M35A2 uncamouflaged trucks?

[JohnDeere]

I have seen M35A2's online that have the old o.d. green paint scheme.
How did they escape being painted in camouflage, (or desert tan) over the past 40 years?

I think this is my first post..so Greetings to all !
I'm in northern Oklahoma...

 

[JCKnife]

Chances are they have been re-painted that color, would be my guess.

Mine is about to be.

 

[dittle]

Just remember that all of the older trucks all came out OD and were painted in their respective camo patterns by the end user units.

 

[engineer233]

My truck came od green when I got it. My truck had just came back from kuwait also where it had been in a mp unit .

 

[maccus]

Interesting question. I have a rebuilt by VSE 2007 M105A2 and a 2003 M101A3. Both are as they were rebuilt, no repaint. And both are just 383 green, no camo. I have heard one version of the answer and that was that it was up to the discretion of the commander of the unit that got the vehs. And I have also heard that a commander could keep the units in green if they were not to be used tactically. As I said I just "heard" that and have not seen anything in writing. Which would be the only real positive correct answer I think.

It does seem that for what ever reason there seem to be a lot of non-tactically used trucks/trailers in just plain green.

 

[emmado22]

Units are assigned contingency areas where they will operate in war time. When new vehicles are rolling down the assembly line, if the overall unit is know (say 1st Cavarly Division) the vehicle will be painted for that contingency area, which for 1CD is tan. Pre 2001, all vehciles that werent going directly to units (depot for instance) were painted CARC 383 Green. When the vehicles were issued out to units, they would either stay green, get the black and brown CARC 383 added, or get painted tan. Every division has a paint shop where they paint vehicles. All NG/USAR units have some higher level maintaince unit that has paint capability somewhere in their state or region. Sometimes painting a vehicle is very low priority so it is very possible a unit is supposed to have 3 color camo, but the all green vehicle might stay that way for it's time at that unit. Other times, like in Active Divisions, a vehicle's first stop is the paint booth to get it's contingency color if it is not alrready.

And then there are always exceptions.. My ex USAF M35A2C we Green from the factory, then was painted 3 color camo CARC by a local Ford Dealership.. I have the paperwork and reciepts saying so!

A a rule of thumb for a unit that has tan vehicles, you could always tell how well their maintaince program was, as all new parts came in green. If you saw lots of green parts, stuff was generally well maintained. If it was all tan, maintaince could be lacking... Thats how my Division Commander did spot checks of motorpools as he rode thru them.....

 

[LanceRobson]

To add to what emmado22 wrote some trucks belonged to units that were never intended to deploy overseas and which were not part of a larger deployable chain of command but which still needed trucks Those trucks were generally not repainted. Nowadays they'd have a straight-up civilian truck and not a tactical one.

Also, units, even today, get priority in equipment, repair part funding etc based on how long planners thought they would have during a build-up or after getting a deployment order before they deployed. Longer lead times result in lower budgets.

Some of the roughest trucks to have come up for sale came from units that had very low budgets for maintenance. Since 2001 it has been a lot less likely to see motor pools full of trucks with balding, dry rotted tires etc. Those of us who were buying these things 15 years ago can attest to having seen some truly rough trucks come out as a result of those policies.

The condition of the average truck coming to auction today is head and shoulders above what they were 10-15 years ago.

Lance

 

[steelandcanvas]

And then you have Air Force Deuces. Mine is 383 Green and has never been painted any other color.