The Ships at ModelTroia 2007

Current modern water cans are a tan, almost flesh-colored plastic. Identical in design to the older ones which were black plastic. Color was changed because after being in the sun, your drinking water becomes unpleasantly warm in a black can. Even older versions are an OD green metal with a tan enamel painted interior. These are out of the system, but the black ones still pop up once in a while. Gas cans and oil cans are identical and are usually forest green. They are marked by the crews to differentiate whether they hold JP-8, diesel, oil or MOGAS (unleaded gas). Cans on a tank would only be for oil, 5 gallons of fuel would do the crew no good. Oil for the hydralics come in small cans just like the ones car motor oil come in. It is called FRH and replaced the older red colored hydralic fluid that we called "Cherry Juice". FRH is "flame resistant hydralic" fluid, and will not burn as easily as the old cherry juice.

Rob, You told you use to mark them all, so: 1) What is used to mark them? 2)What are the marks wrtten on them? 3)What about the water cans, do you carry them along the tank, and how are they marked? WOW! Too much questions?

That would be an article I'd refer to frequently! YodaMan So, did I get my airbrush yet?

Rob, I seem to remember my unit's oil 5 gallon cans were painted with yellow on the upper portion and MOGAS cans were painted in red near the top. Or maybe my mind is making things up...

Normally 2" stencils, the same size and type used for bumper numbering. The words MOGAS, JP-8, OIL and often the vehicle bumper number like A-21, B-66, etc. Bumper numbering helps prevent the stealing of your cans by other crews. Stenciling is usually done in black spray paint and position will vary from center of the wide portion of the can to vertically along the narrow side edge. Water cans will be carried either in the racks on the side of the turret or in the bustle rack along with crew gear. If a water can spills on your sleeping bag, you just get a wet sleeping bag, but if a petroleum product spills, your stuff gets all nasty. Water cans are sometimes marked with the bumper number too. No need to mark them as WATER since they are different than fuel/oil cans and the word WATER is molded into the plastic can.

Thanks for answering Rob!