M-561 GAMMA GOAT AND M-151 JEEP

[ROGER_HOUSTON2EMC-ENG.COM]

Does anyone know what year was the last of these things was used by an active or guard unit? I know the 24th ID at Stewart swapped them out for humvees around 1987-88. I have seen pictures of the Goat in service with the 101st Air Assault in Saudi as late as 1990. How long did the guard or USAR go with them after 1990?

[33YearsGHQ]

I know that the M151's were used (with roll bars and improved seatbelts) at least until 1994 or 1995. The last Gamma Goats I saw in service was about 1990 (they were noisy, nasty vehicles)

[chrisswim]

Mexico has used Gamma Goats, it was a local national gurad armory. The soldiers march in a parade wearing blue jean pants similar to what the US Navy used to wear, white t-shirt/undershirt, helmet, and black boots. So I have a Gamma assualt company formed up and ready.

BTW, want any....???

[ROGER_HOUSTON2EMC-ENG.COM]

No Thanks! I have quite a few of them already. Thats my quandry. I actually have enough to do a full Guard Division circa 1980s (ie two tank battalions -M-48A5s, Two mech battalions - M-113/M-220 TOW, 6 leg infantry with Goats/jeeps /deuce and a halfs etc along with a cav squadron, an M-42 Duster/Stinger ADA battalion, two 105MM towed/1 155mm SP/1 155MM Towed in the DIVARTY,combat engineers, and an aviation brigade with UH-1H Assault,UH-1M Attack, and OH-6 scouts.) Im stretching it slightly to have the Dusters, the M Model gunships and the M-220 TOW vehicles to represent a Guard Division in the circa 1987-1993 era, however, I am pretty sure the Goats and Mutts were still around.
Would a guard division (say like the 47th, or 38th,or 26th) would have still been outfitted this way when Desert Shield came along .
......Not that they would have been deployed to Saudi, in reality.........But what the heck.
As I said, it finally gives them damn Gamma Goats a pupose.

[chrisswim]

Yes, used by the guard. I will check with Camp Blanding to see if still using any at all.
Also, if you run an airport senario, bend the trailor off, have your little utlility vehicle to pull planes and luggage trailors.

[ROGER_HOUSTON2EMC-ENG.COM]

Thanks Chris!
The only thing the Guard here uses them for now is for aerial targets. I saw a bunch of them lined up end to end on the convoy target at the Townsend Bomb Range here in Georgia. Townsend is operated by the Ga Air Guard. I also saw some that Range Control at Ft Stewart had as targets on the artillery impact area .(along with some old M-901 ITVs, some M-578 ARVs and even some old M-110 8inch SPH's. Seems all the old M-113s and M-60's get dumped off barges in the ocean to make reefs.
Guess we are just up the road from you. I went to Blanding for summer camp in 89 with the 878th Engineer Battalion .(We had all CUCVEES and a few HUMVEES then because all our jeeps and goats got turned in the year before) Loooved that place. Kingsley Lake is the best swimmin and fishin hole this side of Ocala.

[David F]

I served in 2-67 (later 2-3 ADA) Vulcan/Stinger in the 1st INF DIV MECH (HVY) from 1988-1994. We turned in our Gamma Goats in December 1990 after shipping off M923 replacement vehicles to go to Desert Shield. The Goats were carrier for the Forward Area Alerting Radar (FAAR). We had M151 jeeps until early 1989 when they were replaced by M998 HMMWV. The jeeps were used by Stinger teams and platoon sergeants. The HHB use M1008 and M1009 until late 1990 when we received M998 as part of an upgrade to ship out for Desert Shield.

Dave

[ROGER_HOUSTON2EMC-ENG.COM]

The BIG RED ONE kept the Goats til 1990, WOW!
I guess since most of the units in the Georgia Guard had a GO TO WAR mission supporting the 24th ID and XVIII Airborne Corps, we got swapped out early. Of course, our bunch,878th Engineer Bn/260TH Eng Group had pretty much gone all CUCV in 87-88. We still had a few M-880 Dodges (i.e. Contact Trucks) but for the most part we all Chevys (Blazers for the Company Commanders and Battalion Staff, Pick ups for everybody else ) Group HQ got some M-998s for the CO and XO as well as a few for staff support at HHC.
48TH Brigade got HUMVEES at the same time as the 24th, since it was the third "roundout " brigade for the division. The HUMVEES came in to the MATES at Stewart on contractor flatbeds all fresh painted desert CARC. The MATES folks spent about a month painting unit IDs on the front, the obligatory 24th ID Vs on the sides and "SAFETY FIRST" on the tailgates before they were issued out to the Brigade.