SURPLUS SPENDING

An Impulsive Auction Bid Led Jason Squires to Dive Headfirst into the Challenges of Owning a Military Surplus Humvee

- Patrick McCarthy

Even if you consider yourself a paragon of fiscal responsibility and level-headed decision-making, you’ve probably made at least a few impulses buys throughout your life. These might’ve been inexpensive items, such as a candy bar from the grocery store checkout line, or more substantial expenditures, such as a new gun you just couldn’t resist. For Jason Squires, a spontaneous purchase led to a sudden feeling of buyer’s remorse and an especially awkward conversation with his wife. “I said, ‘I think I purchased a 1991 M998 HMMWV.’ She thought I had a stroke.”

Squires, who you may recognize from his written contributions to RECOIL and its sister publications, is a lawyer by trade. Several years ago, he was speaking with a close friend who was going through law school, and who had previously deployed on combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. Squires recalls, “He bragged about the Humvee (HMMWV in official parlance) and said if I ever get the opportunity to purchase one, do it.” This idea took hold, and he began casually browsing online listings but was initially discouraged by the abundance of half-baked project vehicles on the secondhand market. “Most of the military Humvees for sale were obvious wrecks. Buyers would pick these trucks up at military salvage sales and then attempt to perform simple restorations before selling them.”