In March 2003, members of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines were making their push north to Baghdad.
They came upon a berm that ran parallel to the road where their convoy came under attack.
The humvees in the convoy took intense fire from Iraqi soldiers.
Machine gun, rocket-propelled grenades, and mortar fire came from behind the berm on the side of the road.
1st Lt. Brian Chontosh was sitting in the passenger seat of a humvee when the attack erupted.
As bullets and grenades hit the humvee, he ordered his driver to drive toward the enemy.
This movement allowed his vehicle’s gunner to kill the Iraqi machine-gunner.
Lt. Chontosh and his Marines exited the humvee and charged the enemy trench.
The Lt. ran out of ammunition for his M16, and switched to his sidearm.
He then picked up an AK-47 from an Iraqi soldier and continued fighting.
The Marines began heading back to the convoy but, they found an enemy soldier (who had been playing dead) attempting to ready a grenade.
Lt. Chontosh found an unused round on the ground, loaded it into his rifle, and killed the enemy.
The Lieutenant’s assault resulted in more than 20 killed enemy combatants.
Chontosh was awarded the Navy Cross, second only to the Medal of Honor.
Chontosh would go on to earn two Bronze Stars during Operation Phantom Fury.
He retired as a major after 20 years in the Marine Corps.
This not only shows the bravery of U.S. service members…
It also displays the durability and toughness of American Military Humvees.
These days, the average American is looking at different ways they can prepare to bug out.
A critical factor is having a vehicle capable of getting you where you need to go.
Depending on where you live, this might be a vehicle that can go through snow or floodwaters.
That said, here are the top military vehicles that civilians can buy…
AM General Humvee.
The High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle or Humvee, is a four-wheel-drive tactical vehicle that serves at the core of the U.S. Military’s vehicle fleet.
It is a go-anywhere type vehicle and can power through five feet of water.
The Humvee has been in service for more than 30 years.
There have been over 42 variants used by the U.S. armed forces.
It comes standard with seating for 5 and can carry 2,500 Lbs.
With millions of Humvees out there, you can find decommissioned ones for sale.
Prices start around $20,000 and go up to six-figures, but it depends on the condition of the Humvee.
M939 Series 5-Ton Truck.
The M939 is a family of cargo trucks, and people carriers.
AM General built the first M939s. They were then built by Bowen-McLaughlin-York.
These trucks were equipped with Cummins diesel engines.
The truck has a top speed of 65 mph and can travel 225 miles on a tank of fuel.
It has a payload of 10,000lbs and later models come equipped with an automatic transmission.
The truck is a 6×6 (three axles, six wheels) with all the wheels receiving power to move the 5-ton truck.
These trucks have a variety of configurations.
Depending on the condition these can be found for around $20,000 and up.
Stevenson M1079 LMTV 4×4 Van Truck.
In the 1980s, Stewart and Stevenson began producing the Light Medium Tactical Vehicle.
This LMTV weighs nearly 20,000lbs and has a 2.5-ton payload.
It’s powered by a 6.6 liter Caterpillar turbo diesel engine that sends power to all four wheels.
It has a seven-speed Allison transmission, like that used in semi-trucks.
The 47-inch tires have a built-in inflation system.
This allows the driver to air them up and down with the push of a button.
This is a big deal if you plan on traveling from the highway to off-road.
The LMTV sells for around $15,000 depending on the condition and specifications.
I’m sure we have all had that moment when we wish we had a military vehicle to get us where we needed to go.
Lucky for us, the U.S. military often sells retired military vehicles.
These vehicles are made to strict military specifications.
And they’re vehicles you can depend on to get you out of Dodge.
