Artifact of the Month
5-Ton M923 Cargo Truck.
5-Ton M923 Cargo Truck.
5-Ton M923 Cargo Truck.
Side view 5-Ton M923 Cargo Truck.
View of the Cargo section of the 5-Ton M923 Cargo Truck.
The M923 Cargo Truck was part of the M939 vehicle family that entered service in 1983. This new class of five-ton vehicles reintroduced automatic transmissions, something not seen since the Korean War vintage GMC M211. Further improvements in the M939 class also included a new cab to help meet the Surgeon General’s standards for in-cab noise, the relocation of the muffler to behind the cab, and power steering. The M923 model was primarily used to transport personnel and supplies over all kinds of terrain, rain or shine. The M923 was the Army’s mainstay 5-ton until the introduction of the M1083 FMTV (Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles).
This vehicle was found in Kuwait after serving as a gun truck doing convoy security work. After 2004, Iraqi insurgents had begun hitting convoys extremely hard. To deal with this, units started adding makeshift armor to vehicles to help defend against these attacks. This basic armor concept was officially referred to as Level III armor and consisted of rough looking scrap metal or ballistic plates applied by the local weld shops. The double walled armor box in the bed allowed the gunner to traverse a full 360 degrees. With the introduction of factory produced Level II armor kits, the Level III vehicles were pulled from service to be rebuilt or retired.