So apparently someone stole a tank in Virginia?

[Mook]

https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1004190009044262913?s=20

Click to read more...

 

[IDAFC21]

People in Virginia just call that "Tuesday".

 

[Blood on Blood]

Awesome

 

[greasy]

People in Virginia just call that "Tuesday".

 

[Mr_Roboto]

Maybe the world is devolving into Grand Theft Auto afterall.

 

[DEEZUZ]

So a soldier stole it...


@cheaterketopots what kinda punishment we looking at here?

 

[VenomousDSG]

5 star wanted level, guaranteed!

 

[Spivitz]

 

[MuffHugger]

So a soldier stole it...


@cheaterketopots what kinda punishment we looking at here?

At least extra duty.

 

[sickmint79]

that thing is flying!

 

[MuffHugger]

Rumor - Apparently it's a Lieutenant from the 276th Engineer battalion (VA Army N.G.) - soon to have a battalion Change of Command, unless this changes that.


EDIT: From the unit's Wikipedia page

On 5 June 2018, a Lieutenant from the Headquarters & Service Company 276th Engineer Battalion of the Virginia National Guard based out of Fort Pickett, VA led state and local police on a two hour chase in an armored personal carrier [ACP]. First reported by Twitter alum USAWTFM6, the Fearless Leader of The WTF Nation; the story soon went viral with civilians and veterans alike reminiscing about that time a man stole an M-60 Tank in San Diego in the mid-1990's. Initial reports suggested that ACP stole was a M113 variant, however, the veteran community is suggesting anywhere from M577, M1068, or Jackson's ex-wife. Moreover, both the military and veteran community is blaffed that a military vehicle was able to go on such an endeavor without experiencing a critical failure. Many suspect that the LT performed a PMCS prior to leaving the motorpool, however, it is unknown if he properly dispatched the ACP. This is unlikely, since locating a serviceable -10, chockblock, drip pan, the key to the steering wheel lock, bii, serviceable fire extinguisher, a mechanic to perform a QA/QC, anyone in the dispatch shop after 14:45 to print the proper paperwork, the commander for his signature, ground guide, and a copy of the Blue Book.

 

[ragingclue]

 

[nytebyte]

Cops should have thrown down spike strips!

 

[MuffHugger]

http://vaguard.dodlive.mil/2018/06/06/11548/

SANDSTON, Va. — The Virginia State Police arrested Virginia National Guard Soldier Joshua Philip Yabut, 29, of Richmond, Virginia, for Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, and charged him with one felony count of eluding police and one felony count of unauthorized use of a vehicle. The charges come after he drove an M577 armored personnel carrier June 5, 2018, from Fort Pickett near Blackstone, Virginia, to Richmond, Virginia, where he stopped and surrendered to Virginia State Police. The incident remains under investigation by the VSP. He is being held in the Richmond City Jail.

Yabut is a first lieutenant assigned as the commander of the Petersburg-based Headquarters Company, 276th Engineer Battalion, and he has more than 11 years of service. He deployed to Afghanistan from 2008 to 2009 with the Illinois National Guard.

The unit was conducting routine training at Fort Pickett when he drove away in the armored personnel carrier. The vehicle has been recovered and returned to Fort Pickett with no significant damage. The vehicle was not equipped with any weapons, but the Soldier did have his personal weapon with him but had no ammunition.

“We are extremely grateful that there were no injuries as a result of this incident, and we appreciate the great work of the Virginia State Police, Richmond Police Department and other law enforcement and first responders who safely brought this situation to a close,” said Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia. “We have initiated our own internal investigation, and we will determine appropriate actions once the investigation is complete.”

Tuesday’s original release from the Virginia State Police:

As of 9:40 p.m., Tuesday (June 5), the driver of the armored personnel carrier had stopped the vehicle and surrendered to Virginia State Police. The vehicle stopped at East Broad Street and 11th Street in the City of Richmond.

The incident began at approximately 7:50 p.m., when an armored personnel carrier was driven away from Ft. Pickett in Nottoway County. The military vehicle – which is not equipped with any weaponry and is NOT a tank – is the property of the Virginia National Guard.

The vehicle was driven east on Route 460 and then northbound on Interstate 95 at a maximum speed of about 40 mph. The Virginia State Police began pursuit of the vehicle since receiving the initial report and traveled along with it from Nottoway County to the City of Richmond.

No crashes or injuries occurred during the course or as a result of this incident.

 

[Chester Copperpot]

Of course it's fucking NG.

So a soldier stole it...


@cheaterketopots what kinda punishment we looking at here?

Mopping the motor pool after it rains and probably vacuuming cigarette butts out of their sand pit.

 

[stock-t-bird]

anyone remember this classic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnUoUKEIGoo

 

[Kensington]

The M577 had no weapons on board at the time of the incident. Yabut reportedly had an unidentified standard issue personal weapon with him at the time, but had no ammunition. Still, the Virginia State Police determined it had no way to stop the vehicle and elected to escort it instead to keep bystanders safe.

But according to a separate report from the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Yabut had posted pictures on social media earlier in the day that indicated he might have had plans for a larger rampage. One post included an online map of Washington, D.C. with the U.S. Capitol Building marked, as well as a screenshot of the Wikipedia page on the M113 armored personnel. Another appears to show him in the M577, which is a command and control derivative of the M113.

On Twitter, the subsequent posts were a mix of seemingly innocuous remarks and odd, confusing statements. Right before left Fort Pickett, Yahut posted a picture of himself next to an M577 and a video that appears to show him driving it, but it is not clear if these were images of the incident in progress.

We have no way of knowing yet whether he ended his ride early for some reason, if he no longer had any fixed plans or actually had any to begin with, or if he just ran out of fuel. A standard M113 armored personnel carrier has a range of approximately 300 miles with a full tank of gas.

In addition to his military service, Yahut had recently attempted and failed to file the necessary forms to run for Senate as an independent against incumbent Tim Kaine and had contributed to cybersecurity research at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Richmond Times-Dispatch said NASA could not immediately confirm the Lieutenant's claim that he had worked for them in this capacity directly between 2014 and 2017.

He was also involved in the development of a cryptocurrency called ZenCash, before leaving the project and claiming he had discovered a way to hack its underlying blockchain. One of his more cryptic Tweets said "permission to execute the 0day sir," with a "zero-day" being a common term for a known cybersecurity vulnerability. On June 4, 2018, ZenCash did suffer a cyberattack, but there is no evidence so far linking Yahut to that event.

More details about the incident and Yahut's motivations will assuredly come out as his case proceeds through the courts. At the time of writing, the Army officer was in the Richmond Jail.

Got a little weirder...