Any combat veteran serving between the onset of World War II and the close of the first Gulf War will know that a "Deuce and a Half" is a reference to a succession of 2.5-ton, 6x6 tactical cargo trucks that were ubiquitous in combat theaters. They will also know that a "Ma Deuce" is a reference to the M2 Browning .50-caliber heavy machine gun. There is a deadly connection between the two.