The M242 25mm Bushmaster Chaingun is one of the highlights of my time at Fort Hood, Texas, and honestly my enlistment. I was trained on the weapon as a Private as part of my train up for the Bradley Fire Support Vehicle prior to their deployment to the combat units. I learned to field strip the entire weapon in less than 5 minutes and learned to put it back together just as quickly. My hands have bled many times pulling that feeder off. That’s an experience I’m all too certain I share with the Marines that man the LAV-25.

With the same armaments and playing some of the same roles in battle, I’ve long looked at the LAV-25 as the amphibious wheeled Bradley. But with a lighter footprint than the Bradley, this pig can get around a quicker and with additional operational range. Here’s hoping that someday in the future I can hitch a ride in one of them to see just how different they are.

Museum-quality gilcee print on thick, durable, matte paper. Digitally signed. Open edition.