US Army Displaying Tank At Red, White, And Boom

The United States Army will have a 70-ton tank on display at the fairgrounds Tuesday.

Sargeant First Class Manuel Rodriguez said he and another Master Gunner will be at the Red White and Boom event to educate people about the tank and its importance and represent the Army.

“It’s been used overseas, it’s been used for the training of new privates, and it’s been used in the Gulf War,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said the tank is always very popular wherever it is displayed since most people are shocked to actually see the machinery of that size and power in person.

“From my experience, they love it,” Rodriguez said. “They love to see it, they love to be on it, they love to see what it can do and who can be inside, even just the general looks, they love it.”

Rodriguez said the tank features a 120-millimeter smoothbore gun that will be on display at the event. He said the tank was introduced in 1990 and has served multiple uses since.

“I think the biggest thing would be to show everybody how important it is, so they can trust their military and know that we know what we’re doing,” Rodriguez said. “So that we can show them what we are capable of, to build a bond between us and everybody who’s not familiar with the Army.”

The tank will be on display at the fairgrounds during the Red White and Boom event on July 4th. Rodriguez said they will have the tank on display for as long as possible to give everyone a chance to experience it.