I was in the field years ago. It was cold as hell and one of these tanks showed up. The TC got out and told us that we could all gather behind his tank and he’d keep the engine running so we could get warm. Very cool of him. This was at Fort Lewis Washington sometime around 00-01. Thanks a lot my brother. I never forgot it.

Remember. The .50 cal and .50BMG is older than any tank. John Browning really hit it out of the park with the M2 and .50 BMG.

I remember being in Germany last year and I was driving the CO around and mind you I’m infantry- he asked the tankers if I could hop in and fire a sabot and they said hell yeah!! I’m still close with that captain to this day, he is a huge help in my career

One of the very few times the video description was accurate. Best tank video I've ever seen. I was not privileged to serve and at 6'4", I'd never have made a tanker but this certainly makes it look like fun. (I'm sure not nearly as fun in actual battle.) Thank you for taking time from your lives to serve guys. I appreciate it.

I was a driver on the "original" M1 in West Germany in 1980-82. The firing system has certainly changed since then lol. Would've loved to have that tech back then!

0:53 I love how he just opens the ammo storage and flashes a menacing smile

As an old tanker, I love it. Brings back old memories.

I was in a light infantry unit, and we were training down in Ft Polk. We had just came out of the woods after a fight with opfor onto a road after dark and an M1A2 came out at another location just down from us onto the road. Hearing that thing rumble and shake the road was awesome.

I love this video, first time a see an actual look at a tank leader operating the optics and how the screen looks. greetings from belgium :)

I got out 2 years ago and being a tanker was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The job sucked a lot, but doing Gunnery made the entire job worth it. Thanks for sharing, got me to relive some of my best memories.

As a 55B from Mechanized Cav back in the day.. This was badass!!!! Thank you for letting me remember.

Brings back memories hearing that replenisher going off all the time. I was on M60-A3 in 11th Cav Germany..OORAH !! And Blackhorse Sir.!!

I’m from Poland and I think American soldiers treat themselves as if they are true brothers. They are the best soldiers, bad ass

God this brings back memories, I was a tanker from 1986-2015. I served on the M60A1, M1IP, M1A1HA and M1A1 HC, and finally the M1A2 SEP, after that I was done with my PSG time and was a staff puke then a First Sergeant (for 6 companies) Best job I ever had.

This is the best video ever. Closest thing to being there. Amazing, thank you. And thank you for your service!!!

Wow, as an Indian, I am simply amazed by the rank design. Props to the American engineers, they have truly performed themselves out of this world!

This Navy vet has a ton of respect for anybody who would go to war inside a machine that's as much of a target for missiles as a tank is on the modern battlefield. Similar to being on a surface ship, in a tank there's nowhere to hide. Many of the worst service-connected injuries I see at my local VA hospital are from combat vets who served in armored units.

For those who don't know, Abrams has a gas turbine engine, that's the loud "whine" you hear throughout the vid. Very nice footage

I was 19E in late 80's and 19K in the 90's... that high pitch sounds brings back memories. Good times!

My dad told me a story about keeping warm from the tank engines in the field. The infantry would get behind the tank and would spin around like a rotisserie chicken so they didn’t get burned. He also told me that the best place to sleep was on the engine on a cold night.

I was a Tank commander for 28 years. Fought in Desert Storm with the 1st Infantry. Brings back memories.

My teacher lost both his legs when his tank went over an IED around 13 years ago before he was a teacher. He has been at my school for 3 years and I didn't know he had prosthetic legs. He recently shared his story during Rememberance Day 2021

Thanks for sharing. I have been a military nerd and fanboy my whole life, but as I got older and learned more about it all, my interests changed and evolved in 2 main ways: A: I got more interested in the "less sexy" aspects, organizational stuff, the infrastructure and supplies and the elements that keep the "sexy" stuff like the MBTs and the fighter jets running, like recovery vehicles, maintenance and the such. B: I got less interested in the raw stats of machines and more in what it is like to be a soldier using and living with those machines. Long story short, that is why I appreciate videos like this one a lot. Still, there is so much I haven't learned yet, despite scouring the internet for a long time, like how accommodations for tank crews work, for example. Would the tank platoon or company carry its own tents with it for the crews to sleep in, in a "Operation Desert War" or World War 3 type scenario, when you can't rely on large, prepared, fortified bases, or would that be job of the battalion? Are there spare crew men to replace wounded or fatigued tankers? I know the French tank forces, when they introduced auto loaders to their Leclerc tanks and thus technically didn't need the human loaders anymore, still didn't get rid of the 4th crew man, but the companies ferry them after the tanks in armored personnel carriers, so they can still help with maintenance, camouflage and all the other work tank crews have to do. That always seemed smart to me. I also know that German tank battalions in WW2 carried spare crew men with them and even had their own handymen like cobblers, tailors, gun smiths and even a plumber. I guess in case the battalion resides in a building and the toilets are clogged? An amusing thought, but perhaps more common than I think? I know that US tank companies contain 2 cargo trucks, one attached to the Field Maintenance Team and one to company HQ, but I don't know what that truck transports for the company. I also don't really know how the 2 HQ tanks interact with the regular tank platoons. Do they form their own 2-tank platoon in combat, or do they attach themselves to one of the platoons? Do they lead from the front or stay back as reserve to help out in case of one of the 2 platoons getting in trouble or is that up to the company commander's digression? You know, stuff like that.

Me watching this currently while I’m at gunnery lol .Never thought I’d stay in for this long and now I’m a TC. Honestly if I could do it over again I wouldn’t. Best job I ever had 💥

wow, firing the main gun is way more hectic than I thought it would be. There is A LOT going on. I can see how a tight team can be so important. Hats off to all the tankers out there

Im not a tank expert but sometimes i just feel like being inside a tank is the coolest man cave ever

i will forever love 2 things. the way that the loader yells "UP" and the bit around 6:20 where the dude says "FIRING GUN, ON THE WAY"

I was a combat engineer stationed in Germany in 1984. We helped build a combined arms live fire range at Graf. It was and has been great training for all.

Amazing footage indeed. Thanks for sharing👍

Was showing my daughter this video and explaining what I did. Lots of memories. Thank you

I owned a piece of farmland and an brand new m1a2 abrams that was the actual sound effects and interior thanks for sharing with us!

I can't vouch for if this is the best, but it's definitely the best I can remember seeing! Thanks for sharing!

This is one of the best (if not THE BEST) tank gunnery videos depicting the action from the tank commander's point of view that there is on KZfaq (or, so I think). He really did an amazing job considering that he was consumed with commanding his tank and watching the rest of the platoon and capturing the action with his camera. Hats off on this great video and he who produced it! (I was an armored brigade S-3 operations officer for two years.)

Wow, drives smoother than my Merc

Brings back a lot of memories. All great memories. Miss the heck out of it

Never knew the cap and the loader we’re in such close proximity. Let’s go boys! 🇺🇸

Damn I love seeing that wedge formation at 9:30. Seeing tanks move so well in formation makes me miss being on one!

That's an absolute BEAST of a machine right there boys. They had a show on Hulu called "Ultimate Factories" where they took Abrams tanks and basically refurbished them to brand new. Awesome stuff!

Great video for reminiscing about good times during live fire. The loader is pretty good at his job. One of the few besides myself who used the vertical round-flip to get the round into the breech, instead of the slow, clumsy horizontal flip. I got an avcap stuck in the deflector a few times, but never had to deal with an avcap that failed to extract from the breech. He handled it like a pro. I don't miss the Army, but I sure miss being a tanker!

No video can substitute doing it for real. I started as a greenhorn gunner then Loader/ Radio Op and finally promoted and selected to drive the Squadron Leader's Tank. 9 wonderful years

I miss being on my tank and my tank crew. I started out as a driver, skipped loader, became a gunner, then a Commander! B-22, 2nd platoon, Bravo Company 2nd Tank

I love how fast these things are. Capable of high speeds despite being so heavy and able to shoot while moving as well.

Oh man, did this bring back memories! Basic at Ft. Knox, KY, then 2nd Armored Division, Camp Casey, Korea, and 1st Cavalry Division, Ft. Hood, TX -- 1992 - 1996

I was TDY at a GM facility in Goleta, Ca back in the 80’s when they were testing the ‘Silver Bullet” sabot in use here. Damn thing would blast through many lead plates and sometimes blow out through the back.

Every Abrams vid : EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Seriously badass though! When he stood up out the turret and the main gun fires while on the move! This is almost porn lol.

I had a good friend that was a tank commander in the Vietnam war . He was badly wounded his last day there . Had to spend months in hospital. He died of cancer couple years ago I miss him 😢

Man this is nostalgic.. I was a driver, then a loader, and finally made Gunner. Best job I ever had!

honestly, I’ve always wanted to be in a tank, specially an Abrams, and this is amazing

This is fucken sick dude, greetings from your ally down under :)

I admire how fluid and fast that loader is

I finally know what my dad had went through in Iraq, thank you so much.

I was a fueler, got sent to a tanker unit at fort hood Texas after AIT. We ended up doing two NTC rotations and a year in Kuwait. Spent a lot of time watching these guys shoot. Ended up with epilepsy so staying in wasn’t an option. Driving multimillion dollar vehicles with night vision was kinda dope 😅

Crazy, I used to drive the M60 tank in the military, but the Abrams is like a spaceship from Star Wars. just how incredibly loud and oppressive it was in the M60.

If you are up in Graff that is probably Range 301 or Range 79 . We built though ranges in 1984 I was with the 535th Eng Co ( CSE ) along three other brigades of Construction Engineers. It took us 10 months. You are at Range 301

Brings back memories. Former 10yr Leopard 2 A6-7 gunner then commander, not the exactly the same but similar workload.

Absolutely amazing man! I love the Abrams! Edit: thank you for your service!

My son is finishing up his last 3 weeks of OSUT down at Benning right now for 19K....man, I thought what I did in my Army career was cool, but I'm totally jealous of the kid! These machines are just amazing.

It's really cool. Live shooting, I saw what Abrams looks like inside. As a man who has served in the tank forces, this is very interesting to me. Thanks for the live footage. Greetings from the tank troops of Russia with the best wishes, I express professional solidarity. I wish you successful activity in such a difficult service :)

Back in the 70s I was a commander of a couple of the M42 Dusters . Most fun I had was in the National Guard operating those things in Fort Picket Virginia.

That barrel stays so smooth and level driving down that dirt road. Amazing.

I was at Ft. Knox in 97. Used to love listening to Live Fire Exercises at night. These tankers have tremendous firepower at their disposal and are trained to use it effectively.

What is great about this is... training. Training. Training. Can never have enough training. Awesome.

I was a mechanic in the Marines (2146). If I could go back and do it all over again, I for sure be an 1812. Best job I ever had.

of all the tank videos on youtube, this is for sure one of them.

Man I miss being a tank commander. This reminds me of the good old days doing gunnery with my crew. Love the sounds of the 120mm cannon going off and smelling the fumes from the rounds. Keep up the awesome job my brothas. One shot one kill!!!

Retired tanker here and Master Gunner for M60, M60A3, M1 and M1A1 tanks, thank you for your video it brought back great memories! Keep up the great work.

Excellent! I was in the 163rd Armored Cav.

Us Army enlistee here, finalizing the process on fully getting in and will be headed to MEPs soon, shooting for 19 Kilo. Badass machine, looks like she’ll be fun to work on and get used to. 70 tons of American steel and firepower sounds better than 100 pound rucks and walking to where ya gotta go!

As FSO for a cav unit my track had four radios and was used for commo to bore sight a company of Abrams. It was fun, relaxing and watching that E-6 talk to each tank as they dialed things in.

In 78-81 I was a Sgt/TC in 1/46 Inf in W. Germany. Got to spend plenty of time sucking dust at Graf and Hohenfels. One day at Graf my squad and I saw the first Abrams we had ever seen. Had some tankers and brass standing around it so we weren't allowed more than a quick look. What a sleek beast.

Wow it only took 8 seconds to reload this is such an amazing video nice commanders view

I wasn't a Tanker, but I was in a Stryker unit. And let me tell you nothing beat watching the trucks and tanks maneuver.

8:03 That sync shot was sick

Man, that brings back some awesome memories. I spent 4 years on that steel beast, just the A1 and not the A2........shooting the big bullets at gunnery was the best.

Grafenwoehr Training Area back in the day when I was in Germany. 3rd Armored Division, 2nd Battalion, Company B - Spearhead! Just sayin 😁 Ran across the KZfaq video and it brought back those old memories...circa 66 - 69

I repaired the LRUs inside Abrams and Bradley’s, I actually might’ve been stationed at Carson when this video came out. Those ICDUs man 😂

I went to AIT as a a loader/driver. Then, i joined ROTC and got my commission. Went on to other things. These guys are very good. Very fast. They are a top level crew. If you were to film an AIT crew, it would be about 1/4 this speed. Or slower. These guys are like a NASCAR team - very well drilled and cohesive.

Appreciate you sharing this. I served with 3rd ID, 4/64 Armor, West Germany, way back in what now seems like the stone age! Was a gunner and TC on the M-60. Would love to sit/shot in the M1A2.

That 120 mike mike firing looks so cool. It must be fun on the range.

Best video I watched this week, the feeling of thrills and powerful experiences👊

I served on the very first generation of Abrams with the 11th ACR in Germany way back when rocks were soft and fire was new. You guys have a smooth drill. Nice work getting everyone trained up. I have to say though, my leadership would have lost their freaking minds and 'Article 45'd' the whole crew for letting this much footage get out to the public. In my day, we couldn't even take photos inside the track. Everything had to be approved from PIO.

God pls give these men a bigger monitor its a real hard job I enjoyed TNX for the video

it is pretty badass sending stuff down range as you are driving to the range 😎

Excellent video. And thanks for posting. Rare to see this :D

Hooah!!! Just awesome to watch!!! Used to love to watch the M1’s as we passed behind the tank ranges on our way to our range!!!

Some of the best days of my life were on a tank. I once loaded 17 rds in a mad minute in Hoenfels, but it was on an M60-A3..Good times !! Awesome video !

My tiny town at the time had maybe 400 people, but we had a road called Defense Hill Road Shoreham NY, which was a NIKE site with the E 31 nuclear warhead, me and my dad got there in 79 when we both got dirtbikes after it had been closed for a while, and the main building had a 2 nuke Jolly Roger, and at the bottom of the hill was a small base next to our high school, so when a school came to play baseball at our school, the home run fence had 30 Abrams tanks lined up on it, I think they only have 20 now.

This really is the best tank video I’ve seen well done

I was a 19E in 4th ID in 87-89 at Carson. HHC 2-77. Never got on an M1. Awesome video. Makes me wish I had reenlisted.

This is the best part of being a Tanker ! No video could ever do the experience justice but this one comes close !

Its incredible how concealed the noise of the canon going off in the tank is.

Thank you for sharing. I needed to see it to better understand what you guys go through when you operate one of these things, and what they are like. I wonder if your hearing is being protected from that whine? In many aircraft, there are helmets and/or equipment that allow a pilot and passengers to communicate above the engine noise through radio. (Bluetooth?) I don't know exactly what the best gear might be, but think it's doable to help you if you don't have something like that already. Support, care and respect. Hang in there.

As a former tanker this has been as legit as I've seen on here so far. In a war situation though, all these operations happen so much faster. With 4 different round types it's truly a machine of destruction.

This brings back a lot of great memories. This is amazing! Thank you

Incredible video! Thanks for posting

I was 45 kilo 3rd armored division 1983 -1986 bad ass machine

Went to NTC a couple years back I got to sit back a couple clicks and watch y'all do your thing through my NVGs. Let me tell you watching that round go down range and you guys bounding and cover was a thing of beauty

my dad lives on a mechanized infantry base so when i'm vistiing i'm able to see a lot of armour. I've even seen Abrams shooting! it's truly great when your dad is a staff seargant.

Killer tophats man. Great loader, one hell of a tank

The m1 Abrams is one of my favourite tanks.