XBradTC

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XBradTC

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HALO at Ft. Lewis

Technically, it’s Joint Base Lewis-McChord, but screw that, it will always be Ft. Lewis to me. This is hardly the first combat dune buggy to visit Ft. Lewis. Back in the early 1980s, the then resident division on post, the 9th ID, was used to experiment with several concepts, a prototype motorized division and high…

Technically, it’s Joint Base Lewis-McChord, but screw that, it will always be Ft. Lewis to me.

This is hardly the first combat dune buggy to visit Ft. Lewis. Back in the early 1980s, the then resident division on post, the 9th ID, was used to experiment with several concepts, a prototype motorized division and high technology test bed.  As part of their experiments, one brigade of the 9th ID was mounted on Fast Attack Vehicles, essentially dune buggies mounting .50cal machine guns, Mk19 40mm grenade launchers, or TOW missile systems. We (and a few other readers of the blog) toured Ft. Lewis and saw all this cool stuff. It looked cool, but wasn’t really much more mobile than a regular HUMVEE, and quite a bit more vulnerable.

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  1. SFC Dunlap (Ret.) 173d RVN

    Ah yes, the ole’ 9th ID (Motorized) concept incursion, know it well. I appreciated that the “Cookie” Division was part of rather avant grade experimentation. You hooked me with “HALO” which in some circles means “High Altitude Low Opening” or MFF (Military Freefall). During this time a civilian outfit called Para-Gear pushed a set up that involved a 4 seat dune buggy-ish vehicle and cargo trailer both on seperate “Ram Air” or “Square” cargo canopies. The dune buggy had humans with their own parachute rigs on sitting in the thing as it ramp exited. Quite successful actually with many live test drops and no malfunctions I recall ever reading about. Yes I’d have ridden that buggy out the butt end in a nano second. Heady times those. Thanks for that!!

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  2. Surfcaster

    ‘Cause you never know when you’ll have to HALO into the Thuderdome.

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  3. SFC Dunlap (Ret.) 173d RVN

    Nice SurfCaster…very nice. I blew liquid out of my nostrils over your comment…really except for the burning sensation hilarious!!! Thanks

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  4. scottthebadger

    I think the Boeing version has an elegant name. http://www.boeing.com/defense/phantom-badger/

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  5. obsidian53

    Somewhat susceptible to cluster munitions.

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