willysmjeeps.com

OK guys, I am getting ready to order my stencils for the markings on my M38a1. I just wanted to double check for correctness with you guys before I ordered.

I am marking my 'a1 as the unit my Dad was in, which was 3rd Brigade - 4th Battalion - 83rd Field Artillery - A Battery, 3rd vehicle.

This is what I came up with:

3BG-4F83 A-3 (driver-front)

What do you think?

Are you reviewing the directions in AR850-5 or TB 746-93-1? Units are listed with highest echelon to the viewer's left and lowest echelon to the viewer's right.

AR850-5:
http://jeepdraw.com/images/AR-850-5.pdf

TB746-93-1:
http://www.armyradio.com/arsc/customer/ ... lletin.htm

Only the A-3 goes on the driver's side front and pass side rear.

The rest goes on the pass side front and driver's side rear.

I was going by this example in the TB746-93-1. I am using this one because my Dad was in this Unit in 1969, and the TB was from 1964.


"(4) Brigade. Arabic numeral as assigned, followed by letters BG."
"6) 10-2F7-C-2. 10th Inf Div, 2d Bn of 7th FA, Btry C, 2d vehicle."

So would mine be:

3-4F83 A-3, or 3BG-4F83 A-3

Representing:
3rd Brigade, 4th Battalion, 83rd Field Artillery - Battery A, 3rd vehicle

I am trying to emphasize the echelons of command arrangements.

Army

Corp

Division

Regiment

Brigade

Battalion (Squadron)

Company (Troop) (Battery)

Platoon

These echelons of command are listed on the bumper from the viewer's left (highest) to Right (Lowest)

In your father's unit (which was organized under the Combat Arms System):

Regiment = 83 Field Arty

Brigade = 3rd

Battalion = 4th

Company (Battery) = A

Works out to:

83F-3-4-A The A-? (vehicle order of march number) would go to the viewer's far right or driver's side of the front bumper or the pass side bumperette.

83F-3-4____________________________________A-3

Now I gotcha! For some reason I wasn't thinking Field Arty was the Regiment. I guess I was thinking too hard about that example I posted:

"6) 10-2F7-C-2. 10th Inf Div, 2d Bn of 7th FA, Btry C, 2d vehicle."

Shouldn't it be 10-7F2____________C-2, since it is the 7th FA and the 2nd Battalion?

Not trying to make your life $&% here Wes, I'm just trying to get a better handle on this stuff. I'm the type that can read all day long and still not pick it up until it is either explained to me or I do it.

Actually 10I-7F-2______________C-2


Army

Corp

Division 10 Infantry is represented 10I (that's the letter I)

Regiment 7 Fld Arty is represented 7F

Brigade

Battalion (Squadron) 2 Battalion is represented 2

Company (Troop) (Battery) C battery is represented as C

Platoon

The 7th FA is till a regiment and is higher up the ladder than 2 battalion therefore it goes to the left of battalion.

The problem with these formations is they are shown on vehicles in the order we have shown but they are spoken and written in books in a different order.

From what I've seen, most military designations are confusing unless you really study the stuff or have been using out for years!

Thanks for the clarification Wes!

Keep in mind that an Army private in service 6 months has learned to decipher these bumper unit ID's. The same with the manuals and parts catalogs. A mechanic in service less than a year will learn their way thru the manuals and catalogs. The trick is reading carefully and using the book all the time. Before a person comes to the forum they should always try to wade through the book first. This forces the person to get into the book which is the key to learning the book.

A reasonable understanding of force structure and chain of command also helps. Download these charts for reference:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/intro/org.htm
http://baummil.org/usaob.html