[PNWMonty]

I had seen one of these pictures floating around the forum, I believe the stated source was USA Today paper from back in the day ‘On the Road to Kuwait’. Came across more of the photos online. Were these Navy guys or Army? The McMillan M88 looking rifle makes me think Navy Seal. I guess it would be a PSSR not a M25.

 

[Random Guy]

Thanks for the post. Either Navy NSW guys, or (correction) US Army Special Forces operating under USSOCOM command, given that the NSW/SEALs share weapons with SOCOM missions, which includes US Specials Forces (& Army Rangers). Those weapons were made at Crane, and (on edit) these are Special Forces guys per the picture captions. (large knife in first picture almost looks like a US Navy Mk 3 diving knife, but the pommel is a little different. It definitely ain't a US Army issued M9 bayonet/knife).

Peter Senich's book, The Long-Range War (1996) shows one of these M14 rifles which he called "The Navy version of the M25" - but that is not quite technically correct as the Navy never adopted that nomenclature, it was an M14 Sniper Rifle or M14 Physical Security Sniper Rifle (PSSR). His picture caption suggested that 3rd or 5th Special Forces Group used these Crane-built sniper rifles in Desert Storm, hence my suggestion that those pics are either NSW or SF under SOCOM command.

 

[PNWMonty]

Thanks for the post. Either Navy NSW guys, or possibly US Army Special Forces operating under USSOCOM command, given that the NSW/SEALs share weapons with SOCOM missions, which includes US Specials Forces (& Army Rangers). Those weapons were made at Crane, and I suspect they are Navy NSW guys, but that is a best guess. (Knife in first picture almost looks like a US Navy Mk 3 diving knife, but the pommel is a little different. It definitely ain't a US Army issued M9 bayonet/knife).

Thank you. I'm curious is that a sock or USGI wool beanie strapped to the PSSR stock to make a improvised cheek riser? lol. Very MacGyver.

 

[PNWMonty]

 

[andyh1956]

Who's Tank is that?
M48 or M60?
Can't be one ours is it, we quit using them Eons ago?

 

[mlin]

Not sure which country, but that's one of the Arab coalition force's M60. But USMC also deployed a sizable M60A1 during that time frame.

 

[jarhead714]

Who's Tank is that?
M48 or M60?
Can't be one ours is it, we quit using them Eons ago?

The Marine Corps did not receive the Abrams until after Desert Storm. The M60A1 RISE was in use. It can be distinguished by the reactive armor plates affixed to the hull and turret. The M60 pictured is likely a Saudi tank.

 

[RAMMAC]

Army sniper team

View attachment 504694

First time I ever saw an Abrams was after we got off the ship in Saudi Arabia during Desert Shield. I was in the Marine Corps and we had several M60 tanks on board my LHA, no Abrams.

 

[spsosicmcise]

It looks to have something like the simrad mount towards the front scope ring.

 

[fkienast]

All those photos looked posed.
Those guys look too clean to be on the Road to Kuwait City.
EERIE RUMBLE A PRELUDE TO KEY TANK VICTORY – Chicago Tribune
The Marines did have one company of M1 tanks involved in the war.
Remembering the 'Reveille': Thirty years ago, members of Spokane Police Department participated in Gulf War tank battle | The Spokesman-Review

 

[Random Guy]

Ok, I found the original captions, and those soldiers are US Army Special Forces guys, using SOCOM weapons. The M14 does indeed have a SIMRAD rail so it was clearly set-up for night missions, which makes sense given they were securing the off-shore oil platforms at night during that conflict. SIMRAD was cutting edge back then. The African American solider also has a very early Litton hand-held laser range finder, which was also new and cutting edge technology back in Feb 1991. Definitely SOCOM gear that came out of Crane. Glad these pics were posted.

(Personally I don’t think they were posed pics, based on what was happening in late Feb 1991. My now retired contact at Crane said he remembers when those pics were published. It’s the only ones I’ve seen of Desert Storm snipers under SOCOM).

Btw, the Feb 27, 1991 photo caption in USA Today only referred to them as “US military snipers take aim at retreating Iraqi forces.” My guess is per Operational Security they didn’t or wouldn’t reveal their identity or branch to the US photographer, hence the rather ambiguous “US military snipers” reference used in the newspaper.

I need to find a SIMRAD scope ring for my replica:

 

[OMCHamlin]

Who's Tank is that?
M48 or M60?
Can't be one ours is it, we quit using them Eons ago?

I thought we used M60s in the first Gulf war? At least partially?

 

[Random Guy]

The USMC fielded a large number of M60A1s tanks during Desert Storm. They began to retire them a year later, around 1992. Apparently Egypt is still operating a large number of upgraded M60s.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/M60_tank

 

[Trwman]

Those are awesome pictures!

 

[andyh1956]

OK thanks for the info!
I took the kids to an Open House at Camp McCain back in the 80s. M1s were new & I watched a M1 & an M60 Drag Race. That M1 outran that 60 In Reverse! Thinking about it in that context the Gulf War wasn't very long after that so M60s coulda still been deployed anywhere.
Seems like last week, where did the Time Go???

 

[PNWMonty]

Another M60 pic, I think this is USMC (reactive armor plates on the turret?)

 

[rickgman]

(Knife in first picture almost looks like a US Navy Mk 3 diving knife, but the pommel is a little different. It definitely ain't a US Army issued M9 bayonet/knife).

RG, Yep, the knife does look similar to a Navy Mk 3 dive knife but it definitely is not one. I suspect it is a Gerber LMF.

 

[lysander]

The Marine Corps did not receive the Abrams until after Desert Storm. The M60A1 RISE was in use. It can be distinguished by the reactive armor plates affixed to the hull and turret. The M60 pictured is likely a Saudi tank.

Yeah.

 

[EastCountyRedneck]

Army sniper team
View attachment 504703

First time I ever saw an Abrams was after we got off the ship in Saudi Arabia during Desert Shield. I was in the Marine Corps and we had several M60 tanks on board my LHA, no Abrams.

Looks like Jessie Ventura from Predator. “I ain’t got time to bleed.”

 

[spsosicmcise]

There is some kind of fancy camera all the way to the left in the picture