Soldiers on Lockdown After 'Sensitive' Military Equipment is Stolen from Washington Base

FoxNews.com ^ | 1/8/12 | NewsCore

[ColdOne]

FORT LEWIS, Wash – More than 100 soldiers were on lockdown Sunday after "sensitive" military equipment was stolen from a base in Fort Lewis, Wash.

The soldiers were put on lockdown Wednesday after items such as scopes, night vision goggles and range finders went missing from Joint Base Lewis-McChord over the holidays, myFOXSpokane.com reported.

Lewis-McChord spokesman Matt Hinkle said Saturday that the army was carrying out a criminal investigation into the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division after the "sensitive" items went missing, The News Tribune reported.

"They'll be on base until the items are found," Hinkle, who estimated the company contained about 100- 200 soldiers, said. "This is the unit's property that's come up missing."

[lightman]

Fort Lewis was one of the haunts of the Beltway Sniper who terrorized the DC metro area in 2002.

[gundog]

A little rear echelon redistribution of wealth.

[Future Snake Eater]

Ohhhhh, that sucks hardcore. Glad I’m not in 4-2.

[redreno]

[cryptical]

Time to check Ebay for some great post-holiday specials.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Gangs improving their caspacity to sack what remains of American wealth.

[oh8eleven]

Soldiers on Lockdown
Saw this on the news. They interviewed a couple of soldiers' relatives who were whining that the lockdown was "unfair."
Unbelievable.

[Tijeras_Slim]

"What goggles?"

[wally_bert]

Getting kind of ambitious aren’t ya?

[Yorlik803]

If I was locked down until who knows when, I would track down the asshats and give them a blanket party

[molson209]

Same thing happen to us with some night vision goggles ,turned out that had been send in for repairs, D’oh

[FlingWingFlyer]

...night vision goggles and range finders went missing...

I don't think that these inanimate objects "went" anything. It sounds to me like they were stolen.

[Enterprise]

I was also wondering if there might be gang members in the unit.

[RC one]

note to unit armorers: look inside the cases when you inventory, don’t just assume that the items are actually in the case.

[Future Snake Eater]

If that person was known, there wouldn’t be any blankets involved, they’d just beat his ass until he gave up the equipment.

Thank God it wasn’t a weapon—then the whole post would be locked down!

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

There are reports of gang members being groomed for enlistment for the sole purpose of obtaining sophisticated and heavy weapons. Some of the weaponry is heading south to Mexico. A few years ago there was a report of an arrest made where those arrested had artillery they were taking to Mexico. I'm sure others are taking weapons for the Social War that is coming here.

[elcid1970]

I serviced NVGs as a Reserve miltech. As long as the units kept them locked up in the arms room and did monthly sensitive item inventory just as with the weapons, then no problemo.

Units that train in the field a lot are going to have all kinds of sensitive stuff signed out at all times. Got it. But as long as that NVG or radio or weapon is on a hand receipt with serial # and somebody’s signed for it, accountability should be easy to establish, just sayin’.

PS by your username you must be a `real helicopter pilot’. I was too, a gazillion years ago. Vietnam ‘71-72.

[ArmyTeach]

Hate to say it, but I would not be surprised. In my husbands days in senior leadership, it was considered more racially based than gang related, but that might be a distinction without a difference.

[Future Snake Eater]

Same thing happen to us with some night vision goggles ,turned out that had been send in for repairs, D’oh

I'll bet that XO got quite a lesson on property accountability afterwards!