Crushing a Ford Mondeo at a demo show.

After more than seven years I’m quitting my job. We have told you guys this before but today I wanted to share a bit more about the work I have done over the last couple of years.

As I mentioned before, i work for the Dutch Army as a mechanic mostly specialized in tanks. The easiest way for me to explain what i do is to compare it to some sort of roadside assistance or a towing company. Except not for small and light cars, but for heavy equipment.

HDR photo of the Leopard 2 Bergerpanzer.

Here’s a photo of my “company car”. This is a Leopard 2 recovery tank that weighs around 60 ton and has a 1500 HP engine.

This recovery tank is primarily used for the recovery of stranded vehicles or used to lift heavy objects. On board we have a crane capable of lifting 30 tonnes , which comes in handy while working on tanks where almost everything is too heavy for lifting on your own.

Preparing for a early morning tactical excersise.

In the years that I have been working in the Army, I’ve met a lot of people who have become some of my best friends over the years. This is one of the only things I will miss when going on our new adventure.

This is what made my job really special. Not the missions, exercises, or the fact that i get paid for doing things like sports, or crazy sh*t like climbing mountains or jumping out of an airplane. No its none of that what made this job really special for me.

it’s the people!

It’s the pleasure of being around my co-workers whom I have got to know very well, just because we have spent so much time together. Lying in a forest, in rain, snow, or in the mud. Temperatures ranging from -20 Celcius to +40 Celsius.

Another cold day in Germany.

Making 18 hours a day working our ass off to keep our “customers” ready for action, and all this for three weeks straight, multiple times a year. Believe me, this creates a special bond between colleagues.

To make a long story short, this will be one of the only things I really will be missing after quitting my job. But, all good things come to an end. So is this chapter in my live coming to an end, I just can’t wait to start writing the next chapter of our lives.

Hoisting a Leopard 1 on a train.

Things will be different,…… wayyyyy different. But that’s what we love doing, getting out of that comfort zone and truly experience life!

Let us know, what keeps you motivated in life?

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Our Life Story | Chapter 8 – Not your typical 9 to 5 job!