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View Full Version : No bullets for the Marine Embassy Guards after all...



ouwasp
9/13/2012, 02:15 PM
yup, we really are that impotent...

http://freebeacon.com/reports-marines-not-permitted-live-ammo/

cleller
9/13/2012, 02:28 PM
I'm sure there will be lots of excuse-makers coming out of the closets for this. True, a small contingent of Marines would be unable to defend an embassy from a huge attacking force. You'd need the help of the locals. Still, if the crap really came down fast, and these people had to die due to their inability to defend themselves, thats a very sorry situation to be in.

jk the sooner fan
9/13/2012, 02:46 PM
this mentality - unfortunately - isnt new

i was stationed in Germany during the whole deal with Libya in the 80's - we were on heightened alert and had to patrol our kasernes - walking the perimeter on a 24 hour basis (in shifts).....with unloaded M16s

i wanted to ask permission to have "rifle throwing" drills in case we came under some sort of attack

C&CDean
9/13/2012, 03:23 PM
In the 1970's my unit went DRF1 and we loaded out for Israel. Brand new parachutes, web-gear, brand new M-16s, shots up-to-date check, quick meeting with lawyer types to insure the will was up-to-date, prayer with the chaplain, and then loading out onto C-141s. We all go "where the hell is the ammo?" Nobody knew. I was scared to death they were gonna drop us in Egypt/Israel with no ammo. I mean there wasn't ammo anywhere on the effing planes. And we were gonna parachute in. WTF?

Damn glad they turned us around about 3 hours out over the Atlantic. We ended up jumping into Eglin AFB in Florida. Only lost about a half-dozen troopers. Far fewer than if we had jumped ammoless into the desert over there.

8timechamps
9/13/2012, 03:32 PM
I feel pretty confident in saying any Marine that was posted there knew exactly where the live rounds were, and the fastest route to get to it. I cannot fathom standing duty in any country in the ME without live rounds.

jk the sooner fan
9/13/2012, 03:38 PM
knowing where they are - and being able to get to them - apples and oranges

FaninAma
9/13/2012, 03:41 PM
Even Andy allowed Barney Fife to carry a bullet around in his pocket. This is ridiculous.

Wishboned
9/13/2012, 03:53 PM
When the Marines were in Lebanon in the early 80's some of the areas they were stationed had stipulations that they couldn't have magazines in their weapons to prevent accidental discharges.

usmc-sooner
9/13/2012, 05:39 PM
There was some country over in the ME that told us we couldn't have any weapons when we flew over their air space. We always did though.

Whoever did not authorize them having ammo is an idiot.

StoopTroup
9/13/2012, 06:27 PM
When the Marines were in Lebanon in the early 80's some of the areas they were stationed had stipulations that they couldn't have magazines in their weapons to prevent accidental discharges.

A Dear friend of mine was in Saigon and on watch. He said that our guys had to walk from their barracks go down the street a ways to get to the Mess Hall. Evidently the VC knew this and would every so often send a moped or powered bike down through the street and the guy on back is armed but until you could see he was armed you then could call it in and they would then ask if he was showing a threat to our soldiers. Usually by the time he got near our guys....he couldn't get a confirmation to shoot until after they had shot one or two of our guys and turned the corner or he didn't have a shot.

It upset and frustrated him immensely.

I can neither prove or disprove his story....it's just what he told me and a few of my friends I work with.

What's it have to do with this? It surely seems many of you have had to follow orders you didn't like even though your head is telling you WTF.

8timechamps
9/13/2012, 09:01 PM
There is now some confusion about this. A Marine board I lurk on is reporting this is false, and that the MCESG were, in fact, carrying live ammo.

StoopTroup
9/13/2012, 10:20 PM
There is now some confusion about this. A Marine board I lurk on is reporting this is false, and that the MCESG were, in fact, carrying live ammo.

Things really seem to clear up more and more if you don't over react and run down the Street to the Egyptian Embassy and throw Molotov Cocktails at them huh? :D

I can't believe how tense things are with these folks. One minute they are happier than hell that Mark Zuckererg and cell phones have given them the ability to have a voice and the next they are all on the JIHAD! Magic Carpet.

I know a good amount of those doing this stuff to our Embassies are educated. I find it difficult that they think President Obama or any US President for that matter knew that Movie was going to be released and what it was about. Some reporters have been interviewing them and asking them direct questions and this is what many of them think.

I used to be involved with the Celtic Music Festival here in Tulsa and we had a Band from Northern Ireland there that week. They were pretty popular in Northern Ireland but they were on a budget being their first Trip to America. We had them over to the House for beers and food before taking them back to their Hotel. We talked about their Homeland and ours for a bit. They had no idea that many of the States had laws that differed. They thought that all the laws were made in DC and that America was I guess....just one big land mass where we only had states for Historical Reasons I guess. Since there was more beer than time...I don't think we got a chance to straighten it all out. :D

Lott's Bandana
9/14/2012, 11:24 AM
In the 1970's my unit went DRF1 and we loaded out for Israel. Brand new parachutes, web-gear, brand new M-16s, shots up-to-date check, quick meeting with lawyer types to insure the will was up-to-date, prayer with the chaplain, and then loading out onto C-141s. We all go "where the hell is the ammo?" Nobody knew. I was scared to death they were gonna drop us in Egypt/Israel with no ammo. I mean there wasn't ammo anywhere on the effing planes. And we were gonna parachute in. WTF?

Damn glad they turned us around about 3 hours out over the Atlantic. We ended up jumping into Eglin AFB in Florida. Only lost about a half-dozen troopers. Far fewer than if we had jumped ammoless into the desert over there.



???

Gators?
Rednecks?
Sinkholes?

jk the sooner fan
9/14/2012, 11:26 AM
???

Gators?
Rednecks?
Sinkholes?

jacked up ankles and knees - i.e. lawn darts

Wishboned
9/14/2012, 12:01 PM
In the 1970's my unit went DRF1 and we loaded out for Israel. Brand new parachutes, web-gear, brand new M-16s, shots up-to-date check, quick meeting with lawyer types to insure the will was up-to-date, prayer with the chaplain, and then loading out onto C-141s. We all go "where the hell is the ammo?" Nobody knew. I was scared to death they were gonna drop us in Egypt/Israel with no ammo. I mean there wasn't ammo anywhere on the effing planes. And we were gonna parachute in. WTF?

Damn glad they turned us around about 3 hours out over the Atlantic. We ended up jumping into Eglin AFB in Florida. Only lost about a half-dozen troopers. Far fewer than if we had jumped ammoless into the desert over there.


When the Rangers jumped into Grenada they did it at an altitude of 500 feet. They did it without reserve parachutes. The popular story was that at that height a reserve wouldn't have done any good anyway. The truth was that the reserve chutes were still on pallets in the staging area.

swardboy
9/14/2012, 12:17 PM
I know a good amount of those doing this stuff to our Embassies are educated. I find it difficult that they think President Obama or any US President for that matter knew that Movie was going to be released and what it was about. Some reporters have been interviewing them and asking them direct questions and this is what many of them think.

A movie out on youtube for six months?

MamaMia
9/15/2012, 06:09 PM
I cant imagine our troops not having ammunition at all times.

usmc-sooner
9/16/2012, 05:49 PM
turns out it wasn't Marines who guarded that Embassy, two former SEALs and 1 Air Force guy.

Much respect for SEALs and my AF brother.

olevetonahill
9/16/2012, 06:02 PM
Heh, When I was in nam they let us carry all the ****in ammo we could. Never went anywhere without my 16 and at least 1 bandolier 4 grenades

StoopTroup
9/17/2012, 01:57 AM
???

Gators?
Rednecks?
Sinkholes?

Ft. Walton Beach Airport Traffic? Northwest Regional?