Posted on Aug 19, 2014
SFC Mark Merino
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1507925 m2 bradley 03
No one loves the Bradley more than me. I am almost certain that I am the only one in the service to have a BFV tattoo since 1990. Did you know the Bradley was designed to be amphibious? Were you one of the early 11M's (Mechanized Infantry)? Please share your tales of mechanized anguish and triumphs.


http://youtu.be/aXQ2lO3ieBA
Edited 10 y ago
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Responses: 37
SPC Michelle M.
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That movie is hilarious!! I haven't met many who have seen it, I have an unhealthy movie collection and my ex knew better than to try and get any of those in our divorce lol.
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MSgt Chris Adams
MSgt Chris Adams
>1 y
Was a good flick. My Project Management course highlights portions of it to illustrate scope creep.
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SGM Ada Enlisted Branch Sgm
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The Movie is great, the book is really good too, goes a lot more in depth on the acquisition corps. Good read.
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SFC Mark Merino
SFC Mark Merino
>1 y
SGM (Join to see) I am so all over this book!
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SSG Les Green
SSG Les Green
>1 y
Yep, the movie came out while I was at Olsen Hall going to Master Gunner School...LOL
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COL Roger Lintz
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I was on Mitchell J. Red Cloud range on Ft Benning, GA in 1991 when Morley Safer from 20/20 was doing an investigation into the capabilities of the M2A1 Bradley versus the M113 APC. I watched as they rehearsed the test and went over the script and I heard the S3 screaming at the driver of the APC to slow down during the turn around and also while going over the log wall obstacle so the Bradley could keep up and make it close. Of course the Bradley also went over a jump while throwing 25 Mike Mike downrange hitting the exact same spot even in mid-air going over the jump. It was blatantly obvious they were trying to make the Bradley look good for the story on 20/20. Morley Safer didn't but it and he produced a scathing report which set off all kinds of bells and whistles in the Pentagon. They feared once the story hit the airwaves the funding would be cut off for the program. It wasn't but it could've ended up in the scrap bin.
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MSG Combat Engineering Senior Sergeant
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>1 y
those things look ancient COL Lintz.. All do respect :)
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CPT Aaron Kletzing
CPT Aaron Kletzing
10 y
Haha, awesome story, thanks for sharing, COL Roger Lintz!
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SGM Billy Herrington
SGM Billy Herrington
10 y
COL Roger Lintz 5 point crew cut for gunner not saying On The Way.
Lol
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COL Roger Lintz
COL Roger Lintz
10 y
by MSG Billy Herrington "5 point crew cut for gunner not saying On The Way."
Lol. Agree MSG. It's the tiniest things that will sneak up on you from behind and suck
the last "Happy Cell" out of your brain.
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SGT Richard H.
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Edited >1 y ago
I was actually PI$$ED when I PCS'ed to Germany and found out that the unit I was arriving at was about to transition from 11B to 11M. Heck, I still identify as an 11B...although, I will say that I had some fun in the Bradley....and I got an AAM for being the first gunner in 1AD to qualify in the UCOFT, and an ARCOM for the Division high gunnery score in my frist trip to Graf.
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SFC Mark Merino
SFC Mark Merino
>1 y
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL Stinger Brads! I had a troop with me in our tiny Troop in Iraq that was a Stinger Brad man. We had 2/3 ACR Brads in our perimeter 24/7 and the 2 of us were like giddy little kids. We'd boresight for them and pull and clean the 25mm. They thought the air cav meant that we were masters of all weapon platforms! (Of course they were correct in that assumption)....lol
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MSG Combat Engineering Senior Sergeant
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>1 y
I am a 12B. We got issued the M2A2 ODSE BFV around March 2006. We were trained on them by civilians for what seemed like half a year who were on TDY with BAE. Most of those guys were old Master Gunners, Gulf War Vets an older 11M series MOS. Well overall I though we did pretty good with them as a Company. The instructors did great and got us ready for Bradley Gunnery Skills Testing, UCOF, etc.. and we shot gunnery with just a few issues:

Then I remember a certain PSG during gunnery ending his Commanders night engagement after hearing his crew had just received Top Gun Honors. Well he got so excited that he left his NVGS on top of the turret. As it begin to rain all of a sudden he decided he was going to close the BC Hatch.. in doing so he noticed it would not close all the way.. after repeated attempts of slamming down his hatch.. he then realized that he had left those NVGS up top and had completely destroyed them.

However when 1st BCT, 1CD decided to take them to Fort Polk for JRTC before our surge deployment we really had a time with them.
I remember one of the squad leaders at the time scanning the right side of the road traveling at a high rate of speed trying to CASEVAC some of the wounded and slammed his barrel against one of the thousands of pine trees and literally bent the barrel in the shape of a banana and ripped all the gears out of the turret.

All in all I think the Bradley is a great vehicle. Lord knows they were so good to have in the cities and out skirts of Baghdad. I spent 39 months all in and around Baghdad. During the surge (Oct-06-Jan08) I spent almost all 15 months in a Bradley turret as a Gunner or BC.
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MSG Combat Engineering Senior Sergeant
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Pictures 001
Young Corporal Morgan cleaning the M240C after staying out at Combat Outpost Tarmiah, Iraq for 2 weeks.
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SFC Mark Merino
SFC Mark Merino
>1 y
Old School 11M BFV RESPECT for MSG (Join to see) !!!! Congrats on your upcoming promotion as well! Keep those Bradley stories coming my brother!
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