From Michael Yon's FaceBook Page little while back. He is the one who started the no bullet in chamber thing.
Just like CNN and MSNBC’s 24/7 image of Humvee’s burning helped and encouraged the insurgency in Iraq, Michael Yon’s reporting of the surge helped and encouraged it to succeed.
I’d like to find out more about this. Walking around with a mag inserted, and the bolt back... is only microseconds from having a round in the chamber. Honestly, there’s not so much difference. But if troops are required to patrol ~without~ a magazine inserted... that’s going to get people killed. IMHO.
Usually, only a media reporter could be so uninformed. Bullets are to cartridges as flour is to bread as cement is to concrete.