The inside of a tank is cramped and extremely noisy!
The M1 Abrams tank has served as the main battle tank of the U.S Military for almost 40 years now. This 60-ton vehicle costs nearly $6 million to build just one unit. It has a 1,500-horsepower engine and is outfitted with either 120mm or a 105mm main gun depending on the exact model.
It is also outfitted with 120mm machine guns and often a Browning .50 caliber or M240 machine gun. It is covered with thick composite armor capable of deflecting many types of enemy fire.
The M1 was designed for almost everything. Except comfort. To prove it, the video below shows just how cramped the interior of this tank can be.
This machine is big, noisy and incredibly cramped. If you are in any way claustrophobic, you probably don't want to sign up to be a part of a tank crew!
It takes a special kind of person to do this kind of work. We've always heard that tank crews develop a close bond over time and it's easy to see why after watching this. It's a must if you're going to be spending hours in a tight space like this with three other people!
The loader seems to have the most physical job of the tanker crew. Muscling those huge rounds around in such a cramped space quickly cannot be easy, especially when under the stress of an intense battle when seconds could mean the difference between life and death.
Our hat is off to the brave men and women who choose this line of work and for risking their lives in tanks to help bring the rest of our troops home safely to their families. Keep up the good work!
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
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