany
I was a driver on the "original" M1 in West Germany in 1980-82. The firing system has certainly changed since then lol. Would've loved to have that tech back then!
I was stationed in Amberg West Germany 1982- 85 3/2 ACR Border Patrol we had the M60 and then got the original M1 also love them tanks.
@@jaydecker1047 Yeah we transitioned from the M60 ourselves. 2nd Battalion 64th Armor 3rd Infantry; now disbanded :(
We had M1 IPs at Hood and then rotated to West Germany as a COHORT battalion and got basic M1s. Loved each and every version up to the M1A2 TUSK. What is not to love about Chobham armor, a gas turbine, and armor piercing, fin stabilized, discarding sabot rounds with a 66mm depleted uranium penetrator?
@@thomaswilliams2253 Being on the other end of it wouldn't be very fun.
respect ole timer! Thanks for your service.
As a 55B from Mechanized Cav back in the day.. This was badass!!!! Thank you for letting me remember.
I got out 2 years ago and being a tanker was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The job sucked a lot, but doing Gunnery made the entire job worth it. Thanks for sharing, got me to relive some of my best memories.
I got out in early 2019 but decided that people should see the full badassery of the Abrams. Since I haven’t seen a video like it of any kind on RUclips yet. I always said being a tanker is 90% maintenance 10% fun. Furry had it right, Best job I ever had.
@@19-Kilo do you think Abrams is currently one of the best(or the best) MBTs out there? Is its equipment better than other tanks, is its armour more reliable, is its weaponry better? Comparing to, for example, Leopard 2, what's the difference between them? I heard Abrams is not using autoloading system to decrease the chance of ammorack detonation, is that true?
@@broderzzcompany with the Abrams the back of the turret where ammo is has blow out panned if used right there is a very low chance of smmo rack but compare to a t80 all the ammo is next to the crew because of its auto loader so if smmo racked there is extremely extremely low chance they will survive . And the 2a7 is like the Abrams with it beeing manually loaded but it blow out panels aren’t as affective I pretty sure
I have a video that Tank mens get fried like chickens... You can Also check that Syrian war videos
@@everywhereigo007 tank mens?
Was showing my daughter this video and explaining what I did. Lots of memories. Thank you
I’ve shown my own kids this and was like “yea your dad was a bad ass” and they’re like “this video is boring” 🤣
the high pitched noise ever give you a headache?
@@popcorn8153 Correct me if I wrong, but this is turbine noise and probably microphone charateristic to be most sensitive in that annoying range of sound frequency
@@popcorn8153 These use turbine engines. That’s what you hear, the best kind of high pitched wine lol
@@FirstLast-gv1zl with enough CLP anything is possible. Until the FRH pump blows
God this brings back memories, I was a tanker from 1986-2015. I served on the M60A1, M1IP, M1A1HA and M1A1 HC, and finally the M1A2 SEP, after that I was done with my PSG time and was a staff puke then a First Sergeant (for 6 companies) Best job I ever had.
Wow, sounds pretty cool
Nice career Top! Myself was 19k not anywhere as long as you former 1st Cav gunner
@@komponents7977 You wear a headset so it’s not as loud as it is with it off, that engine whine puts me to sleep from what I remember
What tank did you go through AOBC in?
@@teller1290 not sure what your asking, if you meant me I was a M1A2 tanker had
the M1A2 V2 SEP
One of the very few times the video description was accurate. Best tank video I've ever seen. I was not privileged to serve and at 6'4", I'd never have made a tanker but this certainly makes it look like fun. (I'm sure not nearly as fun in actual battle.) Thank you for taking time from your lives to serve guys. I appreciate it.
There's no height min or max for a tanker. In my Basic training there was a guy that was 4'11" and when stationed in Germany in our company we had a guy who was 6'10". Although, I would think that life on a tank had to be a bit more difficult for either one of them.
See the Chieftan about that
Dude 6'5" and change. all the shit I wanted to do was off limits without waivers.
@@notyouraveragegoldenpotatoWeird. I used to work with a guy who used to be a tanker in the army. He was almost an inch taller than me and I'm damn near 6'3. He was probably 6'4ish.
There's nothing fun about using a tank in a real life battle.
I love this video, first time a see an actual look at a tank leader operating the optics and how the screen looks. greetings from belgium :)
Glad you liked it!
You should check TankSleepRepeat.
He shows all that is inside the tank and optics too. (Hes a commander not a gunner)
But this video is awesome too
@@thunderguri9056 what do you mean “he’s a commander, not a gunner”?
@@19-Kilo Gunner is the normal callsign for the guy who fires the main gun, when i say commander i mean of the tank 😅 sorry for bad English
This Navy vet has a ton of respect for anybody who would go to war inside a machine that's as much of a target for missiles as a tank is on the modern battlefield. Similar to being on a surface ship, in a tank there's nowhere to hide. Many of the worst service-connected injuries I see at my local VA hospital are from combat vets who served in armored units.
My first GQ in USS Mahan,we were told that"Current Soviet tactical thinking is to shoot heat seeking missiles to take out the escort screen before going after the carrier...."
I'm sitting on the mess deck between the stacks of the firerooms thinking about all the heat that I can feel.
"Nowhere to hide",indeed.
Please pardon any vulgarity, but is it true the Navy is full of gay people?
@@vietzscheallagard2129 no.
@@vietzscheallagard2129 yes
Remember. The .50 cal and .50BMG is older than any tank. John Browning really hit it out of the park with the M2 and .50 BMG.
@@mrjonathan1117 mk1 was 1916 the .50 BMG was 1910 and the first .50 cal was 1913
@@cpttankerjoe .50 BMG is not 1910
@@cpttankerjoe yeah the .50 cal is 1917 champ
They're also wicked fun to shoot.
Every once and awhile lightning strikes and somebody invents THE Thing for a given task. The Thing is the standard by which everything else doing that task is measured by. The Thing is perfection. You can improve on The Thing, make tweaks to it, but it is still basically The Thing.
In the Infantry Weapons category, most folks consider the following items to be The Things for their task:
The Ma Deuce M2HB heavy MG, the MG34/42/3 GPMG, the Browning Hi-Power and the M1911 .45 pistols [co-equals there], the M79 grenade launcher, the RPG-7 anti-tank rocket, the AK 47 assault rifle.
I'm sure there are more, and there will certainly be other opinions, but you get what mean.
As an old tanker, I love it. Brings back old memories.
I served 71-74 M 60 A1s the Abrams is a Beast
@@edwardendsley3914 It is a beast! I Led M1 Platoons from 80 to 97
@@TankerInTexas l was in M60 a1s Fort Hood Texas 1972 - 1974
Very sorry I didnt see this earlier. I didn't get to Hood until 77. Was 1/7 Cav on M60A1s until 1979@@edwardendsley3914
Old Tanker here as well. M60A1 USMC 2nd Tanks
That's an absolute BEAST of a machine right there boys. They had a show on Hulu called "Ultimate Factories" where they took Abrams tanks and basically refurbished them to brand new. Awesome stuff!
@@Edyth_Hedd 🤫 that's the Goodyear welt plant 😁
I love how fast these things are. Capable of high speeds despite being so heavy and able to shoot while moving as well.
any tank can shoot on the move!! speed about cross-country 35 mph depends on terrain! pavement up 45mph,, if down the hill you can get 55.mph
dont look at the gas bill tho
@@eebarreto They can go faster than that if you back off the governor in the driver's compartment.
@Okana2up dumbo it's not Diesel its Jet Fuel. They have Jet Turbine engines. Lol
@@Casualplayer Weird, we ran diesel in the M1 and M1A1 in the late 80's early 90's. Unless something has changed, they are still running diesel. We COULD run jet fuel, but that was only for "special" occasions(actual war)
For those who don't know, Abrams has a gas turbine engine, that's the loud "whine" you hear throughout the vid. Very nice footage
It’s more closely related to a jet engine like on an aircraft than a gas turbine but yes you are correct, kind of funny thinking that a tank needs jet fuel
It's called a "gas turbine" engine - gas as in air, not gas as in gasoline. "Gas" turbine to distinguish it from "steam" turbine.
We used to stand behind the big exhaust grills at the wash rack in Grafenwohr. We did it to stay warm in the winter.
@@davidsawyers4934 the average person won’t know what that means necessarily, most people know what a jet engine is however.
It’s actually much quieter than a Diesel engine the sound doesn’t carry very far that’s one reason why they use the gas turbine engine.
That “fuck it” at 6:00 was the most relatable military phrase I’ve heard 😂😂
I was done dealing with it 😆
@@19-Kilo*tries to close the damn magazine* fuck it.
wow, firing the main gun is way more hectic than I thought it would be. There is A LOT going on. I can see how a tight team can be so important. Hats off to all the tankers out there
Thanks buddy. The tank does become our home. You live with your crew and get to know and work together very well.
Please tell us what good these 'tankers' are doing for the world, I'd really love to hear
ruclips.net/video/tzfz2Xl2aDA/видео.html
@@JohnSmith-nw2lsBeinga professional tank crew, in a time of war these guys will ecell more then any constript
@@JohnSmith-nw2ls "It is better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war." be glad you are not the warrior and that these tank crews are protecting you, even if you don't live in the US don't doubt these guys wouldn't get shipped over to where you live to help your country.
My teacher lost both his legs when his tank went over an IED around 13 years ago before he was a teacher. He has been at my school for 3 years and I didn't know he had prosthetic legs. He recently shared his story during Rememberance Day 2021
That’s awesome and not at the same time 😄
how can an improvised explosive device penetrate a tank?
@@mustafaal-ghezi1757 trust me. They can. There is barely any amour underneath the tank.
@@mustafaal-ghezi1757 what makes you think I would give you information on how to destroy our great American forces???
@@mustafaal-ghezi1757 chill out he was joking
This is one of the best (if not THE BEST) tank gunnery videos depicting the action from the tank commander's point of view that there is on RUclips (or, so I think). He really did an amazing job considering that he was consumed with commanding his tank and watching the rest of the platoon and capturing the action with his camera. Hats off on this great video and he who produced it! (I was an armored brigade S-3 operations officer for two years.)
Thanks a lot Sir! We of course had to work hard as a crew and platoon to achieve synchronicity. Once the repetition reaches a certain point everything becomes second nature. I have spat out responses on the radio that made perfect sense and I had to stop and think, “where did that come from” lol. Thanks for watching!
@@19-Kilo Super Bowl caliber team! Your hard work and desire achieve perfection shows!
Wow, as an Indian, I am simply amazed by the rank design. Props to the American engineers, they have truly performed themselves out of this world!
The sky is the limit for one’s imagination and engineering skill. My dad and my grandpa are both engineers. Grandpa was an electrical engineer, dad was an engineer for machines that reform tires.
@@bobbyhill4118 ummm.....salute to your dad and grandpa... I guess?
@@Djackson_5914😂😂😂😂😂
What is great about this is... training. Training. Training. Can never have enough training. Awesome.
Thats why the tuskegee pilots were so good.
@@peterpenberthy2918 Yessir. 100%. I met 10 or so on the football field at the Air Force Academy a few years ago. Later went to a couple of presentations, lectures, from a couple of these gentlemen. A Tuskegee airmen lived down the street from us. Knew my dad pretty well. He passed away recently. Fine gentlemen, and man... loved hearing the gentlemen talk about flying. Pilots.
Man I miss being a tank commander. This reminds me of the good old days doing gunnery with my crew. Love the sounds of the 120mm cannon going off and smelling the fumes from the rounds. Keep up the awesome job my brothas. One shot one kill!!!
That’s pretty dope thanks for your service
Me too in C&C Generals xD
What rank were you?
Retired tanker here and Master Gunner for M60, M60A3, M1 and M1A1 tanks, thank you for your video it brought back great memories! Keep up the great work.
Brings back memories hearing that replenisher going off all the time. I was on M60-A3 in 11th Cav Germany..OORAH !! And Blackhorse Sir.!!
Allons!
Im not a tank expert but sometimes i just feel like being inside a tank is the coolest man cave ever
It is!
Amazing footage indeed. Thanks for sharing👍
Thanks for watching!
@M2A1 BHMG (Browning Heavy Machine Gun) mầy láo vậy
@@19-Kilo dufjuigku yri
Meep
19 ECHO 10 , FT. KNOX , KY .
O.S.U.T. , " DISNEY LAND " , THE HOLDER COMPLEX , HEARTBREAK , MISERY & AGONY :
" ON THE WAY " BROTHER
" TREADHEADS "
ARMOR RULES !!!!!
U.S.A. " THIS WE'LL DEFEND "
0:53 I love how he just opens the ammo storage and flashes a menacing smile
Pity he’s not so on the ball when replenishing the .50
@@rattussapiens2854 better than not being on the ball with the main gun, the 120mm. Besides, the 50. isn’t even at his station. He was reaching a pretty good arm length
@@rattussapiens2854that’s what training is for.
This is the best video ever. Closest thing to being there. Amazing, thank you. And thank you for your service!!!
Damn I love seeing that wedge formation at 9:30. Seeing tanks move so well in formation makes me miss being on one!
Glad you noticed that, it was a pretty smooth transition from movement to setting into the BPs. I looked over and i dont know you could hear me but I said “hell yea” because it looked flawless on my end.
It was nice in Ft Irwin no roads, the whole valley was formations of tanks. Movement 'till contact.
Ukraine just invited anybody to come fight 👀, go go go
Nothing quite like the smell of diesel & corbite in the mornings fellas. I miss it greatly.
I was a Tank commander for 28 years. Fought in Desert Storm with the 1st Infantry. Brings back memories.
Question do you guys really call human beings crunchies?
@@dibspicer554 I never heard of that. I was in Iraq.
@@dibspicer554 Yes.. at least we did back in the late '80's
3/66 Burt's Knights!
Damn dude, thanks for your service. I'm just a 15 year old that plays tank games for fun. Must have been a strange feeling actually operating a tank in real life. What did you have? Was it an Abrams? Or something else like a Bradley?
God pls give these men a bigger monitor its a real hard job I enjoyed TNX for the video
Thanks for sharing.
I have been a military nerd and fanboy my whole life, but as I got older and learned more about it all, my interests changed and evolved in 2 main ways:
A: I got more interested in the "less sexy" aspects, organizational stuff, the infrastructure and supplies and the elements that keep the "sexy" stuff like the MBTs and the fighter jets running, like recovery vehicles, maintenance and the such.
B: I got less interested in the raw stats of machines and more in what it is like to be a soldier using and living with those machines.
Long story short, that is why I appreciate videos like this one a lot.
Still, there is so much I haven't learned yet, despite scouring the internet for a long time, like how accommodations for tank crews work, for example.
Would the tank platoon or company carry its own tents with it for the crews to sleep in, in a "Operation Desert War" or World War 3 type scenario, when you can't rely on large, prepared, fortified bases, or would that be job of the battalion?
Are there spare crew men to replace wounded or fatigued tankers?
I know the French tank forces, when they introduced auto loaders to their Leclerc tanks and thus technically didn't need the human loaders anymore, still didn't get rid of the 4th crew man, but the companies ferry them after the tanks in armored personnel carriers, so they can still help with maintenance, camouflage and all the other work tank crews have to do.
That always seemed smart to me.
I also know that German tank battalions in WW2 carried spare crew men with them and even had their own handymen like cobblers, tailors, gun smiths and even a plumber.
I guess in case the battalion resides in a building and the toilets are clogged?
An amusing thought, but perhaps more common than I think?
I know that US tank companies contain 2 cargo trucks, one attached to the Field Maintenance Team and one to company HQ, but I don't know what that truck transports for the company.
I also don't really know how the 2 HQ tanks interact with the regular tank platoons.
Do they form their own 2-tank platoon in combat, or do they attach themselves to one of the platoons?
Do they lead from the front or stay back as reserve to help out in case of one of the 2 platoons getting in trouble or is that up to the company commander's digression?
You know, stuff like that.
I served on the very first generation of Abrams with the 11th ACR in Germany way back when rocks were soft and fire was new.
You guys have a smooth drill. Nice work getting everyone trained up.
I have to say though, my leadership would have lost their freaking minds and 'Article 45'd' the whole crew for letting this much footage get out to the public. In my day, we couldn't even take photos inside the track. Everything had to be approved from PIO.
I was thinking the same.
I doubt the Abrams is a secret to any military now. Especially since PRETENDsident pedo Joe gave them away in Afghanistan...
Allons!
@@bradleyroon7639 AFAIK, no Abrams were captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan. All that was left behind were MRAPS and Hummers. I might be wrong, but that's what I understand as of now.
Even if an Abrams was left behind, there is an extensive SOP on abandoning a vehicle. It includes everything from wiping the computer to throwing a thermite into the breech of the main gun. An Abrams was 'combat lost' in the Iraq invasion during OEF this way.
@@blckhorse02 Blackhorse!
Or, as we called ourselves, 'The Speedbump of Freedom' 😅
If you are up in Graff that is probably Range 301 or Range 79 .
We built though ranges in 1984 I was with the 535th Eng Co ( CSE ) along three other brigades of Construction Engineers. It took us 10 months.
You are at Range 301
Not the Graff I remember. Not muddy enough.
Fired range 79 in 1976. M60A1 aos. Top tank in company.
as a tank commander of a south african olifant tank in the 1980s, this is a fascinating look at new american tech.
that gyro is loud! and you're almost plugged into google maps with that comtab :)
we had a laser range finder and a zooming scope screen with night vision, that's it.
ranging inclination was still dialed by hand on a slider with different scales for ammunition types, but we did have the first stabilised gun in africa. (and our gyro was quiet)
really cool to see, thanks.
That's not the Gyro you're hearing, that's the turbine engine. Abrams do not have a standard diesel engine, they are powered by a jet turbine. The turbine engine is able to propel the M1A2 Abrams ( one of the heaviest MBT in current usage at 64 tons) to impressive speeds, a governed 42 mph. The engine is actually quieter than diesel engines of similar power output.
@@kobruh229 that's cool, thanks for the info. when i first saw "turbine" i thought you meant turbo and it was a typo :)
i'll look this up, it sounds like great tech.
I wouldnt say new. Abrams are like 40 years old at this point lol.
Also thats a turbine. The Americans chose a jet turbine, the same kind they use on helicopters, for their tanks LOL. Thats where the whining noise came from.
I think during desert storm, Iraq didnt desert a desert, because they thought it would be impossible for tank crews to cross it.
Americans already developed GPS at the time, which I guess was a surprise lol
I took my dad (Korean War tank vet) to see M1 tanks firing at "hard targets" in Texas. He was shocked that we were using his tanks of the 50s as targets in the 80's.
My dad told me a story about keeping warm from the tank engines in the field. The infantry would get behind the tank and would spin around like a rotisserie chicken so they didn’t get burned. He also told me that the best place to sleep was on the engine on a cold night.
This is all true
Back deck on a cold night, kept u nice n toasty. Front slope wasnt bad either as long u had a winter sleeping bag
@@atomik86I always rolled off the front slope could never.
The only thing worse was having the snow come down hard in Graf while my wife waved to me from our housing across the tank trail. Why do I miss that soo much?
I was at Ft. Knox in 97. Used to love listening to Live Fire Exercises at night. These tankers have tremendous firepower at their disposal and are trained to use it effectively.
My son is finishing up his last 3 weeks of OSUT down at Benning right now for 19K....man, I thought what I did in my Army career was cool, but I'm totally jealous of the kid! These machines are just amazing.
A Proud Father for sure, thank you both for your Service.
My Father and I were lucky enough to Serve at the same time, not a day goes by that I don't think of him and how much he did for me.
Ask him after his tank threw tracks in the field
Lol.
@@wanderknight69 I never threw track but def came close. I always heard it and stopped just in time to get out and walk it back on.
Hopefully Biden doesn't send your son to go die for Ukraine.
@@tac6044good point, Let’s Go Brandon”
I went to AIT as a a loader/driver. Then, i joined ROTC and got my commission. Went on to other things. These guys are very good. Very fast. They are a top level crew. If you were to film an AIT crew, it would be about 1/4 this speed. Or slower. These guys are like a NASCAR team - very well drilled and cohesive.
Actually battle speed would be more involved, much faster. The reloading of the 50 cal, should have been readied. Your life or theirs plus a 8.5 million piece of Depleted Uranium with all the trimmings. No, they are in training. Watch the Gulf War video's. Men ran those!
I finally know what my dad had went through in Iraq, thank you so much.
I admire how fluid and fast that loader is
Man, that brings back some awesome memories. I spent 4 years on that steel beast, just the A1 and not the A2........shooting the big bullets at gunnery was the best.
@The Specialist ⚓ I did not. I signed up 2 months after Desert Storm
I miss being on my tank and my tank crew. I started out as a driver, skipped loader, became a gunner, then a Commander! B-22, 2nd platoon, Bravo Company 2nd Tank
Did u retire from the army?
Wow, that’s amazing! When were you in Korea? I was the last white 2 actual for 2-72 AR before we disbanded.
Was your ADA asset out of Hovey (B 5/5 ADA) 98-99/ 04-05. You guys were hallarious on the bus, "who you with.... duce tank". lol
I just enlisted today and leave for bootcamp in march. Im going in as a m1 abrams tanker so watching these videos is awsome for me.
good luck dude
I really admire American engineering. I can't even imagine using it while it's so enjoyable to watch. I hope one day my country will have engineering wonder tanks like the m1. Love and respect from Turkey
Thanks bro
Don't give all the credit to Americans by any means. The 120mm main gun alone-yeah we got the stabilizing technology from Germany so it could shoot while on the move and have similar accuracy as if in a static position
dafuq even is "american engineering"
Hey we left lots of them in Afghanistan ,,, maybe y’all could grab some from there :)
Sending love from America stay safe and healthy
It's really cool. Live shooting, I saw what Abrams looks like inside. As a man who has served in the tank forces, this is very interesting to me. Thanks for the live footage.
Greetings from the tank troops of Russia with the best wishes, I express professional solidarity. I wish you successful activity in such a difficult service :)
Russia! Awesome bro, you should put together some footage of your own. I’d love to see it! Thanks for watching
Optimus Prime!
@@zeppkfw what
@@therealvixe OPTIMUS PRIME ruclips.net/video/QHn_N3Vq9DM/видео.html
Cool! What yanks do you operate?
Some of the best days of my life were on a tank. I once loaded 17 rds in a mad minute in Hoenfels, but it was on an M60-A3..Good times !! Awesome video !
"Pete" I was a track (tank) mechanic in the late 60's in Germany. We could live fire all the guns at the ranges at Grafenwöhr, but only the 7.62 and 50 cal at Hoenfels. That rate of fire would keep the loader busy, a good crew could maintain around 11 to 12 rounds a minute. After a few minutes at that rate you had to start throwing empty 105 casing to make room to stand. The M-60 and A-1 were both fine Tanks, which progressed from the 46 and M-48.
@@jamesglavich1426 LMAO, 105 casings...what fun those were. Sure was a happy day when we transitioned to the 120's
@@j4fsledgehammer Many a turret refit were done on the upgrade. Hatches etc. Pulled the old in, tore down, re-weld, additions. re-machined, assembly updated, Wham! M1 is now an M1A1, then M1A2 the M2A2. Now classified!
The title isn't clickbait this might actually be the coolest tank video ever (as of 2024)
Thanks for watching 😎
Was an Armor Platoon Leader back in 1977 at Friedberg, West Germany and was assigned a platoon of M-60A3's. M1A2's are so far ahead of what we had then, but I enjoyed leading my men back then. Thank-you for the video. Being a PL today isn't much different other than having to play the political games which are far worse these days. I would not be able to stomach that crap from the, "five-sided square" that you folks have to consume, so my hat is off to you, brother!
Yea I’m out now. Got out in early 2019, did 12 active as a tanker! Thank you for your service sir!
I was in B Company then, 1/32.
I was at Ray Barracks, just a bit later (2002-2005). Was a great place to be stationed.
Wow, drives smoother than my Merc
I've did a tank driving course just outside of Leicester in the UK and I was shocked at how smooth and easy they are to drive.
The driving side in particular is designed to be as simple as possible in case of an emergency. You could get an infantry man with no training behind the 'wheel' and they'd be able to do successfully.
Runs on a gas turbine so the engine runs smooth, too.
@@leerman22 yeah it has to so you can aim and fire while on the move
And is somewhere between 100 and 1000 times the price
Mercury does produce a good suspension for mountaineer.
Hope the country of Taiwan gets their Abrams soon! Though the Abrams is not perfect, it will always have a special place in my heart and will always be the best MBT in the world in my humble opinion. And thank you so much for your service and sharing this vid, sir! God bless America! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Taiwanese thank you here
@@Sam-mk6ek No problem, man. If I could fight for your country, I would. God bless and protect your country, man!
China will never touch taiwan, machines like the m1a2 will see to it..
@@Ranzoe813 Exactly. Japan and Australia and probably NATO will help too! 🇹🇼🇺🇸
Well, to be honest, I don't think Taiwan needs an offensive maneuver tank like the M1. They really need AFV's more like tank destroyers, IMO. A Merkava variant would probably be a better idea. I suggest FOG missle launchers systems as well.
Best on RUclips, thanks for your service 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
This video truly captures what I love about tanks. There's nothing more fascinating to me than the laborious and intricate engineering that goes into every inch of those machines, and then to couple those masterpieces with weeks, months, and years of training for the tankers that crew them. Unparalleled brotherhoods form under the hatches, to the point where God forbid one day a shell breaks through that turret and your loader is no longer there to be found, you will have not lost a comrade, it will have been losing a part of yourself that will never come back, even after the tank is repaired and the seat is refilled. And then the command structure around the tanks, forming beautifully orchestrated formations and firing lines. Technology meeting the human mind and spirit. The tank was born in the fires of mankind's darkest hour over a hundred years ago, a desperate innovation to break the suffering of trench warfare. And it succeeded in every way possible. Tanks became an essential staple of armies and flew under dozens of flags under masters of all walks of life. They served the most noble of causes, like the M4 Shermans liberating the concentration camps in WWII, just as others facilitated the most horrendous of atrocities, like the Type 59s slaughtering protestors in the Tiananmen Massacre. They have brought hope into cowering soldiers being crushed under suppressive fire with their arrival, just as they have brought terror to those ahead of them as the marching steel leviathan brings doom upon them. They have aided in times of struggle, such as the German army sending APCs to aid civilians after floods, and they have been part of blockades that starve those same people. But since the formation of the UN, many of those tanks have stood together despite their contrasting nations. German crews, French crews, British and Americans, all combining their training together and sharing their machines and cultures with each other. Even in the time of relative peace we find ourselves in, we harden and train on to keep our tanks and tankers sharp. For the tank is Mankind's greatest instrument of change, and there will come an inevitable day where they shall march again against those who want to bring suffering to the good people of the world. Give your crew a pat on the back for me next time you chat with them, and good shooting. My best wishes to you, your crew, and Circle X herself (if that is the tank's name as I am assuming by the description.)
"Remember your jobs, boys. Take care of each other, and Big Bess will take care of you."
-Commander Townsend, Battlefield 1 Through Mud and Blood campaign
WOW LONG COMMENT
cool
Beautifully written, wordsmith. This gave me chills
Damn this man has dedication
all nice and dandy until armour piercing projectile says hello..
The worst thing of this video is that it ended . I love these types of military video's. Awesome one and appreciated your work too 💪🤩🤩🤗👏👏👏.
Thanks for watching!
@@19-Kilo My pleasure 🤩🤩🙏.
This is the best part of being a Tanker ! No video could ever do the experience justice but this one comes close !
Thanks brother!
Great video for reminiscing about good times during live fire. The loader is pretty good at his job. One of the few besides myself who used the vertical round-flip to get the round into the breech, instead of the slow, clumsy horizontal flip. I got an avcap stuck in the deflector a few times, but never had to deal with an avcap that failed to extract from the breech. He handled it like a pro. I don't miss the Army, but I sure miss being a tanker!
Yea the breach failing to drop was from a dirty bore evac. We squared it away afterwords for sure.
I timed 5.6 seconds and 5.1 seconds, truly impressive, atleast from my pov
@@ryangoslingIRL one of the best soldiers/loaders I've ever had. Great guy
Как танкист передаю привет данным танкистам на видео Молодцы что снимаете реальные видео боевой подготовки Очень интересно Танки сила!!!!
You two are being trained against each other but deep down you both are happy boys blowing things up with your fun toys
Заметил у командира хороший обзор ,заряжающий быстро заряжает три секунды.Странно что им разрещено с открытыми люками ездить.
Командир танка он же пулеметчик будет убит в течении 5-10 минут. А при закрытых люках экипаж погибнет от угара в течении 30 минут.
@@НиколайКалугин-т5н Версия не верна Командир не пулеметчик Так стоит зенитный пулемет как и на советских танках И как и у нас у них есть упражнение стрельба по низколетящим вертолетам Не более того При закрытых люках как и у нас включается система отвода пороховых газов путем повышения давления в машине при помощи нагнетателя Все очень просто-физика
@@waldemardriediger6967 только гильзы из пушки после выстрела руками выковыривали
In 78-81 I was a Sgt/TC in 1/46 Inf in W. Germany. Got to spend plenty of time sucking dust at Graf and Hohenfels. One day at Graf my squad and I saw the first Abrams we had ever seen. Had some tankers and brass standing around it so we weren't allowed more than a quick look. What a sleek beast.
Omg this is so awesome! my 2 brother in laws are both Cold War/ Steel Curtain tank crew members/ warriors and I love listening to their stories, this video helps me understand now. God bless our troops
🇰🇼🇰🇼🇰🇼🇰🇼🇰🇼🇰🇼🇰🇼🇰🇼🇰🇼🇰🇼🇰🇼🤲🤲😥😥💔💔😭😭😭
Us Army enlistee here, finalizing the process on fully getting in and will be headed to MEPs soon, shooting for 19 Kilo. Badass machine, looks like she’ll be fun to work on and get used to. 70 tons of American steel and firepower sounds better than 100 pound rucks and walking to where ya gotta go!
King of the Battlefield young-un. You will do fine if you can give 110% in everything and determine to be the best damn tanker ever.
Every Abrams vid : EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Seriously badass though! When he stood up out the turret and the main gun fires while on the move! This is almost porn lol.
THAT'S THE SOUND OF THE TURBINE BABY
Tank porn!
@@19-Kilo No, don’t give the Rule34 artists ideas please.
@@o5-redacted757 it’s to late it already happened
@@getcancer1542 fuck. We were too slow.
As a former tanker this has been as legit as I've seen on here so far. In a war situation though, all these operations happen so much faster. With 4 different round types it's truly a machine of destruction.
Soon to be 2 round types!
@@tackytrooper 2? Wtf
@@brianbudzynski1926 A new multipurpose round is slated to replace HE, HEAT and I think also canister...
@@tackytrooper that damn near sounds like sin!
@@brianbudzynski1926 Somewhat heretical, yes, but it is a pretty cool round.
Appreciate you sharing this. I served with 3rd ID, 4/64 Armor, West Germany, way back in what now seems like the stone age! Was a gunner and TC on the M-60. Would love to sit/shot in the M1A2.
Best video I watched this week, the feeling of thrills and powerful experiences👊
This is fucken sick dude, greetings from your ally down under :)
Appreciate it bro!
Aussie Aussie Aussie!
@@johnsawtell-rickson3957 oi oi oi
@@craigmandall9420 xD
G'day mate
my dad lives on a mechanized infantry base so when i'm vistiing i'm able to see a lot of armour. I've even seen Abrams shooting! it's truly great when your dad is a staff seargant.
Respect For Your Dad: 📈📈📈📈📈📈
Crazy, I used to drive the M60 tank in the military, but the Abrams is like a spaceship from Star Wars. just how incredibly loud and oppressive it was in the M60.
Turbine makes a bid difference also
Drove the m60a1 miss that diesel sound
@@Mary_on_the_Prairie started out on the 48's in the early 80's in the Marines retired TCing the M1A2 so that was a thing.
Yea, but you could fit 8-10 tankers drinking beer inside an M60 turret if you tried ;). Thing was a Winnebago , compared to that VW-bug space inside an M1 turret. The driver's holds were both alright, but the M1 driver's hold was the best spot in the Army.
@@chrisperrien7055 i know right hell we even had pizza.
Автор , идеальные кадры . Я русский , но мне чертовски нравится Американская военная техника
Stay away of windows
@@lucasmateus1389 why?
@@lucasmateus1389hey??
This brings back a lot of great memories. This is amazing! Thank you
Nice to see Graf again. Spent MANY months at Graf in the mid 90s and early 2000's as both a driver and Commander (M2A2 non ODS) out of McCully barracks (5/3 ADA and 1/4 ADA). Picked up DIV (1AD) top gun out of Graf in 2000.
See you had good weather. Spent many many many many hours waiting on the ready line or sitting in BPs waiting for the fog to lift or rain tolet up.
Thanks for the video. Brought back many memories (espeecialy the gray mud and dirt from the parking pads in Graf)
Machined many a race and commander hatch, 120 mm Gun pins 70 some inch boring bar, whoosh. No numbers here. Eight hours race pin side, top side, 12-14 hours then to de-burring and inspection then final. Hulls, repair, side windows, front drive, crossdrive pre-machine. Station #2 all threading, station 3 top race, very developed, to top hull side station four. Man I have missed that job, or any job. Many ppl do not want to work Ppl need to be engaged.
Hooah!!! Just awesome to watch!!! Used to love to watch the M1’s as we passed behind the tank ranges on our way to our range!!!
I was in a light infantry unit, and we were training down in Ft Polk. We had just came out of the woods after a fight with opfor onto a road after dark and an M1A2 came out at another location just down from us onto the road. Hearing that thing rumble and shake the road was awesome.
Regardless of where it sits in the worlds top5 tanks. M1 sure is one good looking, badass tank.
Amazing! Thanks for sharing!
At first I thought "those shots aren't very accurate", but then I realized I was looking at the Commander sight and not the gunner sight.
The commander has a setting to view exactly what the gunners sights are looking at or, it can be switched to the commanders thermal viewer. The TC also has the ability to take control of the main gun and fire at will
25
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I had a good friend that was a tank commander in the Vietnam war . He was badly wounded his last day there . Had to spend months in hospital. He died of cancer couple years ago I miss him 😢
I took care of a lung cancer patient that was a Sheridan driver late in the war. He got messed up by a land mine. Went AWOL from the hospital and made it back to his unit before the MP’s picked him up. Such uncommon valor and camaraderie rarely seen today.
Til Valhalla and Fiddler's Green. We will see them again.
I was a combat engineer stationed in Germany in 1984. We helped build a combined arms live fire range at Graf. It was and has been great training for all.
I was in Germany from 1987 to 1990 and y'all did a good job with that. A night qual run as an infantryman on the range was a lot of fun.
As FSO for a cav unit my track had four radios and was used for commo to bore sight a company of Abrams. It was fun, relaxing and watching that E-6 talk to each tank as they dialed things in.
Greetings to you guys from the brave Iraqi army, 9th Armored Division, 43rd Armored Brigade, M1A1 Abrams Formations 🇮🇶✌
Is that where the Beast is?
@@Mahbu gv b
@@Mahbu 6yij9
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤علي ٨❤❤❤❤❤❤
❤❤❤❤😂😂😂😂😅😅😮😮😢😢😢😢❤❤❤❤❤😅😅😅😅❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
God Bless America and thank you guys for your service. I live right next to Ft Bragg and to me, that’s what freedom sounds like 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thanks for watching
Absolutely amazing man! I love the Abrams!
Edit: thank you for your service!
I trained on the M60 got to Germany found out what a M551 Sheridan was.. (72-74) I Troop Got out rejoined in (77-79) M-Company M60 .. Both times I was stationed in Am,berg, Germany.. Wish I had stayed in to see the M1A2 Abrams come into Pond Barracks.. Love that sound of the tanks inside & of course the M2 50cal.. I was a tank driver, loader and finally TC before I got out in 74.. I maybe 70 now but I still think I could hump afew rounds in that bad boy.. If I could only go back in time again, 3/2 ACR..
I've never been in the military, but I always found much interest in it. Thank you for sharing this, porn for the likes of me.
What are you doing step tank
Absolutely kickass footage dude! I absolutely love the M1A2.
Thanks brother!
this is really the best tank video ever not lying, nice video
Thanks for the support!
No problem
this is also definitely the best Tank video ever
8:03 That sync shot was sick
The fire command for this action is called “Top Hat”. You can hear the Platoon Leader announce this and then starting the countdown over the net. We are moving from defilade to enfilade and are all up in the firing posture at the last second. “Fire and adjust” is given for all tanks to fire at once.
@@19-Kilo Really cool thing
I din't know a tank can go this fast i'm so proud of the American's who built this Abram's some tank to be proud of
Tanks have a governor. And they are faster than most think they are.
Tank warfare has come a long way since the history modern war. It's harrowing to see the Abrams on the move with ease, & lives up to all the hype in battle.
try 60 plus , without the governor, riding over hills it is like a Lincoln Town Car
I was a fueler, got sent to a tanker unit at fort hood Texas after AIT. We ended up doing two NTC rotations and a year in Kuwait. Spent a lot of time watching these guys shoot. Ended up with epilepsy so staying in wasn’t an option. Driving multimillion dollar vehicles with night vision was kinda dope 😅
Agreed, it was kinda scary at times tho there were always blind spots and the tank always wins
@19-Kilo I have a question for you tanker guys. How easily could you spot those other tanks with the tanks visual equipment in mountain terrain?
@@andrewprice9431 very easily out to a few miles
@@19-Kilo wild
Loved it... I fired my last table XII over 30 years ago.... memory still brings a smile to my face. Thank you!
Awesome video. Brought back great memories. I started out on M48A5s, then M60A3s, M1IP and M1A1. We were just getting M1A2s when I got transferred to TRADOC HQ.
That loader got a workout. Crew made a couple of mistakes but they still did pretty good. Worked well as a team!
Thanks for the vid SSG. You're doing a great job with your crew. The loader assisting with the 50 reload speaks to that. Platoon looks great too. Keep it up!! - 19A
Very few comments from those who actually understand the full spectrum of what's going on here. Thanks for watching Top!!
Yeah I’ll be honest I don’t understand anything about a crew in a tank
@@marcosvazquez5912 Shoot, Move, Communicate. That’s the basics. All the tech just fits in between it all
@@19-Kilo How much training, if any do you guys get on enemy equipment? Like new tanks and anti tank weapons? If you have to kill me if you told me that's cool, so could you tell my exwife!!
The Americans clearly put a lot of effort into this technique! This tank awsome! 🇰🇿🤝🇺🇸
Man I miss being a tanker. Gunnery was the best part of the job. 1st Calvary 2nd battalion 5th Calvary regiment. Let’s go Lancers!!!
HHC, 2-5 CAV XM1 Fielding Team - Bn CMDRs Tank Team
What year?
As fan into tanks this is really awsome video
Thanks for your difficult service
And greetings from Czech Republic!
Super. I used to shoot from the T-72 army Czechoslovakia and we always had the hatches closed. Thanks for the video.
Потому что Т-72 это советский танк, а не америкосовское говно. им с открытыми люками дрон гранат накидает прямо в люк ..а если люк закрыть то задохнёшься без противогаза =)))
@@AlexAlex-ch6ln Je vidět, že jste s tankem toho hodně najezdil, nebo nastřílel. :D
Damn I love the United States Army so much! Such a cool and unique work in the video, keep it up!!
Love from Israel 🇮🇱❤🇺🇸
Being inside of one of those when it goes off must be insane. We were doing some training in the summer. When I say training, I mean we were probably meant to be reading maps or something but probably just faffing about and smoking cigarettes. This was about 20 years ago. There were some M1's all lined up at a range. I was walking behind them thinking "wow...those are cool looking tanks". Then one fired off and the feeling just from being close is like someone just punched your whole body without actually hitting you. It's weird to explain but the shockwave just goes through your whole body.
The armor absorbs most of the recoil and our headers minimizes the sound of the rounds and the turbine engine. I know exactly what you’re talking about with the concussion because anything around the outside of the tank get shook to its core.
This tank is so nice and big respect from Germany 🇩🇪
I really miss Germany, I lived there for 5 years.Thanks for watching friend!
@@19-Kilo no problem hope you can visit Germany some time!
Klar! Diese Land ist wunderschön !!!
@@BecksEyes ja sehr schön ist das😃
When i was a child i love tank's then i saw this video and it was a actual M1A2 abrams tank thanks for the video brings back memories from philippines
I fought in Ramadi Iraq and we had tanks with us and I loved having them. When we did convoy escort through the city we had them to help beef up security. We had them on foot patrols also. Loved those boys.
لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له له الملك وله الحمد وهو على كل شيء قدير