Posted on 01/12/2005 4:55:46 AM PST by 1 spark
ABOARD THE USS BONHOMME RICHARD -- Cpl. Sean Foley looks around the ship's main armory and takes a quick inventory. The room is overflowing with guns. Pistols, sniper rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers.
But for the time being, it's all staying right here.
In an effort to ease the fears of local officials, Marines participating in the humanitarian mission to help Indonesia recover from the earthquake and tsunami that have killed more than 100,000 people on the island of Sumatra have agreed to leave their weapons behind whenever they go ashore.
For many Marines, that's tantamount to traveling naked.
"They didn't even want us to have protection like helmets and body armor, let alone weapons, because it might look threatening," said Foley, of Erie, Pa. "That's crazy."
His concern isn't unfounded.
Though the nearly 2,000 Marines on this ship and another nearby have only just begun to trickle ashore, and are generally returning to the ship each night, the area in which they are operating presents some significant security threats.
Rebels have long been active in this region, so much so that the Indonesian government had largely restricted it from foreigners. Though a lull followed the Dec. 26 disaster, firefights near the provincial capital of Banda Aceh have been reported recently.
"We are concerned," said Col. Tom Greenwood, commanding officer of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which was diverted from duty in Iraq to join in the humanitarian operation. "The Indonesian government is taking it very seriously."
But Indonesian officials have also been reluctant to let the Marines come ashore with their weapons because of the image that might project.
"We are very concerned about force protection," Greenwood said. "But if you go in there and look like an invading force instead of a humanitarian force, that could be just as detrimental as having no security whatsoever. So you have to balance it."
In the devastated city of Meulaboh, where the Marines are expected to do much of their work and unload the bulk of their relief supplies, heavily armed Indonesian soldiers provide security.
In an exception to the no-weapons orders, Marine helicopter pilots have been allowed to carry their standard protection. Marines have also been careful to maintain close communications with their ship.
Officials stressed, however, that security was in the Indonesians' hands.
"We have full confidence in their ability to provide adequate force protection," said Gunnery Sgt. Robert Knoll, a spokesman for the Marines.
"We won't be using any of these," Cpl. Jeff Austin, of Salt Lake City, Utah, said as he set up a .50 caliber sniper rifle in the armory. "I guess the no weapons rule is understandable, since this is a humanitarian thing. But it's quite a switch for us. Usually, we never leave home without them."
My attitude at this point is to just say screw these ungrateful SOBs.
Well forgive me for being a "chairbound" type, but sometimes our "pro's" in the military have to do stupid things because of "political correctness," not sound military judgement.
(1) I am an American Citizen.
(2) I possess enough intelligence to know that when a group says they want to kill you at all costs,and the "Police" who are guarding you very likely have members of this group in their ranks, to come unarmed is idiocy.
And I would be willing to bet none of the Military on-site were the ones to agree to this.
Oh and as an aside please tell us how (using your photo), a Mustached/Bearded/Pony tailed individual could possibly be in a combat/Military position, which tells me that, using your logic, you have no right to say what will or will not work in a field position.
It was the compliance to a requirement that we disarm the military. IMHO, the US military should remain armed on whatever operation is being conducted in a potentially hostile environment. I've participated on humanitarian Civil Affairs missions where we were armed "just in case". For the people receiving the humanitarian aid, they could care less. The ones who seem to care are the ones who seek to do us harm.
Beggars can't be choosers.... take it or leave it. That's my personal opinion on the matter.
Cheers, CC
Sarajevo is a newbie FReeper around here. The dismissive attitude is very unbecoming of a former military member. Hopefully he will learn to comport himself with dignity and be more respectful of others.
~ Blue Jays ~
One of my Bn Commanders coined a phrase... "The Evans School of Tact". One student, no graduates.
Thanks SE Mom.
Good Read.
This reminds me, during a pre-deployment pep talk one our generals said "There are two corps on this planet one is the Peace Corp, we joined the other..."
This also reminds me of the time I was in a certain S.A. country. When we left the boat we were REQUIRED to be armed. We were issued a 9mm concealed in a fanny pack.
"I was a member of an SF company that marched into the mountains of southern Turkey/north Iraq in 1991 in response to the Kurdish Refugee Crisis, post Gulf War 1. We carried 60 rounds per man. The camp itself had an estimated population of 125,000 UNARMED, HUNGRY, refugees. Needless to say, we determined that we would NOT use deadly force against an unarmed refugee populace and turned our weapons in to the arms room! Instead, we armed ourselves with 5ft long sticks for crowd control."
"And you are?.......What are your qualifications to determine exactly what the personnel on the ground need? None, I presume."
Why would we want to listen to someone whose "vast experience" (cough cough) doesn't tell them that there's a big difference between a camp full of unarmed civillians and being in open country where islamic terrorists are known to operate? Your air of dismissive superiority makes you look even sillier.
"...I stand corrected..."
[Regarding whom should be allowed to carry weapons.]
It's not really a biggie. I feel that Americans should exercise their (domestic) rights more frequently. In this thread about soldiers entering Muslim-controlled areas overseas without benefit of defensive weapons...that's unsafe practice by any accounting.
~ Blue Jays ~
This is enraging. This is NOT what our Marines are for, this is NOT why people join the military, for the most part, and if one single Marine is killed helping these people, I will hate them for all eternity. I know, they won't care, I'm just saying.
retired Army veteran with a combined active and reserve service of over 23 years
to assist and support US military ops
Did I state that I'm currently in a combat position?
If I were in charge of the military and they told my troops to disarm, our ship would be heading off to another nation that was greatful. And I would never look back.
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