Through 1978 and into the following year, the M551A1 Sheridan was washed out of the active Army inventory with the exception of two micro fleets. The 4th Battalion of the 68th Armor, part of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg retained their Sheridans and a group of 200 vehicles was allocated to the new National Training Center for conversion into the Opposing Forces mock up armored battalions. As the regimental and divisional cavalry squadrons loaded out their M551s, they were replaced first by the trusty M60A1 rise/passive and then, the M60A3. All of this was viewed as small side steps in force development, the real changes were just a few years away with the M1 tank in initial production and M2 infantry fighting vehicle and M3 cavalry vehicle only a year or two further away. What had once been a major armor program was shrunk to a few hundred specialty vehicles.

The Sheridans went away, but where did they go? Hunnicutt states that the majority of the fleet went into storage, probably at Anniston Army Depot. This facility was tasked with mechanical support of the fleet with GM Tank Plant in Cleveland almost closed. Red River Depot, Texas may have also provided parking space. Some portion of the fleet was probably allocated to the National Guard, probably sparking no end of "good news -- bad news" jokes in units across the country. This is not to say, however, that the manufacturing base allowed the Sheridan to pass silently from the scene.

Even as the Army was looking to the future, GM and other defense contractors proposed a dizzying number of M551 platform variations. By the late 1970s, the mechanical and power train problems had been largely identified and fixed. The micro fleet was upgraded though a Product Improvement Program and the automotive system became the very reliable performer the designers had first envisioned. Everything from a mortar carrier to light weight infantry carrier to air defense weapons platform to a recovery vehicle and a host of other variations was proposed to anyone who would listen. In Washington, there we no takers beyond some scant funding to experiment with the hull as a carrier in one of the many high velocity cannon programs.

Even the troublesome turret was addressed. The 152mm cannon with combustible case ammunition and missile was tweaked, thermal sights eventually were added and the tankers of the 82nd Airborne recall the Sheridan as a reliable performer that gave their division the only tank on tank combat capability that was readily air transportable and at immediate hand. For all the "dune buggy with TOE missile" experiments, up armored 2 ½ ton trucks and other depot fabricated designs, there was something comforting about a tank, even if it was the M551. Also of note, both General ( Ret) Wesley Clark and Lieutenant General Recardo S. Sanchez both can claim service with the Sheridan tank and the 4 - 68th Armor.

Later redesignated as the 3 - 73 Armor, the battalion was in the lead waves of US action in both Panama and the first Gulf War. Bobby Haig recalls his Sheridan experience at Fort Bragg.

AIRBORNE ARMOR

"The Sheridan had a rocky start with the Army and I believe this is the reason the Sheridan never got the respect it deserved while serving with the 3^rd Battalion "Airborne" 73^rd Armor Regiment, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Anytime a new tank is delivered to the military you must have time to train and work on it to let the crew get familiar with it inside and out. Combat is not the place to "test" unproven equipment! When I arrived at Fort Bragg in 1988 there were all these stories of how the Sheridan was too old … too small … too light … not enough firepower … breaks down too much … there just isn’t a place for the Sheridan in modern time conflicts. There was always talk about replacing the Sheridan. They even had two contenders come in and go head-to-head with the Sheridan so the "brass" could evaluate it in person. The Sheridan went up against the Close Combat Vehicle Light and the Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) 25 on a mobility course setup at St. Mere Eglise Drop Zone at Fort Bragg. The Sheridan breezed through a course of water, logs, barbed wire and concertina wire. To the surprise of all, it then turned and flattened an old truck at the end of the course, bringing cheers from the generals, colonels and all who saw this magnificent performance. The Sheridan never got replaced, but my old battalion was disbanded in 1997."

"While we had them, however, you could maneuver the Sheridan to your advantage in tight areas such as the woods (not the jungle) or urban areas. With a small gun tube the Sheridan could swing it’s turret around in very tight spots, as other tanks would hit trees or buildings. The Sheridan was small and fast enough to maneuver around the OPFOR (opposition force) and score a "kill" during training. It also proved to be the extra "punch" the Infantry of the 82^nd Airborne Division had at their disposal."

"Charlie Company, 3^rd Battalion "Airborne" 73^rd Armor Regiment became the first unit to airdrop Armor into combat during Operation Just Cause when eight tanks parachuted into Torrijos-Tocumen International airport, Panama in 1989. The Sheridan could be loaded and airlifted / air dropped from a C-130, C-140, and the C-5 (the C-17 was after my time). Its size and firepower was quite a tool for the 82^nd Airborne. From Fort Bragg to anywhere in the world the infantry had the comfort of knowing the Sheridan was at their disposal."

"With a 152mm missile/gun launcher the Sheridan would turn a few heads, as it was capable of taking out any armor threat that passed through its sights. Coupled with a turret mounted .50 caliber machine gun and a 7.62 coax machine gun and a tank thermal sight (which was first used during Desert Shield/Storm) it had that instant firepower the infantry needed. The Sheridan was most impressive when it’s main gun fired. The first three road wheels would come off the ground, the gun-tube would extract back into the turret, a ball of dust & smoke would form in front of the tank and the 152mm round hitting it’s target. The Sheridan was outdated and the armor did offer little in protection compared to a MBT, but with its lightweight (17 tons) it was air-deployable and amphibious. I don’t think it was intended to be the lead tank screaming through a desert … OOPS! But, when "A Line In The Sand" was drawn in 1991 the Sheridan was called upon to perform a mission unlike any other it had before. Nobody was sure how it would perform in the fine sand of the desert, but to the credit of the crews the Sheridan didn’t have one mechanical failure during Operation Desert Storm."

"By 1988 all of the major problems had been resolved that plagued it from the beginning. The Sheridan was old and did require constant maintenance from its crew. However, during my years on the Sheridan the only real problem we had was when we just finished fixing every deficiency on the tank. I mean it was perfect! Then it was decided to air drop our tank for training purposes. I know they are deployable at a moments notice and training is necessary, but on this particular jump our tank had a total malfunction (no chutes opened) and it "burned in". When we arrived the whole tank was flattened. The turret was smashed down onto the hull making the tank as tall as the turret (a photo of this is on my web site). So, we were issued another tank with many deficiencies and the hard work continued."

"With proper crew maintenance the Sheridan was always ready at a moments notice. That call came twice during my service … 1989 Operation Just Cause and 1990 Operation Desert Shield/Storm. Each time the Sheridan completed it’s missions with little or no problems. That is if the Air Force didn’t drop your tank into a swamp (like during Operation Just Cause). My web site, 82^nd ARMOR, is dedicated to the memory of the Sheridan and 3-73^rd Armor mainly during the time period from 1988-1992."

Follow this link to Bobby Haig’s great site recalling his experience with the M551 Sheridan in the 82nd Airborne Division in both words and photographs.

http://www.ieasysite.com/82ndarmor/sheridan_002.htm

To learn more about the 3-73 Armor battalion, follow this link.

http://globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/3-73ar.htm