Posted on 05/19/2010 1:53:30 PM PDT by Crush
Commanders have reportedly ordered a U.S. military unit in Afghanistan to patrol with unloaded weapons.
Some soldiers are being ordered to conduct patrols without a round chambered in their weapons, The US Report has learned from an anonymous source at a forward operating base in Afghanistan. Our source was unsure if the order came from his unit or if it affected other units.
On war correspondent Michael Yon's Facebook page, commenters stated that this is a common practice in Iraq, while others said that it is occurring in Afghanistan as well. According to military protocol, “Amber” status requires weapons to have a loaded magazine, but the safety on and no round chambered.
"The idea that any combat unit would conduct any operation, including patrolling and even manning a security post -- in which direct action may-or-may not take place -- and not having weapons loaded, borders on being criminally negligent in my opinion," says Lt. Col. W. Thomas Smith Jr., a recognized expert on terrorism and military/national defense issues. "This is nothing more than infusing politically correct restrictions into already overly restrictive rules of engagement. And this PC nonsense is going to get people killed."
According to Smith, "American soldiers are highly skilled in the use of 'loaded' weapons, and so should be trusted to operate with 'loaded' weapons. If someone overseeing decisions on ROE thinks not, then ratchet up training. But don't put a man on the street and force him to go through multiple prompts when a gunfight breaks out. Remember, the situation can go from quiet to kinetic in half the time it takes to breathe."
In an ambush situation, just how long does it take to engage a target when your weapon isn't already loaded?
(Excerpt) Read more at theusreport.com ...
Barney Fife RoE. :(
Hey Cap’n....I’ll take the Court’s Marshal over the Funeral, if you don’t mind!
I tried to warn others two years ago, it would not take long before the “progressives” would revert back to being themselves.
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.
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.
It’s official...Obama and McChrystal are throwing the damn war....
I’m sure the guy in front of you appreciated that.
Napalatano used these ROE’s on the border
My niece’s boyfriend is over there ... Marine Corps. He’s on patrol atop a Humvee with a fully loaded 50.
I would not go out.
This must be part of the Courageous Restraint stuff that’s going around.
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.
This is great. If true, now that word is out, the enemy will attack knowing they have the drop on us. Unbelieveable.
Pissant, I hope to God you are right.
Too long.
A weapon with an empty chamber is not a weapon.
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.
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
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