Posted on 09/30/2007 11:25:27 AM PDT by Stoat
Two days ago, an e-mail about the rude treatment of Marines and soldiers returning from Iraq started making the rounds on the Internet. The brother of one of the mistreated Marines who described the incident at Oakland Airport works on the Hill. The brother forwarded the Marines e-mail around. The e-mail is real, contrary to the Daily Kos nut who dismissed it as fake without any evidence whatsoever (can you say p-r-o-j-e-c-t-i-o-n). I contacted the Marine chaplain to verify the e-mail on Friday. He confirmed.
You can read the whole thing here or here at The Corner from Michael Ledeen.
In short: On September 27th 204 Marines and soldiers who were returning from Iraq were not allowed into the passenger terminal at Oakland International Airport.Instead they had to deplane about 400 yards away from the terminal where the extra baggage trailers were located. This was the last scheduled stop for fuel and food prior to flying to Hawaii where both were based. The trip started in Kuwait on September 26th with a rigorous search of checked and carry on baggage by US Customs. All baggage was x-rayed with a backscatter machine AND each bag was completely emptied and hand searched. After being searched, checked bags were marked and immediately placed in a secure container. Carry on bags were then x rayed again to ensure no contraband items were taken on the plane. While waiting for the bus to the airport, all personnel were in quarantined in a fenced area and were not allowed to leave. Nevertheless, Oakland forbade them from entering its terminal. According to the Marine, a Lieutenant who served in Afghanistan with the same unit in 2006 noted that Oakland had treated troops the same way before. He was almost arrested by the TSA for getting belligerent about them not letting the Marines into the terminal, despite more rigorous screening prior to landing in Oakland. Both JFK airport and in Germany had no problem with the Marines entering their terminals.
I have also obtained the Port of Oaklands response about the incident to Captain David Epstein of the Reserve Officers Association. The Port official blames a lack of clear communication from the charter airline hired by the military. In other words: its the troops fault:
Thank you so much for sharing with me the information you had regarding the incident at the airport. As you know sometimes the way things appear initially regarding an incident turn out to be different after looking into the details. We checked into this once you had called me and raised your public relations concern, so again thank you. Here is the background information I have about the incident as well as the procedures and policies that affected decision-making that day.
In the case of North American Airlines Flight #1777, a military charter flight that arrived at OAK on Thursday, September 27, aircraft parking and passenger service arrangements were coordinated and approved in advance between the ground handling company and Airside Operations. The airport received information that the passengers were not TSA-screened
at their originating airport and that weapons were on-board the aircraft. Together with our security partners, the airport made a decision to park this aircraft at a remote location on the tarmac. It is the responsibility of the charter airline that its operation is compliant with TSA screening requirements.Upon landing and parking at OAK, the pilot-in-command advised the ground handling company that the parking and passenger handling provisions did not meet expectations. Upon learning this, Airside Operations and Aviation Security worked with the ground handling company and other law enforcement partners to coordinate a plan that was satisfactory to the pilot and passengers, and which was compliant with all airport safety and security standards.
Oakland International Airport (OAK) makes customer service a priority for all its passengers, whether they are traveling on commercial, military or general aviation aircraft. Charter airlines operating at OAK can choose to contract with a number of ground handling companies. Ground handlers coordinate flight services such as passenger handling, and aircraft fueling, cleaning and catering. It is the responsibility of ground handling companies to communicate aircraft and passenger operational needs to OAKs Airside Operations Office in advance so that special accommodations can be coordinated to ensure that all airport operational, safety and security concerns are addressed.
The scheduled arrival and departure time of the flight is set by the aircraft operator. Time is needed to refuel the aircraft, perform maintenance inspections, refresh the catering, and give passengers time to stretch to break-up long travel periods. An analysis of the incident and prior correspondence between OAKs Airside Operations and the ground handler determined that the airport did not receive clear communication in advance from the charter airline that was hired by the military.
I am out of town starting tomorrow for a convention. If you have any further inquiries about this incident and the way it was handled, Rosemary Barnes who is part of our Public Affairs team would be happy to speak with you. You may also call Joanne Holloway, the acting manager of the Ports Community and Customer Relations Department.
Kindest regards,
Marilyn Sandifur
Port Spokesperson
Port of Oakland
The airport did not receive clear communication is not a satisfactory explanation. The bottom line is that Oakland officials made the final decision (the airport made a decision to park this aircraft at a remote location on the tarmac). The Port of Oaklands p.r. flacks have passed the buck and seem to believe they can blow off this incident without bothering to apologize to the troops who felt mistreated and without pledging to ensure that the troops are received properly the next time they touch down at that airport.
Big mistake from a region of the country that already has a bad, longstanding rep as anti-military.
All fair-minded observers should agree: The troops deserve better.
***
A commenter at Pattericos notes:
When I was returning from the first Gulf War, we went through the quarantine process prior to boarding the plane to leave Saudi Arabia. After our baggage and bodies were searched we went into the quarantine holding area from which we could not leave, ensuring that no contraband would enter the US. Our first stop was Rome, and we stayed on the plane. We landed at JFK and went into the terminal for a couple of hours. A security detail stayed on board the aircraft. We then re-boarded and returned to Ft. Hood, TX.
Troops returning from overseas have to pass through customs. In the case of troop transports, this is actually done overseas, hence the quarantine area. The only processing we went through in the US was turning in weapons & other sensitive items when we returned to Ft Hood. Remember, troops do not carry passports in combat zones. I assume that the military follows the same procedures that they did in the 90s vis troops returning from overseas deployments and they should be able to disembark during layovers in the US. I can tell you from personal experience, troops just want to get a quick stretch, a chance to clean up before returning home and maybe a cool drink: I hope the Oakland airport can accommodate these simple needs.
Do you wear the Eagle Globe and Anchor slick?
“We consider the chaplains and corpsmen who serve with Marine units to be honorary Marines. Technically, of course they’re Navy. But to us they’re different.”
That was the point I was trying to get across to the terminally ignorant.
I am sometimes accused of being “blonde” (not true hehe), but even I understood your point.
God bless...
Yep, I knew exactly what you meant.
lol well I don’t have a comment to that. I’m glad you understood it however. Makes me truly wonder about the level of comprehension of other people tho.
Guess TSA is now working for the local anti-Americans and not the Federal Government.
Your hateful racist post is duly noted.
As well as foolish.
But what a great revelation into your being with your last sentence.
I know there are a lot of good people in Kalifornia, but there are many more who are complete garbage. I really wish we could float the entire state out to sea. And, don’t give me crap about how it’s the 5th largest economy in the world. I’d rather be poor...
I can answer it for you.
“Theyre worried more about troops in transit having weapons than all the gang members and thugs on the streets of Oakland itself.”
I remember getting on an American Airlines flight to Oakland in 69’ with a couple of Marines. We were all in uniform and the Marines were carrying sniper rifles in cases. They stowed them in the overhead and no one said a word in Nashville or in Oakland when we arrived. My how times have changed.
What a hand-wringing, quivering, feminized nation we have become.
If I really want to juice it up, I could buy a round of beers and step back.
Who’dathunkit. Marines fighting about Chaplains. Only thing bettern’ that would be a round of beers.
Maybe it was this Marine Chaplain:
Reggie Buddle, 60, Puyallup, Washington, sentenced July 30, 2007, for Unlawful Wearing of United States Military Medals and Decorations. Buddle posed as a decorated Marine Corps Chaplain presiding over weddings, funerals and baptisms. Buddle was sentenced to 500 hours of community service and two years of probation.
Check out the cross on his left collar.
Some of us don’t drink...
I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea...I am not a Marine, though I think the most of them. I'm in the Air Force, which will probably get by butt kicked around this thread a little more.
I am sure, though, that if we were all in a room face-to-face, we'd enjoy each other's company.
What took you so long?
Those of us that were or are Marines all know the story of that particular Phony.
It still doesn’t excuse the way our Marines were treated by The Port of Oakland.
Or your attempts to discredit the story because someone used the “wrong” term to describe a Chaplain.
Personally I think you owe the Real Chaplain assigned to this unit an apology since he is the real deal and not a Phony like Reggie Buddle.
Before your first post on this thread was made, the story had been verified by several Journalists and Bloggers and the original story even quoted a official statement by the Port of Oakland.
What did you think that only you could verify that had not been independently verified already?
The duty status of the Chaplain????
Such a transparent attempt at derailing any outrage at the way our Marines were treated is pathetic and hardly the type of leadership I personally have experienced from the officers I have known and served under.
Sissy airport if that is true.
Shame on them for falsely sterotyping our Brave Hero Fighting Forces in that way.
They landed on the East Coast and went into the terminal and behaved just fine as well as anyone knows.
I have seen hundreds of Military Personnel in airports in Uniform, and never saw anything except dignity from them. And thanked all I could approach for their service.
Oakland Airport should be ashamed of what they did. They were sufficiently cleared to go to the terminal.
Well, if their elected representatives are a good indicator, the average Californian is a socialist coward.
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