Some US troops in Afghanistan patrol with unloaded weapons

The US Report ^ | 19 May 2010 | Chris Carter

[anymouse]

Barney Fife RoE. :(

[G Larry]

Hey Cap’n....I’ll take the Court’s Marshal over the Funeral, if you don’t mind!

[Doogle]

I tried to warn others two years ago, it would not take long before the “progressives” would revert back to being themselves.

[Mr. Jazzy]

This story has a ring of truth.

Remember back during Restore Hope a situation where troops where guarding warehouses and standing post without rounds. If I remember correctly, the same thing happened at the barracks in Beirut.

[DoughtyOne]

My response would be, I’m happy to serve here, but I’m not going to do it without a weapon at the ready.

When you get serious, call me.

[Braak]

It’s official...Obama and McChrystal are throwing the damn war....

[dblshot]

I’m sure the guy in front of you appreciated that.

[NoLibZone]

Napalatano used these ROE’s on the border

[elpadre]

So, Afghanistan is no longer a combat zone, no more combat pay?

[al_c]

My niece’s boyfriend is over there ... Marine Corps. He’s on patrol atop a Humvee with a fully loaded 50.

[bmwcyle]

I would not go out.

[TheThinker]

This must be part of the Courageous Restraint stuff that’s going around.

[Lancey Howard]

I can’t see any seasoned soldier actually patrolling without a bullet chambered.

Anyway, the title is misleading. The weapons have full magazines, they just don’t have a round chambered. The only thing this order does is cause a soldier who actually obeyed it to have a slower reaction time in the event of an ambush and likely get himself killed as a result. That’s all this means.

[dwg2]

This is great. If true, now that word is out, the enemy will attack knowing they have the drop on us. Unbelieveable.

[dadgum]

Pissant, I hope to God you are right.

[scott7278]

In an ambush situation, just how long does it take to engage a target when your weapon isn't already loaded?

Too long.

[MindBender26]

A weapon with an empty chamber is not a weapon.

[taxcontrol]

An old Infantryman’s technical nit picking here.

A weapon can be loaded (magazine in the well) but not locked and loaded, meaning one round already in the chamber. I have seen situations where similar requirements were made, and the troops would simply lock their bolts back and put their magazines in. This would allow them to hit the bolt release and the bolt would load a round as it slid forward. 1 sec action for a normal person, fraction of that for a trained rifleman with the adrenaline pumping.

I have seen even worse - where the issued magazines were covered in plastic and taped with some seal. To which the grunts responded by getting their own mags and ammo and would carry their own and simply turn in the issued mags.

[GalaxieFiveHundred]

[wku man]

Brought to you by the same administration that's handing out "restraint" awards to our fighting men. Disgusting.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!