Posted on 07/17/2010 10:12:33 AM PDT by KeyLargo
'Scary' growth of gangs in war zones
Chicago cop who served in Afghanistan and Iraq has warning: Gang members are coming home with military training
FRANK MAIN
Being in a street gang is now forbidden for members of the U.S. armed forces. But you might not guess that if you were to visit U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to soldiers who have recently served there.
Jeffrey Stoleson, a Wisconsin corrections official, returned from Iraq in January with photos of gang graffiti on armored vehicles, latrines and buildings. Stoleson, a sergeant with a National Guard unit, was there for nine months to help the Army set up a prison facility outside Baghdad.
"I saw Maniac Latin Disciples graffiti out of Chicago," Stoleson said, adding that there was a lot of graffiti for Texas and California gangs, as well as Mexican drug cartels.
A Chicago Police officer -- who retired from the regular Army and was recently on a tour of Afghanistan in the Army Reserve -- said Bagram Air Base was covered with Chicago gang graffiti, everything from the Gangster Disciples' pitchfork to the Latin Kings' crown.
"It seems bigger now," said the officer, who previously served a tour in Iraq, where he also saw gang graffiti.
Now back in Chicago, the officer said he has arrested high-level gang members who have served in the military and kept the "Infantryman's bible" -- called the FM 7-8 -- in their homes. The book describes how to run for cover, fire a weapon tactically and do the "three- to five-second rushes" seen in war movies.
"It's scary," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at suntimes.com ...
Any truth to this?
My brother is in the Army, an MP. He has told me it is a real problem now. Seems like it is getting worse.
This isn’t the first time I’ve read about this. Doesn’t bode well for domestic security. Our future looks bleaker every day.
You didn’t think Obummer was going to let his boys go untrained if they are going to be as large and well equipped as the US Military now did you? Brown Shirts have to be trained by someone and since he can’t openly send them to Fidel for advanced training...
National Gang Intelligence Center
National Gang Threat Assessment 2009
January 2009
Gang Members in the Military
Members of nearly every major street gang as well as some prison gangs and OMGs have been identified on both domestic and international military installations. Deployments have resulted in gang members among service members and/or dependents on or near overseas bases. Additionally, military transfers have resulted in gang members, both service members and dependents/relatives, moving to new areas and establishing a gang presence.
Gang members with military training pose a unique threat to law enforcement personnel because of the distinctive military skills that they possess and their willingness to teach these skills to fellow gang members. While the number of gang members trained by the military is unknown, the threat that they pose to law enforcement is potentially significant, particularly if gang members trained in weapons, tactics, and planning pass this instruction on to other gang members. (See Table 1.) In addition, gang members currently serving in the military sometimes take advantage of their positions to engage in criminal activities such as trafficking weapons and drugs.
http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs32/32146/military.htm
“Our future looks bleaker every day.”
Indeed.
Talked with a navy recruiter just this summer. One of the disqualifiers is tatoos. No exceptions.
IMO, violent gang member should be summarily executed. A menace to society.
Until we do this, or at least move in that direction, expect more anarchy in this once great nation.
Hmm, maybe he should look again. Our nephew just joined the Navy and is now in special training. He says he is probably the only one there (including the women!) who doesn’t have a tattoo.
Yes.
A lot of them are LOGCAP contractors. They don't require a secret clearance and can slip under the radar more easily.
I do not walk alone on this base after sunset.
And while kidnapping by terrorist scum has always been a threat, the gangs are now equally a concern.
According to a recently released FBI report, Gang-related activity in the US military is increasing and poses a threat to law enforcement officials and national security.
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/justicelawlegislation/a/gangs.htm
While this is a large problem today, it has been going on since the 1980’s maybe even earlier. Service men coming home and using their skills in criminal enterprises is nothing new.
The real problem is when these gang members, former military or not, join the police forces. Most big cities have had their police infiltrated with family and friends of gang members. I don’t think Chicago has ever had an honest police force, much less city government.
Yea I know stating the obvious.
“I aint no rat. In a town this bad, who is there to rat to anyway?”-— Detective Gordan.
This could all be solved if they just let all the queers who so desperately want to join.
Nothing new.
Don’t forget the Hells Angels were founded by former Flying Tigers and took their name from one of the Flying Tigers squadrons.
I was just going to say this. When the domestic police become gang infested, you can't trust them.
I wouldn't want to be an honest police man with gang members in the force. You couldn't trust them to cover you when in trouble. The civilians couldn't tell their kids to trust the police man either.
This is another good example of the folly of liberals who want the police to protect an unarmed citizenry. What will the good lefties do when their cops hold them up? They can't fight back...
That should do some good in keeping these guys out of the military!
I recall reading similar types of artiles in the early 70’s about retuning Viet Nam vets.
The way things are going we may all be gang members in the future.
All the major players in the US drug interdiction business acknowledge the fact gangs send members with clean records into the military to gain knowledge of tactics and technology.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.