We salute the Army tank crew that named their tank ‘come on bro’

Bro. Bro. Come on, bro.
U.S. Army Pfc. OJ Gutierrez, a tanker assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, stands in front of an M1A1 Abrams Tank at the Douthit Gunnery Complex on Fort Riley, Kansas, Oct. 19, 2022. Gutierrez, along with his unit, was conducting live-fire tank gunnery for qualification. (Sgt. Jared Simmons/U.S. Army)

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The good tank names just keep showing up these days. 

This is “Come On Bro,” an M1A1 Abrams tank assigned to 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, and seen with crew member Pfc. OJ Gutierrez during live-fire gunnery training at Fort Riley, Kansas in this Oct. 19, 2022 photo.  

U.S. Army Pfc. OJ Gutierrez, a tanker assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, stands in front of an M1A1 Abrams Tank at the Douthit Gunnery Complex on Fort Riley, Kansas, Oct. 19, 2022. (Sgt. Jared Simmons/U.S. Army)

A great tank, of course, needs a great name. Now, per tank-naming conventions in the U.S. military, the first letter has to match with the corresponding first letter of the tank’s company, but other than that, there aren’t many rules. Just don’t make it something profane, or something that’s gonna get your company first sergeant or commander all riled up. Perhaps the name is  something inspiring, or it just sounds badass. Maybe it’s a reflection of the crew’s humor and creativity. Some examples include: “Dropped As A Baby,” “Article 15,” and “All You Can Eat.”

Because, when you’re riding in an M1 Abrams tank, why not stencil something on the barrel of that 120 mm main gun tube that makes you laugh, or pokes a little fun at the absurdities of Army life? It’s not hard to imagine some tanker being told he has to clean up the motorpool, or breaking a track during an NTC rotation, to which he responds with an eye roll, or a heavy sigh, followed by a borderline-belligerent “come on, bro.”

So, come on, bro, give it up for this tank with one of the best names at Fort Riley. Here’s to hoping that we’ll one day see a rival “Come At Me Bro” tank.

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