Characters

  • Trainee Nikki Donner

Locations

  • Ft. Jackson, South Carolina

The use of the term “field strip” for a breakdown of a weapon system might elicit some mild humor the first time it is heard, but usually it isn’t the kind of thing that really leads to lasting laughs after that. However…

…there is a legendary old Army “comic book” called PM Magazine. “PM” means “Preventative Maintenance” and so the comic book was an official Army publication encouraging good, responsible care and maintenance of military equipment. The comic was characterized by anthropomorphic representations of Army weapons, radios, vehicles, and other gear with facial expressions and voices that interacted with soldiers and articulated their need for proper care and maintenance. A truck would tell a soldier how much his back hurt from being overloaded all the time (for example) so there would be a brief story with a moral about not overloading trucks.

The book was goofy and silly and came out monthly; its corny humor and overly-stressed situations to encourage proper maintenance from soldiers was part of the fun. I was always told I would be a great artist for PM Magazine, but alas, the magazine was discontinued and went online. In the spirit of PM Magazine, I give you an anthropomorphic M-16, “field stripping” for your pleasure.

Characters

  • Trainee Nikki Donner

Locations

  • Ft. Jackson, South Carolina

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