We all know photos appearing on TV or in the press where completely different military equipment is shown from what is called on commentary, or caption. It annoys us, but we can understand that journalists and reporters usually are not military experts and can make mistakes.

But when you visit "Defence Visual Information Center" web page (http://dodimagery.afis.osd.mil/), maintained by the Department of Defence, American Forces Information Service, you expect reliable information, right?...

Here are some photos from this web page, and original captions for those pictures:


A US Army WWII M4 Sheridan Medium Tank "Betsy" photographed during the 100th Anniversary Celebration of the Black Horse Regiment, held at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, CA.


U.S. Army M551 Sheridan tanks maneuvers through a narrow German village street while participating in REFORGER `82, the multi-national military training exercise.


An air-to-air view of a U.S. Air Force F-4 Phantom, assigned to the 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida as it climbs vertical while participating in REFORGER `82.


U.S. Army M1 Abrams tanks join automobiles on a road through the German countryside, a farmer and tractor is off the road to make room for the giant tanks, during REFORGER `82, the multi-national military training exercise.


Soldiers from the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) participate in an exercise known as Downed Aircraft Recovery Team (DART). The soldiers are notified an aircraft has gone down and they must move in to secure the area and rescue any injured personnel. The soldiers use M1A1 Abrams Tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles to secure the perimeter around the downed aircraft.


Medics from 126th Medical Battalion, US Army National Guard, carry a wounded Marine from 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, into a Bradley fighting vehicle near the Military Operation in Urban Terrain (MOUT) Collective Training Facility.


US Army soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 160th Infantry Regiment, US Army National Guard, board a Bradley fighting vehicle.


Malaysia Army General Hashim Bin Hussein, Chief of Army, climbs into a USA M2A2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle, at Fort Stewart, GA.


US Marine Corps (USMC) Lance Corporal (LCPL) Agustus, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Regiment, 3rd Marine Division mans the pintle mounted MK 19 Mod 3 40 mm grenade machine gun system in a M998 High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) on a patrol during the 2002 Korean Incremental Training Program (KITP) exercise, Pohang, Republic of Korea.

OK, the last one is actually "almost correct" - it indeed shows HMMWV, but M1044 variant, not M998.
There are hundreds of similarly mislabeled photos - no wonder that press people have problems with identifying military equipment if official US military information service has problems with it...

Regards,
Pawel

That's just Funny!!! #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-) #:-)

I can't see to good on the one in front of the 88, but it looks kind a like a M1, but most of the people couldn't tell the difference between one or the other, I'd bet 99% of the people couldn't tell the difference, they just know if it has tracks it is a tank to them. I'd bet some even in the service, that if they didn't have anything to do with it, they don't know about it either, but the ones involved with it, know it inside, and out. But you are right about if they are going to report on something, they should have some facts right, cause the people take it as fact.

It is an M1 Abrams forward of the M88A1 next to the tractor. What do you expect. The top armor model manufacturer (Tamiya) refers to M113A3 as an M113A2, and this kit is still a newly released kit. Squadron Signal in action book refers to the HMMWV as the M988 instead of the M998. These two producers should be considered "experts" when it comes to vehicle identification.

MILITARY INTELLIGENCE
An Oxymoron we all come to know and love.
On the other hand,it could be "disinformation"

Ted Koppel on the Kuwait/Iraq border when OIF kicked off...

"Behind me is a column of Bradley Fighting Vehicles..." when in all actuality, they were M113s.

Now, I don't expect all these news people (?) to be as correct as we modelers are, but at least get sort of close!

You guys don't expect someone from the the goverment to know what they are talking about do you #:-) Still, that is pretty funny.

Wolfsix

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Boy, those guys up there should get a history lesson! Everybody knows that the first picture is a Tiger! Jeez, they should read a book once in a while! #:-)

We still deny that the US forces are in Iraq. We Don`t have Weapons Of Mass Destruction. We deny the fact that we have Weapons of Mass DisInformation and we absolutely deny that we hacked the Servers of the Defence Visual Information Center To start the Disinformation with the press and in that way Disinform the rest of the world.................. But of course nothing of that is true

Al Sahaf

Now I`m not an expert of Modern stuff neither but I can recognize a lot of the types from each other. I know the difference between a Bradley and a M113 but don`t start asking me about the types of M113 or all the Hummer types.

One thing people tend to forget is that the military often upgrade vehicles/weapons over time and very often use the same body or vehicles. Or at least in GB we do, and often the visual diffferences are inside........Hence why a lot of things look similar or 99% so.

As for blatent mislabelling, o-well, never mind.............. #:-)

I might make a mistake, but isn't that all German armour?Just look at those uniforms, well mayby it's a re-enacment group. #:-)

Pic 1 SturmTiger
Pic 2 StugIV
Pic 3 V-1 flyng bomb
Pic 4 Sdfkz252
Pic 5 Italian L3
Pic 6 British Male Tank
Pic 7 Panther F or G??
Pic 8 General Montgomery
Pic 9 This is a SciFiction Item from Alien 2
Do I have recognized all of the equipment posted?? :-)
If yes what do i win ?
M.G.

My wife wouldn't have problem with those question.

Her classification is: yellow, green, and multicolor. Sometimes she may group them into big and small ones.

Okay so they misidentified some equipment, but what were these guys thinking, giving an Air Force pilot a tailhook option ?
I know the real reason but come on, maybe a short field option. Got to admit it's a scary thought.

The Tamiya M113A2 is actually an M112A3? Geez Im behind the powercurve.

Unfortunately, just because it's the DOD's site does not mean someone with military knowledge was writing the captions. A bit embarrasing though. Not knowing an F-15 from and F-4, or a M-88 from an M-1, or a M-113 from a M2A2/3. WOW!

OR - Could it be the DOD's attempt to confuse and confound America's enemies by mislabeling? Who knows?