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Bumper number decipher

DREDnot

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Alright. Finally got the elbow grease out to see what we see...

I get 63rd Regional Support Command, 95th QuarterMaster ... Troop(?)
Army Reserve Command of the SW region...(picked up in Yermo)

DSCN7800.jpg

DS (Direct Support?) 102

DSCN7801.jpg

Also had these hood numbers...

DSCN7653.jpg

DSCN7485.jpg

These were both H 19 near as I could tell
DSCN7282.jpg

Tailgate numbers
DSCN7549.jpg

DSCN7551.jpg

DSCN7550.jpg

Then there was this "08" in vinyl sticker material that matched the lettering.
DSCN7257.jpg

1487083_6002_0_0002.jpg
 

riderdan

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I agree with Gralmk. The owning unit is likely 950th Maint, which matches the hood number.

The numbers on the left follow a specific TB (43-0209) and show the owning unit. In this case, 63rd RSC of the 950th Maint. The numbers on the right are left to the discretion of the unit commander. Because they don't follow a specific pattern, they can be difficult to figure out without talking to someone who understands how the unit is organized. I find it unlikely that this is the 102nd truck assigned to the DS (whatever that is) but it's hard to be sure.

When I briefly was assigned to drive the XO of a rifle company, my vehicle was marked 3/325 82ABN on the left (which showed the truck belonged to the 3rd battalion of the 325th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division). The right bumper was marked C-3 which indicated that it was the third truck of those that belonged to C company.
 

Guyfang

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950th. Maintence Company, 63rd. Regional Support Command in Los Alamitos, CA.

I will explain how my Maintence Company was organized, and perhaps it will explain how and why the drivers side had several conflicting bumper markings.

I had the honor of assembling a Maintenance Company from scratch, in 1986, here in Germany. We sat down and broke the company down into several platoons. The first Platoon was the Headquarters Platoon. Their trucks had bumper numbers that started with HQ. The HQ platoon consisted of the Orderly Room, ( paper pushers that are needed to run the company, the Arms Room, ( the folks that took care of our weapons) the Supply Room, (the folks who kept the company supplied with beans to bullets) the Medic, First Sergeant, Company Commander, Excutive Officer, (XO, a 1st LT and Platoon Leader) Platoon Sergeant, Mail Room Clerk, (normally this was an additional duty) the Motor Pool and other assorted ash and trash. Totaled maybe 30 people.

My Direct Support Platoon, bumper numbers started with DS. These were my thugs. The guys who fixed trucks and anything with wheels. Everything from F&E, (Fuel and Electric) Shop, Wheel Vehicle Shop, Track Shop and Shop Office, (paper pushers who control the maintenance flow, Commo and Comsec Repair Shop and Small Arms Repair Shop. The platoon consisted of a Shop Officer, (normally a 1st LT, in our case a Chief Warrant Officer, also the Platoon Leader) a maintenance NCOIC, (Non Commissioned Officer In Charge) Recovery Section and assorted ash and trash. Totaled about 40-50 people.

The Tech Supply platoon. Bumper numbers start with TS. This was the people who ordered, kept track of, issued, received, transported, classified and disposed of everything the company and supported units, (or units) needed to maintain operational readiness. The platoon consisted of a Chief Warrant Officer, (In charge of running the logistics operation) a NCOIC, 8 clerks, a forklift operator, 10 Truck Drivers, (88M?) and other assorted ash and trash. Totaled 25-30 people.

The company totaled about 110 people. Just about every DS Maintenance Company is different then the next. Both in makeup and personal. The supported unit, (or units) drive that train. Some are area support units, and have a large amount of supported units. Such a company could total over 300 people. Or have just one supported unit, (a Patriot Battalion) like mine. So if a truck had been assigned to several different platoons over the years, the bumper numbers would have been changed at least several times. The reason the bumper numbers are connected to the platoons is simple. It's easyer to ID the vehicle, when someone is doing something stupid. The left side give you the major command, the battalion, (or regiment) and the right side the platoon. The numbers after the platoon marking tell you who is supposed to be in the vehicle. No mater what unit, when you see HQ6, that the commanding officers vehicle of that unit. Just like every call sign of every unit is the number 6. Unit commanders choose a "handle, or name, and follow it with the number 6. Like, Lightning 6, or Ranger 6. All the major players in a unit have an assigned number.
 
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Stevepsc

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Can you tell me the history of this one. Picked it up in Fayetteville. The other corner is labeled D-7.
9ea0d5125fb1a60e4bcef1abeb5f5d9f.jpg a420aca9cc4eaf9aef14d4b142e3f4fb.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:

AAVP7

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Sorry for reviving this older thread, but I have a somewhat related question:
There are numerous threads about unit markings, their meaning, how to uncover them, etc.

What I didn´t found (not even in the TMs): Which base colour is used for those unit markings ? It´s some kind of Tan obviously, but is it Tan FS 33446, or FS 33522, FS 30277, or even some other colour ? I checked TB 42-0209, but found only the colour of the unit marking text itself as "lusterless black", but no hint at the base colour.

I needed to repaint my M997 ambulance, and I want to use the correct colour for the unit marking.

Thanks in advance !
 

bikeman

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Sorry for reviving this older thread, but I have a somewhat related question:
There are numerous threads about unit markings, their meaning, how to uncover them, etc.

What I didn´t found (not even in the TMs): Which base colour is used for those unit markings ? It´s some kind of Tan obviously, but is it Tan FS 33446, or FS 33522, FS 30277, or even some other colour ? I checked TB 42-0209, but found only the colour of the unit marking text itself as "lusterless black", but no hint at the base colour.

I needed to repaint my M997 ambulance, and I want to use the correct colour for the unit marking.

Thanks in advance !
Whatever Krylon flat tan is available at Skibo or Spring Lake Wal-Mart, along with whatever Krylon flat black is available as well.
 

Guyfang

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OK, so no "official" standard for the tan. Thanks very much, guys !
Weeeeeeell, Yes and no. Every major unit had a standard. That is not to say all standards were the same. Close, yes. Exactly the same, not really. But most of the time, its close enough for Government work.
 
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