T.S.A Stupidity.......................YET AGAIN

Blue Punto

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2010/11/18/another-tsa-outrage/

As the Chalk Leader for my flight home from Afghanistan, I witnessed the following:
When we were on our way back from Afghanistan, we flew out of Baghram Air Field. We went through customs at BAF, full body scanners (no groping), had all of our bags searched, the whole nine yards.
Our first stop was Shannon, Ireland to refuel. After that, we had to stop at Indianapolis, Indiana to drop off about 100 folks from the Indiana National Guard. That’s where the stupid started.
First, everyone was forced to get off the plane–even though the plane wasn’t refueling again. All 330 people got off that plane, rather than let the 100 people from the ING get off. We were filed from the plane to a holding area. No vending machines, no means of escape. Only a male/female latrine.
It’s probably important to mention that we were ALL carrying weapons. Everyone was carrying an M4 Carbine (rifle) and some, like me, were also carrying an M9 pistol. Oh, and our gunners had M-240B machine guns. Of course, the weapons weren’t loaded. And we had been cleared of all ammo well before we even got to customs at Baghram, then AGAIN at customs.
The TSA personnel at the airport seriously considered making us unload all of the baggage from the SECURE cargo hold to have it reinspected. Keep in mind, this cargo had been unpacked, inspected piece by piece by U.S. Customs officials, resealed and had bomb-sniffing dogs give it a one-hour run through. After two hours of sitting in this holding area, the TSA decided not to reinspect our Cargo–just to inspect us again: Soldiers on the way home from war, who had already been inspected, reinspected and kept in a SECURE holding area for 2 hours. Ok, whatever. So we lined up to go through security AGAIN.
This is probably another good time to remind you all that all of us were carrying actual assault rifles, and some of us were also carrying pistols.
So we’re in line, going through one at a time. One of our Soldiers had his Gerber multi-tool. TSA confiscated it. Kind of ridiculous, but it gets better. A few minutes later, a guy empties his pockets and has a pair of nail clippers. Nail clippers. TSA informs the Soldier that they’re going to confiscate his nail clippers. The conversation went something like this:
TSA Guy: You can’t take those on the plane.
Soldier: What? I’ve had them since we left country.
TSA Guy: You’re not suppose to have them.
Soldier: Why?
TSA Guy: They can be used as a weapon.
Soldier: [touches butt stock of the rifle] But this actually is a weapon. And I’m allowed to take it on.
TSA Guy: Yeah but you can’t use it to take over the plane. You don’t have bullets.
Soldier: And I can take over the plane with nail clippers?
TSA Guy: [awkward silence]
Me: Dude, just give him your damn nail clippers so we can get the f**k out of here. I’ll buy you a new set.
Soldier: [hands nail clippers to TSA guy, makes it through security]
This might be a good time to remind everyone that approximately 233 people re-boarded that plane with assault rifles, pistols, and machine guns–but nothing that could have been used as a weapon

testicle

I read this else where. I don't believe it.

They were Marines in the version I read. A Marine would never refer to a toilet as a Latrine.

donkey balls

Why dont they fly into USAF bases like they do in the RAF.

westdub

testicle wrote: »

I read this else where. I don't believe it.

They were Marines in the version I read. A Marine would never refer to a toilet as a Latrine.

Soldiers on the way home from war,

One of our Soldiers had his Gerber multi-tool. TSA confiscated

we had to stop at Indianapolis, Indiana to drop off about 100 folks from the Indiana National Guard

No one said anything about Marines only soldiers....

Manic Moran

testicle wrote: »

I read this else where. I don't believe it.

You obviously missed this thread.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055905453

Why dont they fly into USAF bases like they do in the RAF

What if there are no USAF bases where they're heading for?

We demobilised through Camp Atterbury and also deplaned at Indianapolis. I have photos of the holding area somewhere, it really is barren. I sat on the floor by the wall because that was the only power socked I could find for my laptop. I can't think of the nearest military facility capable of taking a DC-10. On the other hand, when we demobilised at Camp Roberts from Iraq, we landed at Vandenberg AFB as the nearest sizeable runway.

On that latter flight we stopped at McChord AFB as it is practically co-located with Ft Lewis, where we let a bunch of WA Guard lads off. Everybody filed off the airplane at the front exit and passed through customs (Basically just handing in the blue form) as it was our first port of arrival in the US, and then filed back onto the airplane at the rear exit, then back to our seats.

NTM

Tenger

Read this on A.net over the last day or 2. Absolute madness. And to do this on troops returning from a warzone. Whatever yuor opinion on the various conflicts you still have to show respect for the younf folks on the frontline.


My question would be how would the other 222 troops react to the single guy taking over the plane with the nail clippers, I just know they would sit still and let him..............

SNAKEDOC

the guy who said why don;t they land at military bases has a point. what type of plane was it. is state side anyway why not grissom air reserve base in Indiana or any number of other air bases. and why Shannon in Ireland a civilian airport. why not one of the us air bases in england. i think its ridiculous that military planes have to land at civilian airports anywhere especially when coming back from a war zone, and another thing when was it that US forces refused to allow a us plane be searched in Shannon yet when Bertie ahern was going to Washington us customs demanded that the government jet be searched before entering us airspace. Why is our plane searched but you can refuse to be searched coming into our airport its not an air base its a civilian airport. i hate the american way, everything has to be their way or the highway.

Manic Moran

SNAKEDOC wrote: »

the guy who said why don;t they land at military bases has a point. what type of plane was it.

DC-10s are common. 767s also do the route. Almost always civilian charter.

is state side anyway why not grissom air reserve base in Indiana or any number of other air bases.

Reserve bases tend to be co-located with civilian airports. For example, NV Air Guard's C-130 squadron is located at Reno/Tahoe Intl Airport. The airfield at Camp Atterbury IN is barely long enough for C-130s, widebodies won't land there. IND is about a 45-minute bus ride, and is the closest suitable runway.

and why Shannon in Ireland a civilian airport. why not one of the us air bases in england.

The US military charters civilian aircraft for the inter-theatre job. Those civilian companies have their own base of operations that they choose for commercial reasons. Most of them used to use Shannon, but recently Leipzig Airport has proven the better deal and some companies have moved there (Partially for security concerns, but the cost is good). To my knowledge, of the routine charter airlines, only Omni Air still retains Shannon as their European base. Incidently, the Irish Army also chose Omni Air to get to Chad. I'll lay money that they did not take off from Baldonnel.

i think its ridiculous that military planes have to land at civilian airports anywhere especially when coming back from a war zone,

Bear in mind these are civilian charter companies, one of the customers happens to be the US military.

and another thing when was it that US forces refused to allow a us plane be searched in Shannon yet when Bertie ahern was going to Washington us customs demanded that the government jet be searched before entering us airspace.

I remember the Bertiejet incident, but don't recall offhand what the rationale was. I agree at first glance it seemed odd.

NTM

Steyr

Manic Moran wrote: »

Incidently, the Irish Army also chose Omni Air to get to Chad. I'll lay money that they did not take off from Baldonnel.

They also departed or arrived from Bal on a Transavia 737-800. I forget where they were heading/coming from though.

OMNI also visited Bal too using a 757 bringing troops home from Liberia.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eigjb/3972770058/in/set-72157622803674597/

By eigjb

N639AX B757-28A Omni Air
This was the first 757 to visit Baldonnel.
It brought home Irish Army troops from UN Duty in Liberia - 31/05/07.

Steyr

Found it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eigjb/4344759452/in/set-72157622803674597/


By eigjb
on finals at Baldonnel 16/10/08.
It was operating a charter from Pristina, Kosovo where Irish Defence Forces personnel serve in the United Nations peacekeeping mission.

testicle

westdub wrote: »

No one said anything about Marines only soldiers....

Read my second sentence, specifically the end of it.

Manic Moran

Steyr wrote: »

They also departed or arrived from Bal on a Transavia 737-800. I forget where they were heading/coming from though.

OMNI also visited Bal too using a 757 bringing troops home from Liberia.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eigjb/3972770058/in/set-72157622803674597/

By eigjb

N639AX B757-28A Omni Air
This was the first 757 to visit Baldonnel.
It brought home Irish Army troops from UN Duty in Liberia - 31/05/07.

I sit corrected. Didn't think Casement could take an airplane that big.

I presume it's the closest wide-body capable airstrip to the Glenn?

NTM

Steyr

Manic Moran wrote: »

I sit corrected. Didn't think Casement could take an airplane that big.

I presume it's the closest wide-body capable airstrip to the Glenn?

NTM

Indeed you are correct there MM, EIME has also hosted the C-17 too.

Manic Moran

Steyr wrote: »

EIME has also hosted the C-17 too.

That I knew, but then again, a C-17 will stop on a dime.

NTM

Manic Moran

I posted my pics over on another forum, and we're not alone.

Spain:

Yeah, they do the same thing to us as well. Make no sense at all. Troops are carrying at least 150rnds 5.56 and 20 rnds of 9mm...but lets screen everyone

Finland:

Hell yeah! This insanity bring a lot of memories from KAIA and Luxembourgian IMP's...

IMP: "Sir, your men really aren't allowed to carry knives this size..."

Me: "It is not Knive, it is Puukko...and it is part of of tradition that every man is allowed to carry Puukko as it is genuine Finnish multi-tool that is used everything from eating to making firewoods and killing enemies...I wouldn't recommend you to try to take it away from the guys..."

Danish MOVECON officer standing near by: "He is serious...I really wouldn't suggest to take Puukkos from Finnish guys.."

Germany

"No knives to the cabin. Sorry sir, you need to carry your pistol mags on your person."

Oh yeah, and MREs are banned from German flights. They are apparently a flight security risk.

NTM

APM

I've seen Delta/Northwest 747-400's in Frankfurt Hahn unloading troops even though Ramstein US Base is only a stones throw away. I would guess because it is a civillian airline they don't want to or can't go to US air bases.