‘A Damn Good Time’ — Crew of well-named tank unfazed by frigid winter in Poland
We never get tired of learning the names that soldiers pick for their tanks, and a recent set of monickers on several M1A2 Abrams training in Poland touch on everything we love about them: dark comedy next to light-hearted humor, zen-like philosophy alongside “send it” enthusiasm.
Photos released last week capture a tank from the Army’s 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas, labeled “Aneurysm,” which might be an effort to describe what firing the tank’s 155mm cannon feels like from the inside.
A second is “About 50/50,” perhaps a reminder of the old joke about a meditative view of life: “Everything in life is about 50/50 — it will happen or it won’t.”
Also in Poland were the tankers of “Armored Palmer,” from 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood, Texas, who are either fans of golf or lemonade and iced tea (a 50/50 chance of either, we figure).
And a fourth tank, also from 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, speaks for the life of tankers everywhere: “A Damn Good Time,” which was, of course, photographed with its soldiers in several feet of snow in the dead of winter in Poland.
The Texas and Kansas crews trained in winter exercises at Bemowo Piskie Training Area in January and late last year.
“The exercise trained platoons to maneuver and operate effectively across restrictive terrain in winter conditions,” the Army said in the photo release.
The crew of “About 50/50.”
The crew of “A Damn Good Time.”
An M1A2 tank named “Armored Palmer.”
The crew of “Aneurysm.”
An M1A2 Abrams bearing the battalion’s name: “Warhorse.”Though the Army did not specify what companies the tanks belonged to, the answer is almost certainly in those names, which all begin with “A.” One of the traditions Army tankers follow in naming is that names must begin with the letter of their company.
Bravo Company tanks might be “Baby Yoda” or “Back Alley Sally.”
Charlie Company might include “Come And Take It,” while “Death Trap” or “Dropped As A Baby” belong to Delta.
All of the tanks in photos in Poland, then, are likely Alpha Company — though a third tank from 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, bore the name of the battalion: “Warhorse.”
How tank names are earned
In 2024, Medal of Honor recipient Clint Romesha told Task & Purpose that getting to name your tank is a tradition and an honor crews have to earn through high scores in gunnery qualification. Romesha spent his first 10 years in the Army as a tanker, though he was a cavalry scout when he earned the Medal of Honor for his actions in Afghanistan.
“It was a point of pride that you didn’t want to be that crew that just got back from gunnery, and everybody got to name their tank, and you see that frickin’ gun tube that’s got nothing on it,” Romesha told Task & Purpose. Every new crew, he said, knew the pressure to “shoot Q1,” a gunnery qualifying score that allowed them to name their tank. “Everybody can look down the motor pool line and tell what tank crew was Q2 [a lower score]. I guess the best way to describe it, it was more embarrassing not to have the name on your tank.”
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M1A2 Abrams tanks from the 1st Infantry Division and 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment conducted winter training exercises at Bemowo Piskie Training Area in Poland in January and late last year. The crews, known for their unique tank names, trained to maneuver effectively across restrictive terrain in winter conditions, showcasing their operational readiness.
- M1A2 Abrams tanks are training in Poland.
- The tanks are from the 1st Infantry Division and 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment.
- Training involves maneuvering in winter conditions.
- Tank names reflect a tradition among Army crews.
- The exercise took place at Bemowo Piskie Training Area.