In the papers..

arybvtcw0eolkf

Soldier disciplined for losing his pistol.

I wouldn't fancy being in his boots!.

And also from todays Indo..

Cowen and O'Dea to visit troops in KFOR for Christmas.

How about making this a thread for news articule's you see in the media/online.

But you have to post with a link to the articule and to credible sites (ie no An Phoblacht please).

diverdriver

An investigation was held into each of the incidents but none of the firearms has been recovered. The location of the rifle lost at sea is known but the weapon cannot be recovered.

No kidding? Why don't they hire a mini-sub?:p

concussion

Or a magnet on the end of a really long line

arybvtcw0eolkf

concussion wrote: »

Or a magnet on the end of a really long line

Or a cadet

Local-womanizer

Is it common for weapons to go missing in other armies?

diverdriver

Usually in wars, but happens all the time. I remember a story of how one soldier in the British army was wounded during the Falklands war. Later the army wanted to charge him for losing his rifle.

Manic Moran

In the US, if a weapon (Or anything deemed a 'sensitive item', to include crypto-gear) goes missing, the entire base goes on lockdown. Leaves and passes cancelled, even for other units not involved in the exercise. You then carry out an exercise termed "Hands across the Desert" (At least, in the desert bases I'm familiar with!) which, as you can imagine, involves using masses of people out and about looking for the bloody thing.

Before our year-long Iraq deployment, and after a four-month spin-up away from home, we were supposed to get a three-day pass to spend some last-minute time with our families. About 36 hours before it was due to happen, two sidearms went missing. Cue lockdown. Then cue mutiny. I had NCOs telling me that they didn't care if they got busted down to Private, they were going to go over the wire and see their families before deploying. If anyone knew anyone (congresscritters, senior officers) they were making 'phone calls, it made the papers. Apparently someone in DC made a decision that allowed us to go on our passes as long as we were searched going out the base.

The kicker was that by the time the lockdown was implemented, the two M9s were already off the base: They had been stolen by one of the soldiers in supply. Found out about it about six months later when the wife, going through a divorce, made a 'phone call to the MPs saying "Say, are you interested in two of your pistols which are in his closet?"

NTM

Local-womanizer

Manic Moran wrote: »

In the US, if a weapon (Or anything deemed a 'sensitive item', to include crypto-gear) goes missing, the entire base goes on lockdown. Leaves and passes cancelled, even for other units not involved in the exercise. You then carry out an exercise termed "Hands across the Desert" (At least, in the desert bases I'm familiar with!) which, as you can imagine, involves using masses of people out and about looking for the bloody thing.

Before our year-long Iraq deployment, and after a four-month spin-up away from home, we were supposed to get a three-day pass to spend some last-minute time with our families. About 36 hours before it was due to happen, two sidearms went missing. Cue lockdown. Then cue mutiny. I had NCOs telling me that they didn't care if they got busted down to Private, they were going to go over the wire and see their families before deploying. If anyone knew anyone (congresscritters, senior officers) they were making 'phone calls, it made the papers. Apparently someone in DC made a decision that allowed us to go on our passes as long as we were searched going out the base.

The kicker was that by the time the lockdown was implemented, the two M9s were already off the base: They had been stolen by one of the soldiers in supply. Found out about it about six months later when the wife, going through a divorce, made a 'phone call to the MPs saying "Say, are you interested in two of your pistols which are in his closet?"

NTM

Did he have a reason for stealing the weapons?What a jerk all the same.They should have sent back to the base before discharging him!Alot of unhappy soliders there to have a "word" in his ear!

steyr fan

I remember a good many years ago on an exercise down the country, we had gone back to barracks, and after weapons cleaned and handed in, the CS comes looking for Pte A; no sign of Pte A; oops - man missing, weapon missing. Back into trucks to exercise area (hour drive), find him on side of mountain. He had got his leg caught in undergrowth, others kept going, no 'section tell off' in truck. NCO's got an all merciful rollicking. Ears still red.

Lessons were learned, and the question of which is more important is still unawnsered - which is more important: missing weapon or missing soldier:D

Manic Moran

Did he have a reason for stealing the weapons?

I guess he didn't want to pay retail price down the shops? They're something like $600-700 each, if memory serves. Much cheaper to just take one home.

should have sent back to the base before discharging him!Alot of unhappy soliders there to have a "word" in his ear!

"Discharging?" I don't know what happens to troops who steal weapons over in your neck of the woods, but considering this only happened in 2004, I'll be willing to bet the man's still in the US Disciplinary Barracks Fort Leavenworth. Or at least Regional Correctional Facility, Fort Knox.

NTM

Local-womanizer

Manic Moran wrote: »

I guess he didn't want to pay retail price down the shops? They're something like $600-700 each, if memory serves. Much cheaper to just take one home.



"Discharging?" I don't know what happens to troops who steal weapons over in your neck of the woods, but considering this only happened in 2004, I'll be willing to bet the man's still in the US Disciplinary Barracks Fort Leavenworth. Or at least Regional Correctional Facility, Fort Knox.

NTM

Sorry,jail time!Typical woman though,taking half your stuff and putting you in jail!

I have heard stories in the news about gang members joining the armed forces for training.Thought maybe he stole the weapons for use on the streets.

Hagar

Many years ago we had a Lee Enfield go missing during FCA Sunday morning training. There was absolute panic in the Brugha. The weapon was recovered exactly where it should have been, in the hands of the man to whom it had been issued. He was standing at attention at the side of the back square where he had been told to stand by the drill Segeant about two hours earlier. He was so bad at foot drill the Sergeant gave him a bollicking and ordered him to stand to attention while the rest of us continued with square bashing. We were duly marched about but never came back for Pte. X. Like a good soldier he just stood there at attention waiting for his next order. It almost cost the Sergeant his stripes. He never lived it down.

Manic Moran

Hehe..

A related one from the US, we had a sergeant drop a troop into the front leaning rest (i.e. push-up position). He was called away by something, and forgot about him. About 45 minutes later another DS happened to come around the corner and saw the poor bugger on the verge of total muscle failure. He basically had to be given the rest of the day, and the next day off to recover.

NTM

arybvtcw0eolkf

CHRISTMAS PEACE MAKERS.

From todays Indo.