Now this, is a grill

I was walking about our housing area and spied this magnificent thing parked just outside the Hesco barriers. It is a barbeque grill disguised as what looks to be about a 1/3 scale model of an RG-31 MRAP. The roof and back door of the troop compartment open to reveal the grill and the hood of the engine compartment is the lid of a foam lined cooler.

The thing is a marvel. It has an actual spring suspension and a scale .50 cal machine guns complete with linked spent cartridge cases. I think the guys at the heavy equipment maintenance and repair yard must have made it over the past several years. This thing wasn't put together in a day.

This is the reification of what guys are all about. It is cultural artifact that shows in a physical way what makes the proficient, committed guys in the heavy equipment shop tick. They are mostly middle aged civilian guys and they repair and salvage vehicles that have been damaged or destroyed in addition to modifying vehicles in country. They were the ones who installed all the equipment that made the influx of MRAPs combat ready a few years ago. They don't have as much to do now since we are pulling out of the country but they did a lot of good work and what they did helped save a lot of soldiers.

These guys can DO things. They can MAKE things and FIX things. They are a magnificent group in a slightly pot bellied, grey haired sort of way and they made this thing that is a monument to their spirit. I think it is great.


You can see how they duplicated the V shaped under-hull of the real vehicle. This V shape makes the vehicle less vulnerable to blasts from mines.

This is the reproduction of the .50 cal machine gun. The linked rounds are expended .30 cal shells.


This is a genuine leaf spring suspension. You could probably grill at 60 mph.

This is the grill compartment. The roof opens too.

This is a real RG-31. I got this photo off the internet.