So has anyone here operated a Pinz "in uniform"?

E350 · Post by **E350** » Tue Dec 21, 2010 8:26 pm

Literally. I would love to see pictures of them in military service now or especially back in the day, etc...
Brent

yaknowthatguy · Post by **yaknowthatguy** » Tue Dec 21, 2010 10:21 pm

I have not....but a friend of mine has. He is Swiss, and ran around in them as part of compulsory military service. When he found out I had a Pinz he almost peed himself he thought it was so cool. He lives in Utah now, and I'm trying to convince him to get one

edzz · Post by **edzz** » Tue Dec 21, 2010 11:02 pm

Not me. Go down about half the page.
http://www.delica.ca/forum/who-was-look ... -8718.html

Ed

GenevaPinz · Post by **GenevaPinz** » Wed Dec 22, 2010 2:37 am

I did drive a 712M once in Swiss army uniform on an on-road test run, but then they decided that they would train 3 soldiers from the platoon as light vehicle drivers and I was no. 4 on the list, so I ended up being a pedestrian / passenger for the rest of my time in the military.

I have been bimbled about in 712Ms and 710Ms, which was always better than being in larger trucks (the Pinz has seats in the back and the heater does have an effect on the cargo area!). I also spent 2 weeks operating radio equipment in the back of a 710K (the air defence unit that I was part of switched from light AA guns to Stinger missiles, and the radio equipment was changed at the same time, and we only used G-Wagens after that).

Unfortunately I don't have any pic of my time in the military (Pinzes were de-commissioned at the end of the 90s, and phones did not have cameras at the time!)...

stiffler4444 · Post by **stiffler4444** » Wed Dec 22, 2010 6:14 am

Ran into a guy at our local liquor store a couple weeks ago who was literally in tears of joy when he saw my pinz. He drove them regularly in the military in Belgium I think? I intend to engage him in conversation the next time I run into him, so I'll for sure ask if he has pics.

McCall Pinz · Post by **McCall Pinz** » Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:06 am

I grew up in the US, but one of my cousins was a driver in the Swiss army and had some stories when he visited this summer. He had to check out the Pinzgauer and then check it back in completely cleaned with a checklist. It was a requirement to take the dash face out regularly to dust off the connections. There was a specific way to roll up the sides (roll them under so they don't catch dirt and water) and if you did it wrong you had to wash the truck for 3 days. He thought most of the troop carriers smelled like soup that had spilled in the back and he had fond stories of sleeping in the back while waiting around.

E350 · Post by **E350** » Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:32 pm

edzz wrote:Not me. Go down about half the page.
http://www.delica.ca/forum/who-was-look ... -8718.html

Ed

Yes- that thread it what prompted me to start this one. That is a great picture!
Brent

OhioPinz · Post by **OhioPinz** » Mon Dec 27, 2010 3:42 pm

I knew one guy who served on a 710M Radio Truck. They spent a lot of time keeping everything in good condition and in order.

[IMG]http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a48/Oh ... N_0213.jpg[/IMG][/img]

kpoling · Post by **kpoling** » Mon Dec 27, 2010 5:03 pm

Ohio: Excellent picture, please post any others you have from that era.

Regards, Kevin

OhioPinz · Post by **OhioPinz** » Mon Dec 27, 2010 5:15 pm

That's the only one he offered but I'll ask.

GenevaPinz · Post by **GenevaPinz** » Mon Dec 27, 2010 5:23 pm

OhioPinz wrote:I knew one guy who served on a 710M Radio Truck. They spent a lot of time keeping everything in good condition and in order.

[/img]

This looks like quite late in the history of the Pinz in the Swiss Army (definitely in the 1990s), thanks for sharing!!

The camo pattern and combat webbing was first introduced in 1990, and the bayonet on the guy on the left matches the latest assault rifle (model 90 as well). Also, the vehicle barely visible on the left is a G-Wagen, i.e. the Pinzgauers' replacement.

The black beret makes me think they are armored or mechanized troops, as I believe they had black berets with no emblem instead of the camo fatigue hats that the rest of the troops had (the idea behind it being that berets are more practical inside a tank or armored howitzer).

So my guess would be a company level HQ (battalion would have a zero as the lower right digit, although ambulances were more attached to battalion HQs and there is one in the background) in either mechanized infantry or armored or maybe armored artillery... but I could be wrong.

OhioPinz · Post by **OhioPinz** » Mon Dec 27, 2010 6:04 pm

Photo is 1993 vintage.

chacaocop1 · Post by **chacaocop1** » Tue Dec 28, 2010 8:17 pm

I did, 1991, Venezuelan armed forces. Troop carrier. No pics. Sorry.

chacaocop1 · Post by **chacaocop1** » Tue Dec 28, 2010 8:21 pm

Some of them are still around, in not a very good shape....http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/4779/0303101743.jpg

E350 · Post by **E350** » Wed Dec 29, 2010 7:27 pm

Excellent- keep the pics coming! I like seeing them in action! I also love the tips about millitary maintenance, although now I'm paranoid about dust build-up behind the dash plate

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So has anyone here operated a Pinz "in uniform"?

So has anyone here operated a Pinz "in uniform"?

710K Radio Truck