I was a US Army tanker in the Iraq War and a gunner in the Abrams tank built to annihilate enemy armor

Sat, 12/09/2023 - 06:30

Marines from 4th Tank Division, Twentynine Palms, Calif., roll down a dirt road on their M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank during a day of training at Exercise Africa Lion 2012, April 13, 2012. — M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank during a day of training at Exercise Africa Lion 2012 on April 13, 2012.
Cpl Tyler L. Main/USMC/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Glenn Girona is a US Army combat veteran who served as a tanker on the M1 Abrams during the Iraq War.
He said all of the tank jobs require skill, but gunning was his favorite and felt like a video game.
Operating the formidable Abrams in battle, like Ukraine can now, Girona said, is a team effort.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Glenn Girona, an Iraq War veteran who served in the US Army from 1995 to 2004 and was a tanker on the Abrams. It's been edited for length and clarity.