[mrustow]

Apparently it was sand, but those maintenance battalions were not instructed properly on the maintenance of their weapons.

[Cacophonous]

Every company has an armorer that is responsible for maintaining weapons. Maintenance company armorers are not trained any better or worse than any other.

[oh8eleven]

Apparently it was sand, but those maintenance battalions were not instructed properly on the maintenance of their weapons.

They went through Basic Training didn't they? I went through Parris Island many years ago, but if you stuck an M-14 in my face today I could still field strip it for cleaning.