Lost unit numbers

refit1701 · Post by **refit1701** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 4:50 pm

I spent some time with a sander today, carefully going through the layers of paint on my truck. I have figured out that my passenger door is native to the truck, whereas the driver's door is an Army orphan. Every other part except the hood is an USAF truck.

I was looking for unit numbers or something to give me an idea of what to put back on after the paint is done (yeah, six months from now...).

The small amount of original lettering I have found (gas pipe warning, tire pressure in the door jambs) have all been white, not yellow as I see on other restored trucks.

The bumper has a hodge-podge of lettering, with two versions of "82AB", the rest not really legible to me.

The bumper has blue under the OD, so it was AF also. It appears that someone made sure they covered nearly all the blue up with OD, except under the dash in a few spots. The OD looks like they used a wet mop to apply it, with huge runs in the paint.

The data plates on the glove box door are long gone, so no help there.

I guess I will have to have a contest to think up unit numbers for my truck when the time comes.

Lifer · Post by **Lifer** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 5:26 pm

As long as you use the proper format, size, and colors of lettering, the actual number you use can be anything you want as long as the first 2 characters are the model year, the third character is a letter, and the last 4 are numbers. Just make sure you don't go too high with the last 4 numbers. I seriously doubt that the Air Force acquired 9,999 M37s in any given model year.

DaveO · Post by **DaveO** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 7:16 pm

Hi Lifer,

What is the significance of the letter?

Thanks!

knattrass · Post by **knattrass** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 3:50 am

A wet mop? Ours was painted with a wet cat that was chased with a wet mop.... 6 layers to bite off (bad news), no rust underneath to speak of (good news).

Lifer · Post by **Lifer** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 4:10 am

DaveO wrote:Hi Lifer,

What is the significance of the letter?

Thanks!

The letter signifies the purpose for which the vehicle was intended.

Using 54B 2123 as an example, the 54 indicates that the vehicle is a 1954 model. The B indicates a general purpose vehicle, and the 2123 shows that it was the 2,123rd 1954 model purchased by the Air Force.

refit1701 · Post by **refit1701** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 4:24 am

Those would be bumper numbers?

What number goes on the other end of the bumper?

What about the door number on AF trucks?

Lifer · Post by **Lifer** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:29 am

OK...Did a little research here.

The publication covering the painting and marking of USAF vehicles was AFTO 36-1-3. I'd like to get a copy of it for myself, but haven't started searching for one yet.

The number I mentioned earlier is only part of the info you're looking for. It would be painted on the doors, actually, in this format:

U S AIR FORCE
54B 2123
For Official Use Only

All lines would be centered with the "FOUO" line being half the size of the other letters, and the whole thing would be centered on the doors.

Bumper markings are nothing like the Army's markings The front bumper, as you're looking at it, would have the abbreviated base name and gaining command on the left (passenger) side and the vehicle number on the right (driver's side). Assuming that your vehicle was assigned to Headquarters, Air Force Communications Service at Scott AFB, IL, the front bumper would show "AFCS/SAFB" on the passenger side and 54B 2123 on the driver's side.

The rear bumperettes would have AFCS centered over SAFB on the driver's side and 54B centered over 2123 on the passenger side.

I'm not sure what size the lettering is, but I can make a quick phone call in about 30 minutes and find out that info, too.

Lifer · Post by **Lifer** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 7:04 am

OK...I finally got through to the motor pool at Scott AFB, with disappointing results. There aren't any "old guys" with long memories there any more. The Chief of Maintenance is a "young" (40 something) lady who retrained from another field and doesn't know what the old markings were. The TO has changed since the AF was reorganized, and the AF no longer puts the markings on vehicle doors. Now, they put them on license plates only for general purpose vehicles. There aren't any tactical vehicles at Scott AFB, so I'll have to try another source. I'll keep trying, though, and let you know what I find out.

refit1701 · Post by **refit1701** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 7:30 am

What you have listed already is a huge help! Thanks for the effort Lifer!!

Since I have artistic license, I'll have to think of a cool airbase or something...

What would be the letters for NORAD? (or am I answering my own question?)

Lifer · Post by **Lifer** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:15 am

A Norad truck would be marked NORAD with the abbreviated base name. The "head shed" would be at the Cheyenne Mountain complex, but I don't know what the base code would be for that. NORAD also had units at the USAF/RCAF joint bases throughout Canada and the Yukon Territory. These have all been turned over to the Canadians, and most have been deactivated by now, thanks to satellite imaging. One station I knew of in Canada was Slave Lake Air Station, which would be abbreviated "SLAS."

Post by **robi** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 6:29 pm

Just thought I'd mention that 82AB is, of course for the 82nd Airborne Division. If you're careful on the bumpers / bumperettes you might find the company level marking.

refit1701 · Post by **refit1701** » Thu Apr 10, 2008 4:25 am

Those bumper numbers have been the most confusing. For a truck that is obviously an AF truck, to have Army numbers on the bumper makes no sense.

Lifer · Post by **Lifer** » Thu Apr 10, 2008 5:38 am

From paragraph 3.8.7.2, AFTO 36.1.191, Oct 1999 edition (unchanged from previous editions):

The vehicle management activity shall assemble and maintain within the lubrication work center, a reference library for each model of equipment in sequence, according to the third digit of the registration number as follows:
"B" Commercial, general purpose
"C" Commercial, special purpose
"D" Commercial construction/base maintenance
"E" Materials handling equipment
"K" Military (M-series), general purpose [this would be most M37s]
"L" Military (M-series), special purpose [radio trucks, fire trucks, etc.]
"M" Military (M-series), construction/base maintenance
"W" Vehicular type AGE
"X" Nonreportable

The "US AIR FORCE" and registration numbers shall be 1 1/2 " and the "FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY" lettering shall be 3/4" in height.

Yellow is to be used on all blue vehicles. Flat black is to be used on all OD or desert tan vehicles.

It helps to still "know somebody in the business." My neighbor's son is still in the ANG at my old unit. One more phone call and he came through for me. I had the info in my e-mail this morning.

refit1701 · Post by **refit1701** » Thu Apr 10, 2008 6:03 am

Ok, great stuff.

So....

53K 1701 SFCS/STFTCO

would be valid bumper numbers for an AF truck?

knattrass · Post by **knattrass** » Thu Apr 10, 2008 4:13 pm

ok what we found was 54k- 2241 on the hood
also we found CO-NG-1??? on the bumper on our army truck can anyone help out on the letters?

Lost unit numbers

Lost unit numbers

More info for DaveO