Welcome Home Boys - Well Done
Thread Starter
Welcome Home Boys - Well Done
Do not know if this is true or not - a friend, whom I trust, sent it to me - fun read anyhow.
"
> As the Chalk Leader for my flight home from Afghanistan, I witnessed the
> following:
>
> When we were on our way back from Afghanistan, we flew out of Baghram
> Air Field. We went through customs at BAF, full body scanners (no
> groping), had all of our bags searched, the whole nine yards.
> Our first stop was Shannon, Ireland to refuel. After that, we had to
> stop at Indianapolis, Indiana to drop off about 100 folks from the
> Indiana National Guard. That's where the stupid started.
>
> First, everyone was forced to get off the plane-even though the plane
> wasn't refueling again. All 330 people got off that plane, rather than
> let the 100 people from the ING get off. We were filed from the plane to
> a holding area. No vending machines, no means of escape. Only a
> male/female latrine.
>
> It's probably important to mention that we were ALL carrying weapons.
> Everyone was carrying an M4 Carbine (rifle) and some, like me, were also
> carrying an M9 pistol. Oh, and our gunners had M-240B machine guns. Of
> course, the weapons weren't loaded. And we had been cleared of all ammo
> well before we even got to customs at Baghram, then AGAIN at customs.
>
> The TSA personnel at the airport seriously considered making us unload
> all of the baggage from the SECURE cargo hold to have it reinspected.
> Keep in mind, this cargo had been unpacked, inspected piece by piece by
> U.S. Customs officials, resealed and had bomb-sniffing dogs give it a
> one-hour run through. After two hours of sitting in this holding area,
> the TSA decided not to reinspect our Cargo-just to inspect us again:
> Soldiers on the way home from war, who had already been inspected,
> re-inspected and kept in a SECURE holding area for 2 hours. Ok, whatever.
> So we lined up to go through security AGAIN.
>
> This is probably another good time to remind you all that all of us were
> carrying actual assault rifles, and some of us were also carrying
> pistols.
>
> So we're in line, going through one at a time. One of our Soldiers had
> his Gerber multi-tool. TSA confiscated it. Kind of ridiculous, but it
> gets better. A few minutes later, a guy empties his pockets and has a
> pair of nail clippers. Nail clippers. TSA informs the Soldier that
> they're going to confiscate his nail clippers. The conversation went
> something like this:
>
> TSA Guy: You can't take those on the plane.
>
> Soldier: What? I've had them since we left country.
>
> TSA Guy: You're not suppose to have them.
>
> Soldier: Why?
>
> TSA Guy: They can be used as a weapon.
>
> Soldier: [touches butt stock of the rifle] But this actually is a
> weapon. And I'm allowed to take it on.
>
> TSA Guy: Yeah but you can't use it to take over the plane. You don't
> have bullets.
>
> Soldier: And I can take over the plane with nail clippers?
>
> TSA Guy: [awkward silence]
>
> Me: Dude, just give him your damn nail clippers so we can get
> out of here. I'll buy you a new set.
>
> Soldier: [hands nail clippers to TSA guy, makes it through security]
>
> To top it off, the TSA demanded we all be swabbed for "explosive
> residue" detection. Everyone failed, [go figure, we just came home from
> a war zone], because we tested positive for "Gun Powder Residue". Who
> is hiring these people?
>
> This might be a good time to remind everyone that approximately 233
> people re-boarded that plane with assault rifles, pistols, and machine
> guns-but nothing that could have been used as a weapon.
>
> Can someone please tell me What happened to OUR country while
> we were gone?
>
> Sgt. Mad Dog Tracy
>
>
> This is my personal note to add: It should be kept in mind that although
> these men carried weapons with no ammo, they are trained to use those
> weapons in hand to hand combat so it would have been real easy to take
> over that plane, or at least beat the lovingcrap out of anyone that tried
> to do it with a pair of nail clippers."
"
> As the Chalk Leader for my flight home from Afghanistan, I witnessed the
> following:
>
> When we were on our way back from Afghanistan, we flew out of Baghram
> Air Field. We went through customs at BAF, full body scanners (no
> groping), had all of our bags searched, the whole nine yards.
> Our first stop was Shannon, Ireland to refuel. After that, we had to
> stop at Indianapolis, Indiana to drop off about 100 folks from the
> Indiana National Guard. That's where the stupid started.
>
> First, everyone was forced to get off the plane-even though the plane
> wasn't refueling again. All 330 people got off that plane, rather than
> let the 100 people from the ING get off. We were filed from the plane to
> a holding area. No vending machines, no means of escape. Only a
> male/female latrine.
>
> It's probably important to mention that we were ALL carrying weapons.
> Everyone was carrying an M4 Carbine (rifle) and some, like me, were also
> carrying an M9 pistol. Oh, and our gunners had M-240B machine guns. Of
> course, the weapons weren't loaded. And we had been cleared of all ammo
> well before we even got to customs at Baghram, then AGAIN at customs.
>
> The TSA personnel at the airport seriously considered making us unload
> all of the baggage from the SECURE cargo hold to have it reinspected.
> Keep in mind, this cargo had been unpacked, inspected piece by piece by
> U.S. Customs officials, resealed and had bomb-sniffing dogs give it a
> one-hour run through. After two hours of sitting in this holding area,
> the TSA decided not to reinspect our Cargo-just to inspect us again:
> Soldiers on the way home from war, who had already been inspected,
> re-inspected and kept in a SECURE holding area for 2 hours. Ok, whatever.
> So we lined up to go through security AGAIN.
>
> This is probably another good time to remind you all that all of us were
> carrying actual assault rifles, and some of us were also carrying
> pistols.
>
> So we're in line, going through one at a time. One of our Soldiers had
> his Gerber multi-tool. TSA confiscated it. Kind of ridiculous, but it
> gets better. A few minutes later, a guy empties his pockets and has a
> pair of nail clippers. Nail clippers. TSA informs the Soldier that
> they're going to confiscate his nail clippers. The conversation went
> something like this:
>
> TSA Guy: You can't take those on the plane.
>
> Soldier: What? I've had them since we left country.
>
> TSA Guy: You're not suppose to have them.
>
> Soldier: Why?
>
> TSA Guy: They can be used as a weapon.
>
> Soldier: [touches butt stock of the rifle] But this actually is a
> weapon. And I'm allowed to take it on.
>
> TSA Guy: Yeah but you can't use it to take over the plane. You don't
> have bullets.
>
> Soldier: And I can take over the plane with nail clippers?
>
> TSA Guy: [awkward silence]
>
> Me: Dude, just give him your damn nail clippers so we can get
> out of here. I'll buy you a new set.
>
> Soldier: [hands nail clippers to TSA guy, makes it through security]
>
> To top it off, the TSA demanded we all be swabbed for "explosive
> residue" detection. Everyone failed, [go figure, we just came home from
> a war zone], because we tested positive for "Gun Powder Residue". Who
> is hiring these people?
>
> This might be a good time to remind everyone that approximately 233
> people re-boarded that plane with assault rifles, pistols, and machine
> guns-but nothing that could have been used as a weapon.
>
> Can someone please tell me What happened to OUR country while
> we were gone?
>
> Sgt. Mad Dog Tracy
>
>
> This is my personal note to add: It should be kept in mind that although
> these men carried weapons with no ammo, they are trained to use those
> weapons in hand to hand combat so it would have been real easy to take
> over that plane, or at least beat the lovingcrap out of anyone that tried
> to do it with a pair of nail clippers."
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Foolhardiness, bravery or stupidity.
I am totally amazed that even a cretin from TSA could demand the nail clippers from a combat-trained soldier, who is as fit as a butcher's dog, is on his way home after months of deprivation and being targeted by some really nasty folks, is tired and grumpy after his flight has been needlessly delayed, has testosterone coming out of his armpits and has a 3 feet long metal club in his hands. The TSA idiot was lucky to survive the encounter.
... apparently they're refusing to serve Marines in Starbucks as well.
snopes.com: Starbucks Refuses Marines
The trouble with this 'instant comms' stuff is that made-up, infantile crap gets multiplied and transmitted round the world in seconds. It is exacerbated by a generation of folk who, growing up in an age of e-mail, texting, mobile phones and the pointess Tw1tter, 4acebook, Chumps Reunited and similar nonsense, believe everything they see on the internet.
(My link above may even be a counter-rumour - shock horror, gasp!)
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Was involved in a similar incident a few years back whilst serving on LXX sqn as an ALM.
Civi airport somewhere during 2nd gulf war, crew is obviously carrying 9mm pistols, aircrew knifes and the usual array of bits and bobs.
Walk up to the crew check in gate and are instructed to put all our weapons in a little plastic tray before we pass through the metal detector machine thingy. Proceed to walk through machine, given a pat down my security and then handed back our weapons, knifes etc.
WTF was that all about, lol.
Civi airport somewhere during 2nd gulf war, crew is obviously carrying 9mm pistols, aircrew knifes and the usual array of bits and bobs.
Walk up to the crew check in gate and are instructed to put all our weapons in a little plastic tray before we pass through the metal detector machine thingy. Proceed to walk through machine, given a pat down my security and then handed back our weapons, knifes etc.
WTF was that all about, lol.
Long before the post-9/11 paranoia, I once came back from foggy Sarajevo with a few of my team, grabbing a lift on the first passing RAF Hercules. While waiting around at the airport for 24 hours or so waiting for such an aircraft, I did get a photo of me passing through the metal detector arch in muddy DPM kit, with a pistol on my belt and rifle in hand. The RAF mover at Sarajevo accepted all my ammunition, which I hoped would minimise subsequent problems. However, on approaching UK, Lyneham fogged out, so Brize was the next plan. Unfortunately, this too closed before we got there, so we headed for Manchester, along with most of the civil traffic that had been bound for the south of England. At Manchester, we were parked in a distant corner, never saw any customs or security, but got a lift to the terminal. Fortunately, I had a big old aircrew holdall that was long enough for my rifle to go inside it, with my pistol under my coat. We then set about trying to get transport to our various end destinations, in the thickening fog, late at night, and competing with Heathrow refugees for hire cars. During this, we became separated, and the airport police started to be aware of armed men in the terminal. At one stage, they actually approached me and asked if I had seen any armed men, not noticing that I was one of them. I of course directed them to the other end of the terminal while I secured the last car for my onward journey.
In retrospect, this is quite amusing, but after 36 hours of travel at the time and further adventure yet to come, it was all a bit fraught.
In retrospect, this is quite amusing, but after 36 hours of travel at the time and further adventure yet to come, it was all a bit fraught.
As they say in the land of the free "no good having common sense, if you've got rules!"
So I had a rummage round and handed in my pen knife which I had in my pocket
Don't think he saw the funny side of it.
Below the Glidepath - not correcting
A rifle for shooting others and a pistol presumably to shoot himself, either when he ran out of 5.56 or when stuck in a room with someone intolerable?
These silly rumours spread ever more quickly these days, thanks to the Internet and those farsebook and Twatter things.
Remember the rumour that McDonald's funded the Irish Republican Army? That caused all sorts of harumphing, but the truth was that when
McDonald's first came to the UK in the 1970s, the payslips they used for UK staff were imported from the USA. These included printed reference to the American equivalent to National Insurance pension contributions - the 'Individual Retirement Account' - or 'IRA' for short.....
Remember the rumour that McDonald's funded the Irish Republican Army? That caused all sorts of harumphing, but the truth was that when
McDonald's first came to the UK in the 1970s, the payslips they used for UK staff were imported from the USA. These included printed reference to the American equivalent to National Insurance pension contributions - the 'Individual Retirement Account' - or 'IRA' for short.....
Gentleman Aviator
At the risk of being accused of mover-baiting (
moi?), many moons ago I had delivered the command spare Wessex from Sharjah to the SAR Flt at Muharraq, and had to get an Argosy back (I told you it was a long time ago!).
Didn't have much more than what I stood up in, ie flying kit including an LSJ (Mae West). Following exchange ensues:
Mover: "What's that" - pointing to LSJ
Fg Off Teeters: "Er, an LSJ"
Mover: "No, no - what's that" - pointing to red knob and gas bottle
Fg Off Teeters: "That's what I pull to inflate LSJ - is CO2 cylinder"
Mover: (Triumphantly): "Aha - compressed gas - DAC (Dangerous Air Cargo) - you can't take that on a passenger flight ......."
Flung LSJ to SAR mate seeing me off ............
moi?), many moons ago I had delivered the command spare Wessex from Sharjah to the SAR Flt at Muharraq, and had to get an Argosy back (I told you it was a long time ago!).Didn't have much more than what I stood up in, ie flying kit including an LSJ (Mae West). Following exchange ensues:
Mover: "What's that" - pointing to LSJ
Fg Off Teeters: "Er, an LSJ"
Mover: "No, no - what's that" - pointing to red knob and gas bottle
Fg Off Teeters: "That's what I pull to inflate LSJ - is CO2 cylinder"
Mover: (Triumphantly): "Aha - compressed gas - DAC (Dangerous Air Cargo) - you can't take that on a passenger flight ......."
Flung LSJ to SAR mate seeing me off ............
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When flying out to Canada to fly on the Gazelle det at BATUS. The RAF wouldnt let us take our LCJ's on board as they were classed as "dangerous air cargo". wouldnt even have them packaged up in the hold. So why do we have to wear them when we fly. What a bunch of T**ts.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
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The key to all this bollocks is the word, "passenger". Once you declare to the movers that you are a passenger, you lose any control of your destiny. You become an object destined to be f***ed over from dawn to dusk. This is despite the fact that you might even be the sqn cdr of the captain of the aircraft. However....
If you pitch up at the terminal and tell the movers (or phone ahead) that you are "crew" of "Ascot xxxx", you are treated (well, you're not treated, to be honest, because they are not in charge of you) differently. Don't ask them for MT, though. You are crew.
Example: earlier this decade 2 Nimrod crews and a section of NLS groundcrew and a few other NFU guys arrived at BZN from the Middle East on AT. Kinloss was sending 2 Nimrods (yes, we had some then) to pick up the Nimrod people and take us home, via a bit of crew training en route north. I was on one of the crews off the AT. I knew 2 of the NFU guys and I suggested to my captain that he inform the BZN movers that our crew, the NLS people and the 2 NFU guys were "crew on Nimrod callsign "***** on an intermediate landing during a training mission". The movers, not surprisingly, were not interested in us and gave the captain a tel no for BZN ops. The other Nimrod crew used the words, "passengers on Nimrod callsign xxxx " coming from/going to Kinloss." From that moment on that crew and the crew of their Nimrod taxi, lost any control of what they were doing. Their Nimrod was directed by ATC to the front of the terminal and the movers insisted that all engines were shut down "to enable the safe embarkation of the pax, in the absence of any Movement SOPs". This led to a T/R servicing. Fortunately there were NLS guys able to do it. That Nimrod was on the ground for 2 hrs. Our Nimrod went to an operational dispersal, kept 2 engines running while we arrived there on MT organised by BZN Ops and we took off after minimum brake cooling time (45 mins).
The bottom line for all you aircrew/aircraft groundcrew out there: do not declare yourself as a passenger if you can help it. Contact the Opcon of the aircraft you're flying on and try to get yourself on the auth sheet as "crew". Life becomes so much easier. I know that AT orders place limits on max crew, but the Nimrod never had a max crew limit (well, 26, but that was max POB).
Merry Christmas
Ed
If you pitch up at the terminal and tell the movers (or phone ahead) that you are "crew" of "Ascot xxxx", you are treated (well, you're not treated, to be honest, because they are not in charge of you) differently. Don't ask them for MT, though. You are crew.
Example: earlier this decade 2 Nimrod crews and a section of NLS groundcrew and a few other NFU guys arrived at BZN from the Middle East on AT. Kinloss was sending 2 Nimrods (yes, we had some then) to pick up the Nimrod people and take us home, via a bit of crew training en route north. I was on one of the crews off the AT. I knew 2 of the NFU guys and I suggested to my captain that he inform the BZN movers that our crew, the NLS people and the 2 NFU guys were "crew on Nimrod callsign "***** on an intermediate landing during a training mission". The movers, not surprisingly, were not interested in us and gave the captain a tel no for BZN ops. The other Nimrod crew used the words, "passengers on Nimrod callsign xxxx " coming from/going to Kinloss." From that moment on that crew and the crew of their Nimrod taxi, lost any control of what they were doing. Their Nimrod was directed by ATC to the front of the terminal and the movers insisted that all engines were shut down "to enable the safe embarkation of the pax, in the absence of any Movement SOPs". This led to a T/R servicing. Fortunately there were NLS guys able to do it. That Nimrod was on the ground for 2 hrs. Our Nimrod went to an operational dispersal, kept 2 engines running while we arrived there on MT organised by BZN Ops and we took off after minimum brake cooling time (45 mins).
The bottom line for all you aircrew/aircraft groundcrew out there: do not declare yourself as a passenger if you can help it. Contact the Opcon of the aircraft you're flying on and try to get yourself on the auth sheet as "crew". Life becomes so much easier. I know that AT orders place limits on max crew, but the Nimrod never had a max crew limit (well, 26, but that was max POB).
Merry Christmas
Ed
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The RAF wouldnt let us take our LCJ's on board as they were classed as "dangerous air cargo". wouldnt even have them packaged up in the hold. So why do we have to wear them when we fly. What a bunch of T**ts.