I can comment on the civilian trucking. With the high price of gas and low
milage of tac vehicles, the USG started using commercial haulers years ago.
So you don't often see the old time 100+ truck convoy -- they move the troops
by bus or air and have forward deployed equipment in place when the men (&
women) get there. When the vehicles themselves have to move long distance,
they use commercial flatbeds or rail more often than military transport. Much
cheaper. Same over water -- lots of military hardware goes in commercial
containers rather than US military hulls. Same reason: $$$$
I was on I10 in Texas a few years ago going westbound and saw something similar
-- a string of flatbeds heading east with 6x6s, Hmmvs, M151s, trailers etc.
packed up and chained down. No mogs, but some of the big, square electronics
vans on 6x6 chassis. I snapped a few pics out the car window, but they didn't
show much when I got them developed.
Keep on truckin'
chuck
====================================================================================
To: mil-veh @ skylee.com @ Internet
cc: (bcc: Chuck Chriss/QXCOM)
From: gpool @ pacific.net (Granville Pool) @ Internet @ WORLDCOM
Date: 08/29/96 10:25:28 AM CDT
Subject: Startling Sighting!
I had posted this to the UNi and mendo_recce lists a couple days ago:
> I was driving south from Willits, California, on U.S. Highway 101, this
> afternoon. In a curving section (giving me little warning) there suddenly
> appeared, heading north, a civilian truck and trailer of some sort, hauling
> two military vehicles, both of which looked brand new. Both appeared to
> have U.S. military markings on solid-colored olive-drab paint. One was a
> Hum-Vee and the other a big Unimog, dopplekabin style.
>
> Before I could even begin to digest this startling apparition, another load
> suddenly appeared, followed by yet another. The second load had another Mog
> and some interesting-looking smaller vehicle which was unidentifiable by me.
> The third had yet another Mog and another Hum-Vee. At least the last Mog
> had a full rollcage over the entire cab.
>
> All the drayage was civilian; all the vehicles were likewise
> military-looking, all looking brand new. What the hell? My glimpse of
> these was so brief that I was most frustrated. I came close to turning
> around and chasing them but was in a county car, working, with not enough
> time. Still, if I'd had a camera with me, I might have done it anyway.
>
> Any ideas what this remarkable collection may have been about? Is the U.S.
> military buying Mogs? Why on civilian conveyances? Why headed north on
> 101? Too wierd!
>
> Granville Pool
> Redwood Valley, CA USA
I've gotten some interesting replies. Seems most likely that they were
headed for a National Guard unit in Eureka, CA. I hadn't realized that the
Reserve and Guard had changed so much as to be likely to get such wonderful
new equipment. Maybe I'll rejoin. Think they'd take a grey-bearded old
fart? Nah, even if they would, they'd want to make me lose the beard, so
never mind.
Seriously: Anyone on this list have any further thoughts on this sighting?
I appologize to those who have already seen this flogged on the other lists.
Thanks,
Granny