# Orange on US Military Trucks

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-on-us-military-trucks/163702>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 24, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-on-us-military-trucks/163702 "2003-03-24T04:10:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-on-us-military-trucks/163702/1 "2003-03-24T04:10:58Z")

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I have been watching a lot of war on CNN and noticed that the majority of US military trucks have what looks like an orange tarp on the roof.

Does any one know what those are and why they are used?

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-on-us-military-trucks/163702/2 "2003-03-24T04:12:03Z")

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WAG: visibility?

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**Author:** ![j\_kat\_251](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71c47a/32.png) [@j\_kat\_251](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_kat_251)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-on-us-military-trucks/163702/3 "2003-03-24T04:19:19Z")

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Orange is apparently the international colour of peace. Although I’d go with visibility (construction workers tend to wear orange vests for the same reason). Now any planes flying overhead can now see where to drop their bombs/puppies due to the shiny plastic coating.

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**Author:** ![aeropl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@aeropl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aeropl)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-on-us-military-trucks/163702/4 "2003-03-24T04:25:47Z")

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hijack… Some of the tanks have a diagonally striped orange and white flag. What does that mean?

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**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-on-us-military-trucks/163702/5 "2003-03-24T04:50:21Z")

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The tank scuba dives?

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**Author:** ![Doctor\_Goo\_Fee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Doctor\_Goo\_Fee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Goo_Fee)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-on-us-military-trucks/163702/6 "2003-03-24T05:02:46Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by aeropl \*  
> \*\*hijack… Some of the tanks have a diagonally striped orange and white flag. What does that mean? \*\*

“I Brake For Animals”

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**Author:** ![justwannano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@justwannano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justwannano)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-on-us-military-trucks/163702/7 "2003-03-24T05:57:30Z")

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The reporter embedded with the 7th calvery explained the orange marking the other day.  
Its to identify them as coalition vehicles to the many aircraft flying over.