25Nov05

Comments on military readiness, from a student currently assigned overseas:

"Ain't it the truth! In an hour my shift starts. My unit g uards this base' s entire ammunition supply, and we're located in a not-especially-f riendly, foreign country.

I have no guns with me now, nor do any of us where we're not technic ally on duty. Shortly, I will be issued a dirty M9 pistol, with two magazines and twenty rounds of dirty, 9mm hardball. Our orders are to carry the pistol i n a flap holster, with all flaps fully secured, so drawing with one hand, or quickly even with both hands, is not possible. The weapon is to be carried with a magazine inserted, an empty chamber, and the safety 'on' ( decocking lever down). As you might say, we're little more than cannon fodder here!

Clearing barrels litter this facility like horse crap. Those few weapons that are carried, even by active-duty soldiers, are always unloaded and universally treated with the utmost cavalierly. I have never seen firearms s o casually thrown about with such contemptuous disregard to unsafe directions in which they are incessantly pointed.

I so much miss the comradery of your class where real gunmen bear arms proudly, with true safety, honor, respect, and professionalism. It has yet to filter down here!"

Comment: I'm disheartened when I receive notes like this. The True Way has yet to shine forth at this remote outpost, and many like it. The thing I regret most is that, with all our effort, we have (obviously) accomplished so little.

/John