Fully Armed U.S. Troops Patrol Minnesota

[Bob Klase]

I see you are determined to be terrified of shadows so I will leave you to it.

You seem to be one of the people who are the reason that I visit here much less often than I did 8, 10 or 15 years ago. You want to feel free to make any statement without regard to how accurate it is in the context of the thread and if anyone points out your false claim (or false implication) you automatically assume they disagree with you on the entire issue.

In fact, if you read my posts I've said nothing about my opinion about the OP or the quoted material in the OP. I've simply pointed out bad arguments. Your assumptions are just one good example of what's happened to the quality of "critical thinking" here in the last several years.

 

[triforcharity]

Did you tell them to mind their own business? They couldn't have stopped you if you had no flares, jackets etc. Regulations on such only cover commercial craft.

Not in the US. The USCG have the authority to stop you at any time for an inspection of your required safety accessories.

 

[triforcharity]

Didn't really go anywhere with it. I made a statement about armed troops, you replied to it with a statement about MPs- the implication was that if MPs could do something then I was wrong to say that military troops (in general) couldn't do the same thing.

Why couldn't they? (I'll give you a hint: They can. )

In fact, just Sunday, I saw a group of National Guardsman (MP's and others) fueling their trucks. Guess what each one of them had over their shoulders?

You guessed it. I am (assuming) either an M4 or some variation thereof.

They were buying food and gas, drinks, smokes, etc. at a local Chevron. They wouldn't allow me to take photos of them personally, but their trucks I could.

Here's two photos I took. There was about 10 almost identical trucks in their convoy, and about 40 Guardsman total. (Our little town has a HUGE NG Armory)

Every one of them were armed with a Baretta .45 of .40 (don't know, didn't ask) and an M4/M16 of some sort.

(This guy is not one of them)

So, you go ahead and tell them they aren't allowed to walk around, buy snacks and smokes and such. I'll stand back and watch....

 

[Bob Klase]

Why couldn't they? (I'll give you a hint: They can.)

Once again you make the statment "they can" like it's something that applies across the board.

There are numerous military regulations covering when and where "they" can and they can't. (I'll bet none of the non-MP troops in your photo's are really "armed" since I'll bet none of them have bullets.)

In fact, just Sunday, I saw a group of National Guardsman (MP's and others) fueling their trucks. Guess what each one of them had over their shoulders?

Based on the photo you posted showing 4 troops, I'm going to guess that each one of them had nothing but their shirt over their shoulders. I don't really doubt that they had arms, but it makes you look a little desperate to post a photo showing 4 soldiers without a single weapon in sight along with the claim that each one of them was armed.

I suppose we just have a different definition of the word "shopping". My definition doesn't include pumping gas into your vehicle.

They were buying food and gas, drinks, smokes, etc. at a local Chevron.

Once again, buying food and gas, etc at a gas station while you're filling up doesn't qualify as "shopping" in the sense that the word has been used here.

They wouldn't allow me to take photos of them personally, but their trucks I could.

Really? And did they tell you what law authorized them to stop you from taking photo's of them personally? (Hint- they were in public, they couldn't have stopped you legally. And obviously they didn't stop you because you show a photo with 4 of them personally in the photo).

So, you go ahead and tell them they aren't allowed to walk around, buy snacks and smokes and such. I'll stand back and watch....

Sure. And you could continue to stand back and watch while they saluted and said, "sir, we're authorized by our commander to walk around, buy snacks and smokes and such because it's not like we're grocery shopping or going out for a night on the town".

 

[Elizabeth I]

You seem to be one of the people who are the reason that I visit here much less often than I did 8, 10 or 15 years ago.

Why, thank you, sir (or ma'am, as the case may be).

 

[triforcharity]

Based on the photo you posted showing 4 troops, I'm going to guess that each one of them had nothing but their shirt over their shoulders. I don't really doubt that they had arms, but it makes you look a little desperate to post a photo showing 4 soldiers without a single weapon in sight along with the claim that each one of them was armed.

Sorry, you're right. You were there, and can base your opinion on one single photo. Keep going sir.

I suppose we just have a different definition of the word "shopping". My definition doesn't include pumping gas into your vehicle.

Do they usually load gas into a vehicle in a cardboard box? Right. Gotcha. We'll skip that.

Once again, buying food and gas, etc at a gas station while you're filling up doesn't qualify as "shopping" in the sense that the word has been used here.

Ok, so again, gas comes out of the pump, not out of cardboard boxes.

Really? And did they tell you what law authorized them to stop you from taking photo's of them personally? (Hint- they were in public, they couldn't have stopped you legally. And obviously they didn't stop you because you show a photo with 4 of them personally in the photo).

Well, I gave them the courtesy of asking first, and the words were "Sure, just nothing that shows us personally". I even showed him the photo after I took it, and he said fine. So.....

Oh, and yes, they could. I've been "in public" photographing planes coming in to land (we're near a large AF base) and was threatened with imprisonment if I did not show the officer (WITH a gun might I ad) what pictures I had. He promptly deleted them. So, take it what you will.

Sure. And you could continue to stand back and watch while they saluted and said, "sir, we're authorized by our commander to walk around, buy snacks and smokes and such because it's not like we're grocery shopping or going out for a night on the town".

Who said anything about going out on the town? And do you know why most don't go out to a grocery store in the civilian world? Because most bases have a commissary. But, keep going. It's funny watching you argue over something irrelevant.
-----------------------------------------------------------------


Anyway, back on the ACTUAL topic, maybe I should forward some of the other photos of the other trucks that I photographed and send them to AJ. The comedic value would be awesome.

 

[BStrong]

Forget armed military types:

It's the civilians that have the immediate advantage.

Quad .50 mount with 4 M3 aircraft type high cyclic rate BMG's

Beats the hell out of 5.56 and 9mm.

 

[Border Reiver]

Forget armed military types:

[qimg]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v423/Max-the-Silent/Gun%20Collection/Quad50.jpg[/qimg]

It's the civilians that have the immediate advantage.

Quad .50 mount with 4 M3 aircraft type high cyclic rate BMG's

Beats the hell out of 5.56 and 9mm.

Only if that beast is in place, or the soldiers don't have a radio to call for mortars, artillery, or an armoured vehicle (a LAV will laugh at the .50 - then use the 25mm on it)

 

[swright777]

The Coast Guard is most certainly NOT a part of the USN, the only force "Under" the navy is the Marine Corps. The CG is a part of DHS and before that it was a part of the Transportation Dept. It also DOES get involved in wars overseas, usually as security in ports or offshore interdiction's. They do work closely with the USN in those cases.

The Coast Guard is part of the US Navy during times of war and at other times that the POTUS orders it to be.

 

[swright777]

I think people conflate the National Guard and the Coast Guard. The Army and Air National Guard are the "inactive contingent", as it were, of the U.S. Army and Air Force, respectively. They are full-fledged members of the U.S. military, with all the attendant training, and in the case of the global anti-terrorism conflict, some National Guard units were activated and sent overseas in both support and combat roles. The Coast Guard is a wholly separate branch of the military under the Department of the Navy that does not play any role, active or passive, in the United States's global presence.

The US Army and Air Force each have a reserve component that are federal "inactive" units with a small percentage of active personnel. The Army and Air National Guard are state/territory commanded units that can be federally activated during times of war. All 50 states have NG units, as do Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands and Washington DC.

The US Coast Guard does play an active role overseas during war.

From their WIKI page:

The service has participated in every major U.S. conflict from 1790 through today, including landing troops on D-Day and on the Pacific Islands in World War II, in extensive patrols and shore bombardment during the Vietnam War, and multiple roles in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Maritime interception operations, coastal security, transportation security, and law enforcement detachments have been its major roles in recent conflicts in Iraq.

 

[catsmate]

Are you sure? I never saw a Lanchester in all my years service. All th ships I served on had a Small Arms Locker equipped with SLR, Sterling and GPMG.

Marine Detachments had the same weapons until the SA80 started to come in.

Not personally, I was told by a RN vet, ex-armourer, that they were still in stores i the '80's (he polished more than a few, especially all the brass) and some were taken along.
I'll drop him an email, see if he has any details/photos.

 

[Andy_Ross]

Not personally, I was told by a RN vet, ex-armourer, that they were still in stores i the '80's (he polished more than a few, especially all the brass) and some were taken along.
I'll drop him an email, see if he has any details/photos.

Some of the 20mm and 40mm I saw were WW2 vintage and a lot of the ammo for them and the 4.5 inch guns was ww2 vintage.

 

[triforcharity]

The Coast Guard is part of the US Navy during times of war and at other times that the POTUS orders it to be.

While correct, that hasn't happened in.....something like 60 years.

 

[BStrong]

Some of the 20mm and 40mm I saw were WW2 vintage and a lot of the ammo for them and the 4.5 inch guns was ww2 vintage.

The U.S.N. was firing WWII manufactured 16" rounds from the New Jersey on Druze and Syrian positions in and around Beruit back in '83 - '84.

I don't doubt that Lanchester SMG's are still hanging around somewhere -a friend sent me pics of the M3A1's SMG's his unit had in their tracks during GW I.