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Marines surrender weapons
Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2015 9:52 pm
by C-dub
You have got to be kidding me!
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015 ... ation.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Re: Marines surrender weapons
Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2015 9:55 pm
by Beiruty
The most humiliating news of 2015. Thank you, Mr. Kerry for allowing Iran to fund, arm, the Houthists (Shia) and allow them to disarm the militaries. Iran is getting more powerful instead of being contained.
Re: Marines surrender weapons
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 12:57 am
by rotor
Beiruty wrote:The most humiliating news of 2015. Thank you, Mr. Kerry for allowing Iran to fund, arm, the Houthists (Shia) and allow them to disarm the militaries. Iran is getting more powerful instead of being contained.
I am sure the president will find a way to humiliate us even more this year.
Re: Marines surrender weapons
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 1:16 am
by CoffeeNut
I don't understand why this was allowed to happen. If I remember correctly American servicemen have had their cleared weapons on civilian planes before. Even if they couldn't for whatever reason this time then why not fly them on a C-130 or two?
Re: Marines surrender weapons
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 3:49 am
by jmra
Another example of the leadership vacuum in DC. I hope we can survive the next two years without more disasters.
Re: Marines surrender weapons
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 9:11 am
by bigity
CoffeeNut wrote:I don't understand why this was allowed to happen. If I remember correctly American servicemen have had their cleared weapons on civilian planes before. Even if they couldn't for whatever reason this time then why not fly them on a C-130 or two?
Yes, this happens(ed) alot during the first Gulf War anyway. I was barely out of basic when it all ended but I was told by my supervisor that they'd always have one person who had to guard the crates of guns at the airport, with one of the guns. That was going over though, not coming back.
Still, why in the world would you leave weapons of any kind behind. Utter bullocks, to use a term from across the pond.
Re: Marines surrender weapons
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 10:12 am
by E.Marquez
As recently as last week, Im POSITIVE US service members are allowed to take military issued weapons on board both international and US flights. So that part of the story is bogus. Some of the contracted airlines do require the weapons to be inop , when that rare request is made, the bolts are removed, tagged and often placed in an ammo can and stored as baggage.
Re: Marines surrender weapons
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 10:52 am
by Maxwell
E.Marquez wrote:As recently as last week, Im POSITIVE US service members are allowed to take military issued weapons on board both international and US flights. So that part of the story is bogus. Some of the contracted airlines do require the weapons to be inop , when that rare request is made, the bolts are removed, tagged and often placed in an ammo can and stored as baggage.
I don't think so. As far as I know the guns would have to secured in checked bags. The only people I know of that are allowed to carry a weapon on a civilian aircraft are DHS and Air Marshals.
Re: Marines surrender weapons
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 10:56 am
by mcscanner
Troubling news!
My M-9 and M-4 would have been handed over with a bulged barrel and cracked slide/receiver.
Re: Marines surrender weapons
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 12:00 pm
by C-dub
“None of them were ‘handed over’ in any way to anyone. The destruction of weapons at the embassy and the airport was carried out in accordance with an approved destruction plan.
“Upon arrival at the airfield, all personal weapons were rendered inoperable in accordance with advance planning,” the statement continued.
“Specifically, each bolt was removed from its weapons body and rendered inoperable by smashing with sledgehammers. The weapons bodies, minus the bolts, were then separately smashed with sledgehammers.
“All of these destroyed components were left at the airport – and components were scattered; no usable weapon was taken from any Marine at Sana’a airport. To be clear: No Marine handed a weapon to a Houthi, or had one taken from him.”
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/pat ... -taken-him" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
This makes me feel a little better.
Re: Marines surrender weapons
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 12:04 pm
by C-dub
Maxwell wrote:E.Marquez wrote:As recently as last week, Im POSITIVE US service members are allowed to take military issued weapons on board both international and US flights. So that part of the story is bogus. Some of the contracted airlines do require the weapons to be inop , when that rare request is made, the bolts are removed, tagged and often placed in an ammo can and stored as baggage.
I don't think so. As far as I know the guns would have to secured in checked bags. The only people I know of that are allowed to carry a weapon on a civilian aircraft are DHS and Air Marshals.
I am having trouble find a link to a source, but do remember seeing either Marines or Soldier returning form overseas departing a commercial aircraft with rifles slung over their shoulders. This may have not been an actual commercial flight, but rather a charter, so that may be the difference.
Re: Marines surrender weapons
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 12:57 pm
by TheDude
C-dub wrote:Maxwell wrote:E.Marquez wrote:As recently as last week, Im POSITIVE US service members are allowed to take military issued weapons on board both international and US flights. So that part of the story is bogus. Some of the contracted airlines do require the weapons to be inop , when that rare request is made, the bolts are removed, tagged and often placed in an ammo can and stored as baggage.
I don't think so. As far as I know the guns would have to secured in checked bags. The only people I know of that are allowed to carry a weapon on a civilian aircraft are DHS and Air Marshals.
I am having trouble find a link to a source, but do remember seeing either Marines or Soldier returning form overseas departing a commercial aircraft with rifles slung over their shoulders. This may have not been an actual commercial flight, but rather a charter, so that may be the difference.
I too have seen photos of Soldiers getting on commercial style planes. Sorry the photo is so big but it has to be in order to see the rifles. A couple of Marines are definitely carrying M16s. Bottom right and halfway up the stairs rifles are clearly seen. I believe the Military charters commercial flights. Its on commercial aircraft but no civilians are onboard and the weapons are empty and have chamber flags in them. So that might be what you are remembering.
pic host
Re: Marines surrender weapons
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 1:22 pm
by E.Marquez
Maxwell wrote:E.Marquez wrote:As recently as last week, Im POSITIVE US service members are allowed to take military issued weapons on board both international and US flights. So that part of the story is bogus. Some of the contracted airlines do require the weapons to be inop , when that rare request is made, the bolts are removed, tagged and often placed in an ammo can and stored as baggage.
I don't think so. As far as I know the guns would have to secured in checked bags. The only people I know of that are allowed to carry a weapon on a civilian aircraft are DHS and Air Marshals.
What can I say other than .. you're mistaken. Im not guessing
I have been on commercial airlines with my assigned weapons many dozens of times.. personally as late as Oct 2013.
And I was present last week when a group of my former soldiers deplaned from a commercial airline carrying all manner of personal assigned weapons from M249 to M9.|
So again, I get what you think you know, but you're misinformed.
EDIT.. there may be confusion with terms.. The aircraft I speak of are commercially owned , same planes, same companies, same aircraft you or your spouse might get aboard.
They are contracted by DOD to transport service members to anyplace from NTC in CA, to Afghanistan. When I travel on commercial airlines NOT contracted for governmental use, yes we comply with normal FAA / TSA rules. Our weapons were belly loaded.

Re: Marines surrender weapons
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 1:52 pm
by ELB
Great, so (maybe) the destroyed them. I still don't understand why they didn't bring all their weapons home.
Re: Marines surrender weapons
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 2:05 pm
by E.Marquez
ELB wrote:Great, so (maybe) the destroyed them. I still don't understand why they didn't bring all their weapons home.
Likely they flew on a non contracted civilian populated Aircraft. There are mandatory fill rates units must meet in order to request and contract flights on commercial AC.. And I doubt the Marines had those numbers at that embassies.. so they bought tickets on a normally scheduled flight.
Destruction in place procedures are common, there are specific guidelines and manuals that describe what, when and how it is to be done.
The original story was not factual and really out in left field.. This new info, that the personal weapons were destroyed in place, common and completely normal.