More TSA "stuff"

[azoomm]

Did y'all see this one?

http://www.infowars.com/welcome-home-boys-tsa-interrogates-our-soldiers/

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, reinspected 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 the f**k 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 the F**K 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 the F**K happened to OUR country while we were gone?

Sgt. Mad Dog Tracy

[CasterTroy]

Another WIN for "Lowest bid" contractors for the Gubment :td:

[Particle Man]

Unfucking-real.

[pauldun170]

Sounds like it will be appearing on Snopes soon

[Particle Man]

Sounds like it will be appearing on Snopes soon

Why do you say that

[pauldun170]

Why do you say that


Sounds a little too over the top and has all the elements the typical fake.

[tallywacker]

WTF We never land at a civilian airport in the states on the way home. We flew directly to Ft. Campbell airfield, walked off the plane, and met our families.

The national guard guys getting dropped off at a civilian airfield with their weapons and gear sounds kinda retarded.

[caveman]

Sounds like it will be appearing on Snopes soon

I sure as hell hope so. I would like to think that the commander in charge of that transit home would have had this kind of thing taken care of and handled by actual military security detail. I hate this crap about flying. Really makes it a pain to move around the country. If it hadn't been for some damn retarded ass terrorists that just had to make thier point with civillian airliners. Why the hell couldn't they have used damn military transports? At least then they would have said lets just hire more military folks and have a larger security detail at all airfields.

[shmike]

Sounds a little too over the top and has all the elements the typical fake.

It because his name is Mad Dog, isn't it?

That's a very common name among many farming villages in the plain states.

Elitist east coast prick.

[Ninjakel]

My ex flew into SEA-TAC with his unit, straight from where ever the fuck he was.

[Homeslice]

Bringing their weapons onto a civilian airliner? I'm calling BS. What would be the point in doing that? Why wouldn't they get shipped separately via military plane/boat? It isn't like they need their weapons immediately after landing in the US.

BTW, Infowars is a well-known tinfoil site.

[tallywacker]

Bringing their weapons onto a civilian airliner? I'm calling BS. Why wouldn't they get shipped separately via military plane/boat?

Everyone flies in and out of the combat zone on civilian airliners. Kuwait- to Ireland - to your destination. Only exception is advanced parties escorting equipment.

[Homeslice]

Everyone flies in and out of the combat zone on civilian airliners.
Yep, I'll buy that.

[tallywacker]

Yep, I'll buy that.

Ok don't take my word for it. I've only done it multiple times. All major deploying bodies of a unit use civilian airliners. The only time you board military craft is for the jump from turkey to afghanistan or the jump from kuwait to iraq.

[Homeslice]

Then that wouldn't be a combat zone then. They're just flying from the US to Turkey or Germany or whatever. Not straight to Afghanistan.

And again, if they are headed home, why not put their weapons on a separate transport, instead of occupying space on an airliner?

[tallywacker]

Then that wouldn't be a combat zone then. They're just flying from the US to Turkey or Germany or whatever. Not straight to Afghanistan.

And again, if they are headed home, why not put their weapons on a separate transport, instead of occupying space on an airliner?

Huh? Why are you arguing with me? We carry our weapons everywhere, including on the plane. We don't disarm ourselves until we are at home in the US at the unit arms room. You sound like an idiot right now arguing with a soldier on how he deploys.

[Homeslice]

I'm arguing cuz you said you fly directly into a combat zone on a civilian airliner. You don't.

You got me on the weapons thing though. I still don't see the point, if you're just going home. Seems like they could be shipped separately. Now, going the other way, TO theatre, makes more sense, since you would need them as soon as you arrived. But what do I know.

[tallywacker]

I'm arguing cuz you said you fly directly into a combat zone on a civilian airliner. You don't.

You got me on the weapons thing though. I still don't see the point, if you're just going home. Going TO theatre, now that makes more sense.


We are talking about TSA. This point doesn't even matter. Quit being silly. It's a military tradition to always have your weapon on you in a combat zone and Kuwait is still considered a sensitive area and only in the last few years was it changed. It was considered part of the combat zone for many years.. They still received combat pay there.

As soon as you get to kuwait you head to the ranges and practices shooting and other combat drills.

[Homeslice]

True, TSA can EAD

[tallywacker]

True, TSA can EAD

Certainly

[azoomm]

Whether the story is true or false, I just fell in love with Tallywacker...

[OK, so I typed that and read it... and I left it JUST because of the ridiculous quotability of that statement :lol:]

[derf]

WTF We never land at a civilian airport in the states on the way home. We flew directly to Ft. Campbell airfield, walked off the plane, and met our families.

The national guard guys getting dropped off at a civilian airfield with their weapons and gear sounds kinda retarded.

I came home through Germany, Bangor, then Clevland, Mcguire AFB then to Benning, 2 days of non stop flying.

And the whole time I had a handgun on me. They did however warn me that nail clippers and gerbers weren't allowed on the plane, this was in 08.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1940/40/56/652142395/n652142395_1761807_6752.jpg

[derf]

Why the hell couldn't they have used damn military transports? At least then they would have said lets just hire more military folks and have a larger security detail at all airfields.

Its cheaper to rent civilian jets than it is to buy new military jets, which are currently in short supply

[derf]

Bringing their weapons onto a civilian airliner? I'm calling BS. What would be the point in doing that? Why wouldn't they get shipped separately via military plane/boat? It isn't like they need their weapons immediately after landing in the US.

BTW, Infowars is a well-known tinfoil site.

See my other post, it is a picture of my hand with an M9 inside a 747.

You keep the rifle with you at all times because you need it and its your responsibility. Its stays within arms reach at all times, taking a shit, its there, shower, its there (dont get it wet), yeh you carry it everywhere.

[Homeslice]

Well I guess I got owned. But are we just talking about civilian airliners, leased by the military, or ones that are flying regularly-scheduled commercial routes WITH civilians on them?

I've seen troops bringing their packs onboard of course, but I didn't know they had weapons as well.

Why not check them? Civilians have to check their firearms. :shrug:

[derf]

They are mil only flights, the gov hires the whole plane for the trip

[Porkchop]

I came home through Germany, Bangor, then Clevland, Mcguire AFB then to Benning, 2 days of non stop flying.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1940/40/56/652142395/n652142395_1761807_6752.jpg

That seems like overkill. If the government is getting the plane for hire, why couldnt they just fly to the closest civ airport to the base???

[derf]

That seems like overkill. If the government is getting the plane for hire, why couldnt they just fly to the closest civ airport to the base???

Germany for fuel, bangor for fuel, cleveland, mcguire and benning to drop people off

[Homeslice]

They are mil only flights, the gov hires the whole plane for the trip

Understood..........So a regular commercial fight with civilians on it wouldn't allow soldiers to carry guns on board, right?

[derf]

Understood..........So a regular commercial fight with civilians on it wouldn't allow soldiers to carry guns on board, right?

I dunno, I doubt it, we look pretty scary with guns

[Avatard]

Now they've gone and offended an ambassador from India with an aggressive pat-down...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40579937/ns/us_news-airliner_security/

[pauldun170]

It because his name is Mad Dog, isn't it?

That's a very common name among many farming villages in the plain states.

Elitist east coast prick.

:lol

[tallywacker]

whether the story is true or false, i just fell in love with tallywacker...

[ok, so i typed that and read it... And i left it just because of the ridiculous quotability of that statement :lol:]

lol

[tallywacker]

Understood..........So a regular commercial fight with civilians on it wouldn't allow soldiers to carry guns on board, right?

For those kinds of flights, military follow all the same rules as civilians. That includes the locked cases for weapons that are stored in the belly of the plane. Military marksmanship units use this method to get to competitions. No different than someone taking their hunting rifle with them on a flight.

[Hydrant]

Now they've gone and offended an ambassador from India with an aggressive pat-down...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40579937/ns/us_news-airliner_security/



In a way, I'm happy to see incidents like this. Since our fine elected officials won't listen to the commoners complain about these screenings, maybe it's going to take people of auctual substance to start bitching before anything will ever be done.

[caveman]

Bringing their weapons onto a civilian airliner? I'm calling BS. What would be the point in doing that? Why wouldn't they get shipped separately via military plane/boat? It isn't like they need their weapons immediately after landing in the US.

BTW, Infowars is a well-known tinfoil site.

Were you in the military? If not then you don't know what the hell you are talking about. STFU and GTFO

Ok don't take my word for it. I've only done it multiple times. All major deploying bodies of a unit use civilian airliners. The only time you board military craft is for the jump from turkey to afghanistan or the jump from kuwait to iraq.

This. When I flew from Germany to Bosnia back in 97 I flew lufthansa to some airport then jumped on a chopper to pop into the helo base I was stationed on. When I flew to Kuwait in Feb 03 just before the war started in March I flew from Ft Hood on a C-5 only because I was bumming a ride with some military equipment. But the rest of the unit went home on Civillian aircraft, they ALL had their rifles slung.

I'm arguing cuz you said you fly directly into a combat zone on a civilian airliner. You don't.

You got me on the weapons thing though. I still don't see the point, if you're just going home. Seems like they could be shipped separately. Now, going the other way, TO theatre, makes more sense, since you would need them as soon as you arrived. But what do I know.

AGAIN STFU if you have not been in the service and know first hand what the hell you are talking about. I really hate when non service people say shit about what happens in the military, when they CLEARY have no FUCKING clue. Don't argue with some one that has the experience and the ways to prove it. Not all people are cut out to be a service member, and whatever your reason for not joining is up to you, but PLEASE PLEASE don't sully our experiences and our dedication because you don't THINK thats what happens. Its ok, you don't have to know EVERYTHING. You can be wrong or even actually learn something once in a while.

[z06boy]

I just love Tallywacker...



http://www.hoerup-skole.dk/elever/louised/billeder/Joey.jpg

:rofl:

[OneSickPsycho]

TWFix... how did you miss THIS?
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/12/after-failing-tsa-screening-flier-in-wheelchair-and-her-underwear-leaves-okla/1?csp=obnetwork

[caveman]

TWFix... how did you miss THIS?
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/12/after-failing-tsa-screening-flier-in-wheelchair-and-her-underwear-leaves-okla/1?csp=obnetwork

This sucks. Fucking terrorists fucking succeeded. They have taken one of the most free countries and locked them down tighter than a frogs ass. Those dueche-bags not only wasted thousands of lives, destroyed a landmark pair of buildings, and caused unmeasurable amounts of fear and hatred. If they wanted us to stop our western ways from interfering with their barbaric methods of living in caves and squating in the mud then ask us to do so, we would have gladly left them alone and let the Russians just run thier ass into the dirt they came from. But, no they asked for our help and we went over there and trained them up for warfare and supplied them some assistance against the Russian invasion of their country and this is how they repay us. What a bunch of FUCKTARDS.
I would love to be the guy that slits the throat of that fucking hypocritical piece of shit, cock-suckin, mother-fuckin, shit eatin, bastard bin Laden. Not only would I slit his throat I would make him bleed slow and painful.

We went from a super-power, cock-strong, take no shit from anybody country to one that is so scared of possible threats that we now abuse our own citizenry with such invasive searches just to travel.
OOOOHHH, those fuckers piss me off.:fu2:

[G-Rex]

That article is sickening. I'm with Caveman. This is ridiculous.

I've been flying a bit recently for work. I haven't had to fly since the screening procedures were stepped up, but since we don't have the scanners here, I wonder if everyone is being subjected to patdowns or if it is random.

I'll be sure to report back once I go through the next time on the experience, since apparently the TSA here doesn't mind stripping someone down to their underwear. Still not sure what that was all about.

[Avatard]

This sucks. Fucking terrorists fucking succeeded.

http://poopnugget.com/files/the_tsa_and_your_balls.jpg

[fatbuckRTO]

There are elements of Mad Dog's story that make me think that particular story is bullshit. One is that I just left Bagram* in July and there were no full body scanners there. Maybe they had them installed in the last few months, who knows.

That said, military members do fly back on chartered commercial flights with weapons in hand. Happens all the time.

More pertinent, though, is a recount my team leader gave me of one of his fellow Customs and Border agent's encounter with TSA. CBP agents are allowed to fly with their government issued side arm if they agree to act as a "default" sky marshall for the flight. This particular agent was going through the security checkpoint with his loaded 9 mm handgun and was stopped by the TSA worker because he also had a collapsible baton. Long story short, the CBP agent boarded the plane with a loaded firearm and no collapsible baton.

The TSA is not and has never been a worthwhile or effective organization and should be disbanded immediately.



* There is no "h" in Bagram, that would give it the soft phlegm sound.

[Homeslice]

That said, military members do fly back on chartered commercial flights with weapons in hand. Happens all the time.


I have no problem believing that troops carry weapons on chartered flights, seeing as how the definition of "chartered" means it's a private flight that isn't open to the public. But why do people going on what is essentially a private flight need to bother seeing the TSA, as the original story claims? Why can't they work out a system where the troops go directly to/from the hangar where that plane is going to be?

[Homeslice]

AGAIN STFU if you have not been in the service and know first hand what the hell you are talking about. I really hate when non service people say shit about what happens in the military, when they CLEARY have no FUCKING clue. Don't argue with some one that has the experience and the ways to prove it. Not all people are cut out to be a service member, and whatever your reason for not joining is up to you, but PLEASE PLEASE don't sully our experiences and our dedication because you don't THINK thats what happens. Its ok, you don't have to know EVERYTHING. You can be wrong or even actually learn something once in a while.

My original reason for posting was that I didn't believe they carried weapons on flights with civilian PASSENGERS. And that turned out to be true. There is a diff. between a civilian FLIGHT and a civilian flight with civilian PASSENGERS. The former is what you guys were talking about -- But I thought you were talking about the latter, which is why I kept questioning it. My apologies.

[fatbuckRTO]

But why do people going on what is essentially a private flight need to bother seeing the TSA, as the original story claims? Why can't they work out a system where the troops go directly to/from the hangar where that plane is going to be?The times I've been on chartered aircraft like that they were flying out of military airbases. We didn't deal with TSA in those cases. While the original story by Mad Dog may or may not be true, I could see circumstances under which troops might board such a chartered flight at a civilian airport, in which case they would deal with TSA. It would be much more likely for a National Guard unit to fly that way, in my mind.

As far as why they couldn't work out a system to skip TSA, I couldn't say if anyone has tried. But I could very easily believe that TSA would resist that kind of move for the sole purpose of maintaining its authority and remaining "relevant."

[tallywacker]

For the record I believe this story is bullshit, but I've dealt with far more bullshit than this that didn't make sense in the army.

[Gas Man]

it's complete BS.

However, am I the only one that thought maybe she's worth bangin?

[derf]

The times I've been on chartered aircraft like that they were flying out of military airbases. We didn't deal with TSA in those cases. While the original story by Mad Dog may or may not be true, I could see circumstances under which troops might board such a chartered flight at a civilian airport, in which case they would deal with TSA. It would be much more likely for a National Guard unit to fly that way, in my mind.

As far as why they couldn't work out a system to skip TSA, I couldn't say if anyone has tried. But I could very easily believe that TSA would resist that kind of move for the sole purpose of maintaining its authority and remaining "relevant."

It depends on which base they flew out of. Many of the larger bases have mil airports attached to the installation, but other smaller bases don't. I can think of a few bases where NG and USAR troops deploy from that don't have an airport and they instead are bussed to the closest large airport and flown from there.

My personal experience coming and going both ways is that I only dealt with TSA because I choose to. We flew out of a military base where we were checked for stuff, mainly alcohol, ammo, drugs and other "prohibited in a combat zone" stuff. At each layover I got off the plane and walked out of the airport to smoke, and walked right back in. Each time I left the airport I had to deal with the TSA when I went back in. Although I dont remember having a ticket and I dont remember it being a problem.

[Archren]

The only time I recall having to deal with TSA on either of my deployments was while on R&R... and on those trips we left our weapons in theater (locked up with the unit armor). On our trips as a whole unit to and from theater... the only places en route where we deplaned were Bangor, ME, Ireland, and Germany, and in all of those instances we were given boarding passes and kept in "secure" areas (I say "secure" because in Maine, the smoking area happened to be outside, and you could walk across the road to the Holiday Inn or whatever hotel it was... but they didn't make us go through security again on the way back in).

All of those three places are regular military stops, though, so I think they 1) know the drill already and 2) are more lenient with military folks anyway.

That being said, however, as others have mentioned, ARNG or Reserve troops such as myself may stop in a civilian airport en route to home base... but typically, we are sent back to whatever base from which we were mobilized - i.e., Fort Hood, Fort Lewis, Fort Bliss, etc. - FIRST, before being demobilized and returned to our homes of record. As soon as you touch ground at the demob platform, you turn in your weapons before you go anywhere else.

So, while this story raises some questions as to its validity, particularly since the author writes it in the sense that this was a routine stop, it could have been that where they landed was not a routine location for military stops. No way of telling for certain at this point.

ETA: Oh yeah, another point: usually when we deplane at civilian airports for a refueling stop... we leave our weapons on the bird with weapon guards. Perhaps another point against the validity of the story? Unless this is just a practice that only certain flight commanders employ?

[derf]

I left the weapons on the plane for my trip there, the way back we left them on the plane in europe, but in the US carried them (the weapon itself could not leave the airport, but you could leave it with someone else and walk out on your own