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Roy_A_Lingle · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 6:54 pm Post subject: M8 ACEs at Ft Bliss

Hi Folks!

While driving acoss Ft. Bliss last weekend, I noticed what had been a yard full of M8 ACEs only had three remaining. The vehicles looked used and might be for an Engineer Unit that is moving to White Sands Missile Range. I guess I should have tried to take some pictures sooner. There were some M88s, M577s, and a number of M548s when I first saw them.

Spot Report!
Sgt, Scouts out!

Neil_Baumgardner · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 7:25 pm Post subject: Re: M8 ACEs at Ft Bliss

To nit-pick, those are M_9_ ACEs - M8 was [to be] the AGS... Wink

Neil

Roy_A_Lingle · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 7:41 pm Post subject: Re: M8 ACEs at Ft Bliss

Hi Neil! Hi Folks!

[quote="Neil_Baumgardner"
To nit-pick, those are M_9_ ACEs - M8 was [to be] the AGS... Wink

Neil[/quote]

That was an alertness test to see if anyone was paying attention to my flub up. Well done Sir, you passed the test.

I know something was wrong, but I was thinking I didn't have the ACE part right and I was in to big of a hurry to stop and look it up.

Thanks Neil!
Sgt, Scouts out!

Dontos · Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 12:09 am Post subject: Re: M8 ACEs at Ft Bliss

I'm not a big fan of the M9 Ace. Evil or Very Mad

Strictly a personal opinion caused by trying to recover an Ace which was a bit mired, while trying to dig my fighting position.

Attempting to recover it, I became mired, and then threw track (on the idler) to the outside.

Freakish damages included three shattered roadwheels, several track blocks needing replacement, warped Idler Arm, bent track adjusting link.

I was 'stranded' for 8-10 hours, but the Ace,.......dumped his bucket load of ballast soil(mud actually) then drove out of the hole, and drove away. THANKS !! Rolling Eyes

Don

MarkHolloway · Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:45 am Post subject: Re: M8 ACEs at Ft Bliss

Roy, I agree these are probably going to White SAnds. They are standing up an Engineer Battalion this fall.

Joe_D · Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 2:18 pm Post subject: Re: M8 ACEs at Ft Bliss

Don,

My memories of the ACE also fall in the negative category, mostly because I looked at how it could support me, the Tanker. I used to absolutely hate seeing one show up to my position when I needed a "Hole Dug", preferring a good old D-7 with rippers over the anemic ACE. Between that and it's terrible reliability (caused by poor replacement parts) in my experience, I pretty much had no use for them. Most novel use I've seen for one was transporting prisoners during OIF 1.

EPW's in ACE

It also made a decent pick-up truck for moving class 9.

Joe D

Dontos · Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 12:45 am Post subject: Re: M8 ACEs at Ft Bliss

- Joe_D

Don,

My memories of the ACE also fall in the negative category, mostly because I looked at how it could support me, the Tanker. I used to absolutely hate seeing one show up to my position when I needed a "Hole Dug", preferring a good old D-7 with rippers over the anemic ACE. Between that and it's terrible reliability (caused by poor replacement parts) in my experience, I pretty much had no use for them. Most novel use I've seen for one was transporting prisoners during OIF 1.

EPW's in ACE

It also made a decent pick-up truck for moving class 9.

Joe D

BTW: That is my tank during M1A2 IOTE at Hood in 93. Can you guess the approx. location. Its actually fairly easy.

Don

Doug_Kibbey · Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 1:01 am Post subject: Re: M8 ACEs at Ft Bliss

- Dontos

BTW: That is my tank during M1A2 IOTE at Hood in 93. Can you guess the approx. location. Its actually fairly easy.

Don

Don,

When two clerk typists appeared at an NDP in Tan Uyen District in VN one day soliciting dream sheets for DEROS (Roy may recall this), I put down "Ft. Knox" as it was a reasonably nice place at the time, and I couldn't think of anywhere else in armor that didn't sound like a lot of work or blisteringly hot. Only about three of us from 2/11th at that time were assigned there. Everyone else that didn't ETS wound up in a TriCap Div. at either Ft. Riley or Ft. Hood. Your pic convinces me that I chose wisely (and was very lucky). Not that we never broke track in mud or nuthin', but at least it was purty.

Wink

Joe_D · Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 2:06 am Post subject: Re: M8 ACEs at Ft Bliss

Don,

Got me, Never made it to Hood Until 2006, and that was North side getting ready to go to Iraq and NOT as a Tanker.

Doug,

I got stationed at Knox in the mid 90's from my second tour in Korea, I thought it would've been a good assignment, getting the chance to teach and mentor. Wasn't until I had got there that I realized it was filled up with "KGB", Kentucky Good Old Boys, who made a career at Knox and pretty much avoided every place else except for a check the block Korea tour or Germany. I was really amazed how many Senior NCO's there were teaching stuff they never had done. Some of these guys PCS'd 3-4 times and stayed on Knox the whole time, just changed units. I went back to Korea after 3 years just to get away from the place.

Joe D

Doug_Kibbey · Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 2:27 am Post subject: Re: M8 ACEs at Ft Bliss

Joe,

I was blessed. Dream job...Armor Board. All the trickest stuff, got to wring the pee out of it and most of it you didn't have to fix 'cause it was too sensitive (well, apart from usual stuff like track maintenence). Lots of hard drivin' and hard shootin'....what's not to like? And all out of view of nosy brass and immune to MP's and other authorities on post. And when it was broke or being sniffed at by the civilian representatives from wherever, we didn't work. Good duty, I tell ya', Nuthin' better if you were 11Echo. Our own little world at Heard Motor Park and out at CTA and MFO. "Test Operation" was a great stencil that basically meant "stay away". Loved it, good times and I lived off post as a single guy. Some of the best times of my life, looking back (the next few years back in College were better, but that was also the company you kept...half of which was female).