Any modern parts for an Mep-002 tank?

[Light in the Dark]

I do believe that would put you in the minority, based on my experience with military procurement. Hats off to you.

 

[steelypip]

Took a quick look at the link. Will dive in deeper. Interesting!

After I made WO, this kind of stuff became important to me. I just could not see spending money on stuff, just to spend money. Its one of the reasons I got real good with the AMDF, Army Master Data File. I figured that if we just HAVE to blow money, I would try and blow it on stuff we really needed.

Back when I was working as a lab chemist on government contracts (including a US Army one), I had to do exactly the same thing - manage my lab carefully for 10 months, and then carefully spend all the money I had saved in the last two.

I called it 'end of the year mad money,' and after the first year-once I understood what was going on-I carefully made up a wish list over the course of the year full of stuff expensive and cheap, mundane and exotic that we (or at least I) would have legitimate use for in the next year or five. When mad money season came, I would manage to spend my allotment on 2-3 expensive things, lots of little spare parts, a few tools, and extra consumables for next year.

I got a lot of really cool (and often incredibly useful) things for the lab that people had never seen before with that money. I think you have to have just the right mindset to spend hours browsing through supply catalogs trying to find stuff you could use that can be bought with money you probably will have in 11 months or so. Not everybody had the patience or the willingness to do that kind of research. Lots of money gets wasted that way...

 

[rustystud]

Took a quick look at the link. Will dive in deeper. Interesting!

After I made WO, this kind of stuff became important to me. I just could not see spending money on stuff, just to spend money. Its one of the reasons I got real good with the AMDF, Army Master Data File. I figured that if we just HAVE to blow money, I would try and blow it on stuff we really needed.

I once spent 4-5 hours looking through LIGHTS in the AMDF. We spent mega bucks on these huge, plastic, cheap shi* rotating amber lights for our vehicles. They cost a ton of money, and after you mounted them, they were broke in about a week. It was end of fiscal year, and we had to SPEND. I looked at the AMDF till my eyes dripped blood. I got lots of stuff that made the soldiers life easier and better.

Then I found the lights! Small, magnetic base, BRIGHT, and 24 volts. You would have thought I had invented gold! They were only about 1000% better, and just a tad more costly. No one had ever seen them, and every one wanted them. I of course, ordered a "few" for "backup and trading material". Better than gold.

When I got promoted to E-5, I was also given the great responsibility of "parts procurement" in the motor pool! I didn't realize it was a drudge job until after my first day of filling out forms (in triplicate of course) . I also learned about the massive amount of waste in our procurement system. Later on I was given access to the "hidden supply room", ware parts that we where not allowed to have where kepted. I was able to get the shop a nice new welder with 100ft leads ! That's right, 100ft leads ! They where 3/0 cable. Nothing as fancy as your stuff Guy, but it was nice to get a decent welder. The old one would shock the crap out of you ! I think it was from WWII .

 

[robertsears1]

In the Air Force, it was called fall out money. I was first aware of this phenomenon in the mid '80s. I was even so naive to suggest that if we didn't spend it, why not give it back since I am a taxpayer also. If everyone did it, it would be a big pile of money. They looked at me like I was retarded!

As a WSO and later pilot in the fighter world, we would have what we called the September follies for logging flying time. I got out in 2002 so it has probably changed (especially with all of the combat deployments). You would have a contract for so many flying hours per FY and it had to be zeroed out exactly. As we got into September, they would start writing on the scheduling board what you would log. As we were told, fly what you must but log what we tell you. The closer to the end of September, the sillier it got.

Robert