Greetings all!
The Army is about to relocate me. What is everyone’s thoughts about the movers packing and shipping my models yet to be worked on? I live in the south and the weather is getting warm. Do you think the plastic will hold up during the move? I plan to hand carry all of my decals and completed models.
I spent over 24 years on active duty before retiring last year. Generally speaking, I tried to personally bring any in progress models in the family minivan. All completed models I normally took turrets off and placed them back inside the box. I then boxed the built kits into one of the moving boxes and labeled it. They rarely saw the light of day after that.
The one time I moved from Fort Dix to Fort Devens in 2001, I set aside my very heavy box of paints and my in progress kits in order to load them into the car. The movers saw the half empty box of kits and put the heavy paint box inside of it, crushing the kits. Those kits became airbrush paint testing targets.
As far as weather, I’ve moved from Germany, Kentucky, Alabama, Texas, Virginia, Massachusetts, NY, NJ, Kansas and have never had any problems. I just wouldn’t leave them in a hot car on a hot day regardless of what state I was in.
I still have kits I built in high school and college that have followed me around for 30+ years and are still fine, condition-wise, not construction-wise–I built better now than I did then.
Thanks for the input. Sitting in a hot moving truck is my concern. I am moving from Alabama to Georgia and there is the chance my yet to be worked on kits will be sitting in a box, in the back of a moving truck until delivery. They said that is only five days from pick up.
I will put the decals, paints, cements, etc in my car for the drive.
PS…thanks for your service!
Flyarmy2010,
Did 21 years in the Air Force and carried my unbuilts with me to North Carolina, Germany, Florida, Texas, and finally Vermont. If you don’t hand carry your decals, I’d at least put them in a zip-lock to help keep moisture out. But if you are hand carrying some stuff anyway, toss them in with you. With a short PCS, you wait times should not be bad, so I think you’ll be good. Your built models might be a different story. Some of mine I “pre-packed”. Then let them pack them into a box for shipping. Totally depends on how you feel about your TMO shippers. Have fun on your PCS move and enjoy turning the page to the next chapter.
Eagle90
I hand carried my stash during last PCS, but it was a lot smaller then. PCS time is exciting, but stressful! I hope this is the last move, only six more years to go. I am leaning towards testing the fits of all of them in my car while the movers are here. If they fit and there is room for everything else needs to be hand carried, then hand carried they shall be.
6 more years! You’re just a young pup. I retired in 2010, and I don’t regret a minute of it! 21 years of traveling (of course the 5 trips to the sandbox beginning with Desert Storm could have been better), and meeting some great people! Thank you for your service my brother in arms!
Eagle90
Thank YOU for your service! I have loved every minute of my service. Yes, the deployments have not been fun for the family, but they understand it is my job.
I did 4 years in the Vermont National Guard before being commissioned onto active duty in 1987. This summer will be the 30th anniversary of my basic training! Twenty-eight years of military service.
[Y] Having an understanding family is half the battle. It’s like they say, “what’s the toughest job in the military?..Spouse!”.
Rob, you were a Green Mountain Boy! So you flew the Phantoms or did you get in on the 16 when it came in 86? I think it was 86. Very cool!
Eagle90
You guys are making the helicopter pilot feel “low”…get it?..ok, bad helicopter humor.
Slowly pull up on the lever to your left and get out of the dirt. The air up here is cool and clean. [;)]
So what do you fly?
I fly UH-60 Blackhawks. Judging by your name, you flew one of those earsplitting afterburner things that took off every two hours during my last deployment!!! [bnghead][:P]
I was a tanker in the Army.
Now you’ll hate me…no, I’m (was) a maintenance troop. Did avionics for the 15 most of my career, finished off with the 16…the F-15 is my baby. I was an instructor for 3 years in Texas too. Did a few flights in Blackhawks. You guys sure know how to have fun with the AF boys!
Awesome! Have any pics of the beast you were in?
I’ve commanded more than one tank, an M48A5, M1IP, M60A3TTS, M1A1, several different M1A1 heavies, and an M1A2 (non-SEP). I also was originally trained on the M728 CEV and M60 AVLB in AIT and my Guard unit had M48 AVLB.
As an armor/cavalry officer we were trained on the M88A1, M3 Bradley CFV, M901 ITV, M1025 HMMWV, and of course the venerable M113A2. I also went through the Army’s vehicle recovery school.
As a major, I commanded a maintenance school and had access to various tracked vehicles and wheeled vehicles an armor officer doesn’t often operate around. I even went through the FMTV training with my instructors and got qualified to operate the newer 2 1/2 ton and 5 ton trucks.
i had a tamiya CHALLENGER i started at ft bliss in '86. not only did it survive multiple moves while not packed very well, i finished it last year for the shelf queen GB and it took 3rd in a local contest. armor, other than antennas, seem to do ok. my yacht AMERICA survived an state to state move. OTOH on more than 1 occasion various parts of my german schrank arrived after the main unpacking.
hey rob looks like you missed being in A2s. they were different.
I went through M1A2 transition training as the outgoing company commander, but beyond the training, I never really commanded an A2. I’d probably chose an M1A1 over an M1A2, just too much info to have to absorb.
hi rob OOOPS! showing my age. i meant M60A2 missile tanks.