Why Soldiers in Training Are Given Blanks With Their M-16s

[LiberalHeart]

PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA (AP) -- In the early months of the war in Iraq, Army Spc. Paul J. Sturino was getting ready for guard duty one morning when another soldier accidentally fired a bullet into his neck. "Somehow it went off," his mother Christine Wetzel said as she recounted the official reports documenting her 21-year-old son's death on Sept. 22, 2003.

"I just think we're sending young, young people into situations that they're not ready for," she said from her home in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. "They're inexperienced with weapons. ... Things happen and we pay the price."

Much more:
http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=5330113

[MADem]

1. Interesting article

....Soldiers receive their M-16 rifles -- and blank ammunition -- on the third day of training and keep it with them for the next six to 12 weeks, depending on the length of training. The only time they do not have their weapons is when they enter chapels or clinics, or when the rifles are checked in for the weekend.

It's part of the "train as you fight" mentality that the Army hopes will keep soldiers safe.

Soldiers such as Pvt. Kenneth Dykeman, 21, of Portland, Oregon, carry their gun to class, physical training, and even have it nearby as they sleep. At night, Dykeman keeps his weapon under his mattress, with the rifle's magazine in his locker.

"Most likely we're going to Iraq, and when we get there, if you don't handle your weapon during training, you're going to forget," Dykeman said. "It helps you get closer to your weapon, know the characteristics, know what your rifle can do, so when you're out there in the field, you know how to keep yourself safe."

The program is significantly reducing negligent discharges, said Col. Kevin A. Shwedo, director of operations, plans and training for the Army Accessions Command. The average company used to experience about five negligent discharges every four hours. Now, he said, "if you hear a single discharge, that's a lot."....

[ConcernedCanuk]

3. With so many accident discharges, mabe they shold be using blanks in Iraq?

.
.
.

THEN they might of won some hearts and minds,

instead of mortal enemies for generations to come.

[Kailassa]

7. It would have made for a lower American death toll

in the long run if that's all Americans had used there.

[RamboLiberal]

2. That's a good idea by the army - I find it astonishing

that they were experiencing 5 ND's per company every 4 hours. I know from competing in shooting sports that awareness that your weapon should always be considered loaded, muzzle awareness and safety, safety, safety, must always be stressed.

There's no excuse for any soldier to be killed or wounded by an ND. Incidentally when these incidents do occur I often wonder if a few of them are not deliberate. Amazing in news stories in the civilian sector how many times the gun "accidentally" went off.

[formercia]

4. Not always

I was at Ft. Riley for training and we were issued magazines of blanks for the day. I always check for defective rounds, so I was surprised to find 3 rounds of ball ammunition in each of my magazines, the top rounds were blanks. When the rest of the Company checked, it was found that all had the 3 rounds of ball as well. Someone might have been killed that day, either from being shot or when the bullet hit the blank adapter and the weapon was damaged.
I never did find out who did it.

[TrogL]

5. If they're having THAT many accidental discharges

maybe they ran out of blank rounds.

When I was in reserve basic training, we did not have a single accidental dischange amongst 200 soldiers.

[formercia]

6. Blank rounds discharge nothing from the barrel

except flame and noise, while ball ammunition fires a 55 or 62 grain projectile in the order of 3000 Feet per second, depending on the barrel length of each version.

[Pavulon]

10. With the adapter yes.

However a blank fired at someone close enough will injure or kill them.

I think the number of NDs could be attributed to the massive increase of people carrying weapons in a ready state. More live ammo, more people carrying it, more NDs.

I can see a friendly fire incident happening in the field. But for a soldier to be shot in barracks is inexcusable. Several basic rules and common sense actions have had to gone out the window.

[formercia]

12. Troops in the barracks should have their weapons cleared

before entering. Poor discipline. Someone once pointed a weapon at me jokingly while in barracks and I made him eat it.

[Pavulon]

13. I was lucky

I was assigned to an engineering unit. Most of the guys were retired army, some were state employees(police fire dot). The few younguns (me and a few other guys) there for school money or just money got lucky being assigned there.

No bullshit was given or tolerated. Our hazard was some idiot running over you with a 10 ton dozer or dropping something the size of a vw on you.

I found (find) that people who were around weapons as kids were less likely to do stupid shit. Never had a weapon incident. Did have some ass try to remove my hand with a hydraulic lift.

[formercia]

14. Exactly, kids who are taught safety procedures.

I have taught my young son to respect firearms. We go out and he watches me shoot and can see how destructive they can be. When he gets older, I will teach him more if he wants. His mom is very much anti-gun but accepts his learning to understand the difference between a video game and the real thing.

[tblue37]

23. Brandon Lee died from being shot with a blank

during the making of The Crow.

[Kailassa]

8. That's incredible ...

Some soldier loading guns can't have luvved the army.

[Pavulon]

11. Or was tired, spaced out, or not paying attention

The poster did the smart thing by checking his mags. That is like not having someone pack for you when you travel.

My time in the NG exposed me to institutional stupidity. People do stupid and dangerous things. The 10% rule. At first I wondered why there was such a strict procedure for loading equipment on to trucks (het). Then I heard the stories of the ways people have screwed up such a simple task.

[TheMadMonk]

15. Not when the load is as consistent as described.

My kindest guess is that the loads were intended for a special purpose in which a certain number of rounds were to be fired "by the numbers" with the final three rounds to be discharged at a "live target". And then somehow these loads were issued to the wrong company.

Given that no-one " 'fessed" up to a mistake of this nature, it looks like there was some malicious intent on the paret of the loader.

[formercia]

17. Exactly. Someone was going to get fragged. n/t

[sofa king]

21. Having once lived with a psycho....

Have you ever had someone tell you a "someone was going around doing this terrible thing" story and you had the sneaking suspicion that the storyteller was that someone? Well, my psycho housemate told me just such a story about someone cruising around a Navy base, loading peoples' guns (apparently, there were lots of personal firearms in the dorms on base).

Shortly thereafter, while we were having a party, said psycho decided to haul out his .357 as a conversation piece. Without checking it in front of me, he handed it to a drunk girl, who immediately pointed it at my head and pulled the trigger--at least six times, as I jumped around the room like a pants-crapping Joel Grey. Honestly, I was more scared than the times I had a loaded gun pointed at me!

[LiberalFighter]

9. Do they let Secret Service have live ammo?

[DainBramaged]

16. nO EXCUSE FOR A DISCHARGE OF ANY KIND IN A BARRACKS, NONE.

[formercia]

18. There should be a NCO responsible

to see that all weapons are cleared and accounted for and all ammunition is properly stowed in approved containers, according to the reg of the day.

I think there's some serious unit discipline issues going on. Management is responsible.

[DainBramaged]

20. The new Army, fuck discipline, kill 'em all.

[formercia]

22. Kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out.

The Crusader refrain from Vietnam.:sarcasm:

[baldguy]

19. Watch the first part of "Full Metal Jacket"