Responses on Sr NCOs carrying an unauthorized weapon (i.e. I don't feel like carrying a rifle so I'll wear someone else's sidearm).

2015-04-13T20:12:04-04:00

A person left theatre and left everything behind (they didn't want to take it). The NCO didn't like carrying a rifle and preferred this person's sidearm. It wasn't issued to them, they didn't qual on it and almost shot someone in a building playing around with it. After I called them on it the Cmdr then said it's none of my business. And the SFC was a Fobbit.

Response by SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA made Apr 13 at 2015 8:15 PM

2015-04-13T20:15:08-04:00

You mean in combat? Sounds like a bad idea, to me.

Full disclosure: I've not deployed.

I personally favor the idea of arming anyone who goes outside the wire with both a rifle and a pistol.

Response by LTC Yinon Weiss made Apr 13 at 2015 8:33 PM

2015-04-13T20:33:06-04:00

I think this depends on the environment you're talking about. If in combat, we shouldn't deny people the proper weapons if they have legal access to them and they are authorized for use. That could be putting people in danger.

In a non-combat environment, I think that what is important is the force protection measures put in place by the command, and adherence to those measures. I personally believe that is more important than anything else. A rifleman may take somebody else's SAW out on a patrol if the SAW gunner was sick and couldn't go on the patrol for example. It doesn't make the weapon "unauthorized."

Response by SFC Stephen Hester made Apr 13 at 2015 8:51 PM

2015-04-13T20:51:41-04:00

This guy seems like a self-styled gunslinger and wanted to carry an M-9 to look cool. If he was not qualified on it he should not have been carrying it. In my professional opinion the Commander was wrong in letting that slide.

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 22 at 2015 8:41 PM

2015-04-22T20:41:58-04:00

In certain situations, even a small perceived good or bad decisions final outcome can endure consequences... Ones preferred decision can encounter problems where one "wrong decision making process could have adverse long-term effects and lead to severe mistakes and considerable failures"...

"Although the uncertainty cannot be eliminated in most cases, however useful information reduces certain amount of risk".

http://home.ubalt.edu/ntsbarsh/opre640/partxiii.htm#rlearngood

Additionally:

No one is more "PROFESSIONAL" than I...

Competence is my watchword...

Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish their duties; they will not have to accomplish mine...

I will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget that we are PROFESSIONALS, NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS, LEADERS!!!