Can troops in Afghanistan chamber a round on patrol?

http://www.stripes.com/blogs/the-rumor-doctor/the-rumor-doctor-1.104348/can-troops-in-afghanistan-chamber-a-round-on-patrol-1.106239 ^ | 6/7/10

[roses of sharon]

“While it is not our policy to comment on the specifics of those force protection measures, I can tell you that individual unit commanders have the flexibility and latitude to increase or decrease their force protection posture as needed and as appropriate for the situation,” Master Sergeant Brian Sipp, of CJTF-101 public affairs said in an e-mail.

So Rumor Doctor gave ISAF public affairs the name of the unit in question. Shortly afterward, the soldier on the ground informed the Rumor Doctor that soldiers in his company were suddenly authorized to chamber a round outside the wire.

RUMOR DOCTOR’S DIAGNOSIS: Sure sounds like this rumor was true, but the company-level order has since been changed. If someone tells you that you can’t have a round in the chamber when going outside the wire, e-mail the Rumor Doctor at

jeffrey.schogol@stripes.osd.mil

[roses of sharon]

What is going on here?

[Seruzawa]

When I was in Nam some O-3 tried to tell us we couldn’t carry more than our “authorized” load of ammo on our gunboats. We continued to load up as much as we damm pleased.

I think it was George S Patton who said that one shouldn’t give orders that won’t be obeyed. That O-3 was a complete fool.

[R. Scott]

Sounds right to me.
In Viet Nam we didn’t chamber a round until we were expecting contact - then we had the safety on. It takes less than second to chamber a round or release the safety. Who wants to be accidentally shot in the back by a jumpy friend?
My worst experience was in a bunker waiting for an attack. I heard someone chamber a round and quickly volunteered to help on the perimeter.

[roses of sharon]

Ummmm, thanks for that info...this is beyond explanation to me.

[R. Scott]

Screw our “authorized load”. 100 rounds for the M-14s and 500 rounds each for the M-60 and 50s wasn’t enough - only a few minutes of contact.
During Tet on the Perfume and Qua Viet rivers we scrounged as much as we could before each mission. 1000 round belts for the M-60 and 500 round belts for the 50s along with spare barrels. We always had several cans by the mounts and more in the ammo ready lockers.

[calex59]

When I was young I worked with a WWII vet who said that when they lined up for ammo(for the M1)they were given a “basic” load, which was six bandoleers, but they would go around and get in line again until they had all they could carry. You never have to much ammo in a firefight.