ARMYMAN30YearsPlus said:
This is so way cool are there going to be chalk mark convoy numbers and convoy ahead, convoy follows and convoy commander signs? I know my convoy commander sign got me out of a lot of speeding tickets all over CONUS as I usually just got a wave and a slow down admonition since I was usually leading at least three 15-20 truck serials. The hairy part was getting them all through one toll booth since I held the cash as the class A agent too. Got my first encounter with a moving west coast mirror that way. Don't forget saftey vests for the convoy commander and driver in case you have to control traffic. Sounds like enough fun to drive away from home just to come in with you all.
We haven't chalked any numbers on folks vehicles since A) some folks hate you doing that to thier nice paint, and B) we tend to shuffle folks around some at each meeting location as the series combine on the way to Aberdeen.
We do run signage on the vehicles (Convoy Follows, Convoy Ahead, Convoy Commander, etc.) and have warning beacons on lead and tail vehicles of each March unit, (and some others), and assigned locations in the March Units, and assigned communciations frequencies, and routes, and schedules, etc...
A lot of this info (who is doing what, routes, times, assignments, frequencies/channels/phone nubers) are posted on the Convoy Website and will be available as soon as the guys get the updates done. Additional info will be added as we get closer to the actual date (when we add new serials for example). Website also has info on who has registered (when you actually register on the site for the convoy), and will have info about t-shirts (needed if you want to eat Eastern NC BBQ that I am cooking on Friday...), etc.
I used to hate it when my teachers would say "wait and I'll get to it later in the lecture", but a lot of info is comming in just a short time. You can see what we have done in the past by visiting the webstie and seeing what was done for 2006 (and prior years...).
We try to run the Convoy in a military manner while keeping in mind that most everyone in it is no longer (or never was) in the military and that the main focus is to arrive in Aberdeen (and get home again) in a safe, fun, manner.
And yes, I have gotten out my share of tolls and tickets by having a big ol' Convoy Follows or Convoy Commander plackard on the front of my rig with a line of MV's stretching behind me...
We have had a couple of folks in the Aberdeen (Harve de Grace, actually) area run out to the marshalling point where we combine all the serials for a combined drive into the rally area just so that they can particiapte in the Convoy for the last couple of miles. Also had one guy who backtracked all the way back to Jersey one year (he drove down from Canada, set up his vendor spot, drove back to Jersey, and then down with the convoy) just so he could ride with us...
Everyone is welcome to join in.
If you don't have a MV that will make the trip, you cand drive your civilian vehicle as a support vehicle (we have a place for you in the lineup designated) or we can find somebody who wants/needs a co-driver...
I'm excited.
Cabell Garbee
Convoy Coordinator/Convoy Commander, 2007 East Coast Convoy
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