By John Farnam
Ft Collins, CO –-(Ammoland.com)- “You may think twice about starting to build your ark- after it has started raining! ~ Max Brooks
Ready to go?
Or, merely “ready for show?”
In an article from “Industry Insider,” entitled, “Marine Corps following Army’s lead and looking to change its arsenal,” we see a photo of a soldier carrying a holstered SIG P320 (XM17) during “tests at Ft Bragg”
The pistol conspicuously has no magazine inserted!
In our extremely dangerous world, where the “fifth column”of our assorted enemies is ever-present and routinely conducts low-tech, but deadly, attacks on citizens, police, and soldiers alike, in public places, on military bases, and everywhere else that can be imagined, is our own DOD culture, even under the new Administration, still one which obsessively, indeed fanatically, focuses upon ever keeping soldiers and loaded guns as far apart from one another as possible?
“Cold guns” invariably result in the “cold bodies” of their bearers!
The foolishness of this outdated “cold range” practice, along with manically risk-averse commanders who still obviously insist upon its continuation, I would think would be aggressively addressed by our new Secretary of Defense.
Apparently, not yet!
“Opportunity is a haughty goddess who wastes no time with the unprepared.” ~ George Clason
/John
About John Farnam & Defense Training International, Inc
As a defensive weapons and tactics instructor John Farnam will urge you, based on your own beliefs, to make up your mind in advance as to what you would do when faced with an imminent and unlawful lethal threat. You should, of course, also decide what preparations you should make in advance, if any. Defense Training International wants to make sure that their students fully understand the physical, legal, psychological, and societal consequences of their actions or inactions.
It is our duty to make you aware of certain unpleasant physical realities intrinsic to the Planet Earth. Mr Farnam is happy to be your counselor and advisor. Visit: www.defense-training.com
What are you all worried about? After all he’s got his fighting gloves on, he’s ready to make snowballs, cut a tree down, exercise fine motor skills. He don’t need no dam bullets, he’s got gloves.
I pay taxes hoping our military is armed and dangerous. Being dangerous is what makes them effective. I believe one of the reasons rogue nations are out of control is our military is not seen as dangerous. A guard dog muzzled is no protection at all. The government needs to leave the killing to the marines. They know what they are doing.
Plus this Person who wrote this Article is an IDIOT unaware of procedures/Safety. You quote Ft Hood but that was the Mission of the Major who was a Jihadist.
With regard to the comment in the article. Some movement on Bases require the Weapon to NOT have a Magazine inserted. Being a former Marine I don’t know the Army Regs which tend to more lax imo, Though as a Marine on in a Duty Status the Pistol would have a Magazine inserted “usually” Round Chambered. But Moving off or onto a Range the Weapon needs to be in a Condition 4 status which is Weapon on Safe Magazine Removed. Ant the Tower Commands direct the conditions. So this Photo would reflect a Soldier off the Firing Line and in… Read more »
Unless one is in a Ranger or Spec Ops unit there are regulations and rules for range safety. No magazines with live rounds are passed out until you head to the firing line and even then it’s not inserted until the safeties have flagged the OIC/NCOIC in the tower. From there the range goes hot and all commands come from the tower. Despite the amount of trading soldiers are given there are still negligent discharged and accidents. The rules are meant to miinimize any possibility. That’s what Composite Risk Management Assessments are for. In any large organization risk management plays… Read more »
If this were one of a number of soldiers that were all ordered to keep their weapons in this state most of the time, fine, I get your point. But you’ve supplied us with absolutely no context for this photo. Who took the picture, when and where, during what exercise, under what circumstances? I can think of several occasions wherein a soldier would want to have holstered his gun without a mag inserted. Strangely enough, this no-mag situation happens all the time on the range. Yes, there have been times when military people on base have been instructed to not… Read more »
“tests at Ft Bragg” Without any more context it is idiotic to make any kind of generalizations about what is happening in this picture.
You beat me to it! As I was saying the same thing but with a lot more words, you got that same idea.
Doesn’t West Point teach the officers anything other than how to be pompous, overbearing and egotistical? You would think that by now our military commanders would be confident in the training and discipline they bestowed upon the subordinates to where this would not be a problem? I remember my days in the Marines where we walked guard duty with an unloaded M-16 and a magazine with 10 rounds in it. My question was always, “What good is this if we are to be sharp, well-trained, disciplined and AT THE READY to be attacked if there is always Some-Assembly-Required to do… Read more »
Does Ft Hood ring any bells.
Just like any risk adverse large bureaucracy , they are more worried about the HR and legal side of the company> The military is even worse as they have no incentive to be effective since they have no customers.
No NCOIC or OIC or battalion or brigade commander wants a training incident to mar their promotion track. Regardless of the real life danger for which they are training.
The word come down that safety is a priority and it picks up speed and size as it rolls down.
It’s amazing how soldiers are NOT trusted with guns.