Carrying Personal Weapons in Military

Hey everyone thanks for the feedback. My initial post dealt with policies and practices in the current military. From what I’ve gathered it would be very difficult to carry a personal gun over to Iraq and back, but not 100% impossible.

Now, I want to very much thank all of our resident American Heroes who offered their personal experiences and observations from your time in service. This site is a fountain of valuable information and experiences. Once again I really appreciate not only your feedback, but more importantly your service to our Nation.
 
I’ll toss in this old URBAN LEGEND just because I remembered it and it’s slightly relevant.

While serving in Viet Nam Joe obtained a fully functioning AK-47. Deciding he wanted to keep this for his very own he disassembled the weapon and cleverly mixed a piece in each time he sent package of souvenirs home to his wife with a note saying ‘if there’s anything you don’t know what to do with, don’t throw it out just set it aside in a box.’ After weeks of this he finally got the last piece shipped back with a note saying “take the box with all the extra souvenirs to my brother, he’ll know what to do with them.” She did this and a week later he received a package from home containing his fully assembled AK-47.
 
Great thread bringing back a few memories. Circa 1990 I was a radio operator in a Patriot missile battery in Germany. Out on ops a guy lost his M-16. Things hit the fan. The entire unit had to remain in the field until the rifle was found, or, for another 2 weeks, whichever came first when we were finally allowed to come in. In that time things got so desperate we were digging holes for the sole purpose of sticking metal detectors in the ground, refilling those holes, then dig another. Wasn't found, we get back to the rear, this poor guy has the 2 stripes he had taken off his collar and walked around in tears until a few weeks later they found his M-16. Investigators went door to door in the countryside and eventually found it. A young German kid was watching the field ops from the shadows and while this soldier was taking a leak in the woods, he forgot about his rifle and walked away. The kid snagged it and brought it home. Dad for some reason was letting it slide, but quickly coughed it up with uniformed investigators at the door.

My unit was providing critical MOS's for Desert Storm and I had a CZ-85 POF bought in Germany I was determined I was going to take if I was called. Many of us thought it would be like Viet Nam. It was a quick war, I never got called but held for stop loss. My unit went after I ETS'd and a buddy who went left his CZ-75 behind and reported exactly what was said here. Getting it there would be cake, getting it back - wouldn't happen.
 
Supply Guys are your best friends when wanting to get unauthorized gear
to and from Theater. Did ya'll learn NOTHING??

Naval Aviation Rates quickly learned that the AK's were their Genie Inna Bottle!!

And Army Supply Officers often do resemble Sgt. Bilko (Phil Silver's Version) in
both word, deed, and haircut ;)

I'd swear that all of 'em have to take a course in Bootlegging to get past E-3 ;)
 
It wouldn't be the first time a personally owned weapon was carried into battle; but it also wouldn't be the first time a member of the male species has lied about being a combat vet to get a girl either.
 
Other troops have managed to take personal handguns TO the theater of operations, but it's almost impossible to bring it back.
Since security GOING is not as tight, personal handguns have been taken.
Often the gun is sold or given to another soldier when it's time to return home.
Click to expand...

I have heard reliably of this, for some periods. You could get it in but you couldn't bring it back.

Friend of mine was very distressed to learn what the first generation Gerber Mk II with cranked hilt was worth now, having sold his to a troop without orders home yet.
 
Go Ordnance asked:
Is there supposed to be a relevant point somewhere in there?
Click to expand...

Yes. There is a difference between commanders approving something that would have been against policy, if not outright illegal, for them to approve and them turning a blind eye to the infraction.
 
It happens

Like many things in life, it isn't so much what the book says, it's whether someone wants to make an issue of it. In combat zones I have personally seen an enlisted troop out of 2/75 loose a personal 1911 and helped him look for it, never did find it, saw a USAF chopper pilot with an N Frame Smith in a shoulder holster, and had a Captain that liked to tote around a Tokarev 7.62x25 pistol that he had captured many moons ago and was fond of. It happens.
 
Dfariswheel said:
According to best info on the recent Sand Wars, special ops people usually are allowed to carry a personal purchase handgun, but NOT rifle.
Attitude seems to be that if you're a Special Forces or SEAL you have enough sense to be trusted with a personal handgun and the concern is that you be effective as possible and if that takes a personal handgun, so be it.

All other troops are banned from bringing personal weapons.
Other troops have managed to take personal handguns TO the theater of operations, but it's almost impossible to bring it back.
Since security GOING is not as tight, personal handguns have been taken.
Often the gun is sold or given to another soldier when it's time to return home.

Coming home the military is VERY down on smuggled arms, explosives, drugs and other souvenirs and do diligent searches of gear to insure nothing banned is attempted to be brought home.

Some people who managed to bring home personal or enemy weapons were people coming home with trucks, armor, and heavy equipment.
In that kind of large gear it's easy to find hiding places, and some units were not effective at searching it.

There were several cases of special ops and standard troops caught attempting to smuggle full-auto arms home.
I seem to remember a couple of SEAL's caught with AK-47 rifles, one some time after returning home and attempting to sell one.

From what I've read, personal knives were permitted going and coming home.
Some units going so far as to make group purchases of knives, especially the more useful folding type knives, and at least one unit buying commercial folder knives and issuing them to the troops.

As an example of what happens when personal arms are allowed........
When things were hot in Iraq and Afghanistan there was a directive came down banning all M16 magazines except official issue aluminum mags.
People were bringing all kinds of crap and "trick" mags that were substandard and often failed in combat.
This jeopardized lives and missions, so the order banning everything except USGI aluminum.

As soon as all the commercial crap was purged, the Mag-Pul was re-authorized but you had to buy them yourself.
After that, only USGI issue aluminum and private purchase Mag-Pul was allowed.
Click to expand...
Absolute no-no.......US Navy Special Warfare(SWWC).Damn good way to get up close and personal with an Admiral.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top