Any planned visits to.....

[TheSlashFiveTourer]

A query: Is there a possibility that some of us attending The 2005 National could visit The Lima Army Tank Plant during the rally?

Indications here on The Forum would lead one to believe that there is a significant group of BMW MOA members who are ex-military and might possibly be interested in visiting the plant in Lima, Ohio where the US ARMY M1A1/M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank is built. (Then again, some members of this significant group of MOA members who are ex-military may want nothing whatsover to do with anything that will remind them of their military service - including looking at big tanks when they could be out riding!)

Check out this interesting bit of historical information about the Lima Army Tank Plant (http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/lima.htm) and the effect this military contract has had on the folks in Lima over the years.

Any chance of a visit, Madam Sue??

[einnar]

I'd be up for that.

[Hodag]

Lets see...
Air Force Musuem
CMP
and now a tank factory,
the big Trifecta

[Callmethebreeze]

:brow
I'll go if I can drive...lol.

[BubbaZanetti]

all the way to Lima???

WAY to far man :D

[Sue]

Hi all -

We had a local BMW rider who had this all set up.... but then, as things are prone to happen, the military made some changes.

The Commanding Officer of the Tank Plant is retiring. The new commander will take command on July 15th.

Because there is no precedent for this kind of tour at the tank plant since 9/11 (thank you, Ousama), the outgoing commander did not want to commit his replacement to this task.

Sorry about that. We tried......

[TheSlashFiveTourer]

Hi all -

We had a local BMW rider who had this all set up.... but then, as things are prone to happen, the military made some changes.

The Commanding Officer of the Tank Plant is retiring. The new commander will take command on July 15th.

Because there is no precedent for this kind of tour at the tank plant since 9/11 (thank you, Ousama), the outgoing commander did not want to commit his replacement to this task.

Sorry about that. We tried......

DAMN! I thought a visit to the tank plant would be really neat but I can applaud the retiring Lieutenant Colonel for not dumping this BMW expedition onto the New Guy so soon after his arrival in July.

Appreciate your reply, Sue, thanks for the information. Thanks, as well, to that MOA member in Lima who planned the original visit. Appreciate your efforts, Bud!!

Any military fans in the crowd who have a thing for the M1A1 Abrams Main Battle tank - built right in Lima - can get an eyeful of detail here (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m1.htm).

TaTa tank plant :cry

[The_Veg]

the outgoing commander did not want to commit his replacement to this task.

Sounds, as usual, like the Army is failing to communicate with itself. If I were the outgoing guy I would have simply asked the new guy. Nothing to it.

If by some chance something DOES come through on this, even those who never served or had any conmnection might enjoy learning about the technical aspects, as the M1 is a real technical marvel. I used to be in a unit that supported them and I was amazed. Imagine a jet-type turbine engine connected to a transmission the size of a small car. Now imagine this powering a hunk of metal the size of a small house sufficiently enough to make it go 60 MPH across soft sand.

[einnar]

Sounds, as usual, like the Army is failing to communicate with itself. If I were the outgoing guy I would have simply asked the new guy. Nothing to it.

When I passed on command of the Maintenance company I had over a year ago, we didn't know who the replacement commander was going to be until about a month out. The higher echelons had not selected/approved anyone yet. I can't fault the outgoing commander at all on his decision, as that is something he's got no say in, and will be the last to know who the person is.

[TheSlashFiveTourer]

When I passed on command of the Maintenance company I had over a year ago, we didn't know who the replacement commander was going to be until about a month out. The higher echelons had not selected/approved anyone yet. I can't fault the outgoing commander at all on his decision, as that is something he's got no say in, and will be the last to know who the person is.

The 'Lima News' (http://www.limanews.com/news.php?category=News) has been a wealth of local information for me the last couple of months. I'm getting a good idea of how the place operates and what's going on on a daily basis. Nothing much mentioned about our National - yet - but as the start date draws closer, I think some additional reporting will be evident as the town prepares to welcome several thousand BMW riders. {Aside to Sue:- we gonna get a front page spread out of this??} ;)

On the 1st of June, the Lima News had a short writeup (http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=14899) on the New Guy coming in to run the Lima Tank Plant.
Interesting that the officer departing didn't want to stick around for another five years to make full Colonel. (He must've heard MOA was coming to town in July!) I bet that'll eat into his pension! :stick

Onward to Ohio! :bow :bow :bow :bow (Go BuckEyes!!)

[Mike_In_Lima]

With my window open at night (not lately, 71 degree dewpoints this week) I can hear the tanks cruising around the test track. It is maybe 3/4 mile away as the crow flies. It used to be easy to get in there, and I got a ride in one once, but now it is very tough. The sandbagged machine guns are gone at the front gate, but security is still tight. Bush visited there a year ago or so, and the public was admitted to see him, but man, was security tight then; guys hidden in bushes, on rooftops................
I knew the outgoing guy, and had a friend in the Army who used to be there and could have gotten a group in, but now? :dunno
When I was a kid the place was mostly mothballed and we would go through the big holes in the fence and fish the pond in there, and explore around.