Photo By Brad Staggs | A T-72M Battle Tank is delivered for display to Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in...... read more read more
BUTLERVILLE, Ind. – During the cold war, the Soviet Union used their 41-ton T-72 main battle tank to keep their subjects under control, creating an atmosphere of fear in the western powers and becoming a remnant of the cold war.
Today, one of these tanks resides at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, the Army’s premier urban training venue which is designed to replicate a city in distress anywhere in the world. The tank is being used to represent a piece of non-working military equipment much like what might grace the lawn of a city courthouse.
The T-72M tank does look the worse for wear, but it’s understandable upon closer inspection of its history.
The tank at MUTC was built in either 1984 or 1985, older than many of the soldiers who will see it on a daily basis during training. It was most likely first used in East Germany prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall in November of 1989. It was then “issued” to the Iraqi Republican Guard.
The tank was assigned to an Iraqi Republican Guard Armor unit and was captured in 1991 by 1st Battalion, 37th Armored under the 1st Infantry Division. It was shipped to Fort Knox, Ky., and the Patton Museum in 1992.
Recently, the Patton museum split into two distinct elements with all weapons exhibits moving to the national Museum of Cavalry and Armor at Fort Benning, Ga. The current Fort Knox branch of the museum will be dedicated to a museum of Army leadership. The museum offered the T-72M to Muscatatuck to put on display as part of the city look.
There is some identifying battle damage on the right side rear of the turret. The “spall” impacts are not a cause of it being taken out of commission and the actual combat damage source is unknown (i.e. Op Desert Storm, Invasion of Kuwait, or Iran/Iraq conflict).
As for exterior markings, there is only one of note. A large green “dot” was painted on the turret rear sponson box. This is one of the Republican Guard symbols.
The T-72M battle tank which now resides at MUTC will remain on display in front of Building 16 as a museum piece. The tank has seen a lot of action and has now become a piece of military history.
| Date Taken: | 12.08.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 12.21.2010 10:13 |
| Story ID: | 62396 |
| Location: | BUTLERVILLE, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 85 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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