Posted on Jan 7, 2016
CPT Russell Pitre
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I just saw this video and felt like I was watching a multi-car accident on the interstate. It just got worse as it went on. What made it so bad as this was a SGT. The Safety was professional as he could be. Hats off to him. When I heard her say "I'm not Active Duty" I would have kicked her off the range. I am glad the Safety told her that she was a soldier and that he was a reservist too. If I was her CO I would have do everything I could to reduce her. But I think if you have a NCO like this in your unit the unit itself has a lot of issues in the first place. What kills me also is that she has a combat patch.

What would you have if you were the Safety?

Just so you know that you know it is believed that they Safety was a SSG just the same as was the soldier trying to load the mag.

https://www.facebook.com/Theseniorspecialist/videos/ [login to see] 43848/?fref=nf
Edited >1 y ago
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SSG David Andrews
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Either the photo does not go wit the story or someone is making a lot of noise about nothing. The photo shows a belt fed machinegun. Belt fed weapons do not use a magazine. The photo shows a lot of empty belt links lying on the ground. So who or what is wrong here?
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Sgt David Bender
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So. . . Where's the video? And, um, the picture shows belt fed weapons. Was she loading clips for her side arm In the video? I would train her up and make her a better soldier instead of public ridicule on the internet. Of course a little verbal embarrassment on the firing line helps with memory retention.
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Cpl Leon Daniels
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I think this is bs and it didNOT happen. I refuse to believe that anybody could get out of boot camp and not know this. Much less a Sgt even in the Army. I abesolutely refuse.
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PFC Glenn Henry
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Scary and combat ribbon? Wtf
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Ray Cromwell
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Safety on the firing. Range should be number one concern if someone does not know how to properly use a firearm you should not even be near it even if they were in combat she's been taken out of the line. To retrain on the weapon.
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SGM Robin Johnson
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Ease up a little, CPT Pitre. Wait until you have a major momentary brain malfunction when you are out in front of your Soldiers, or in front of your rater and reviewer...you might have a little better perspective and more compassion. Yes, it is a basic soldiering skill, but she MUST have known it at some point because she made it through basic training and her deployment. As other CSM/SGMs have pointed out, the appropriate action here would have been to make the on-the-spot correction, evaluate whether this was a one-time problem or a symptom of deeper issues of either the Soldier or the unit, give them feedback, and conduct the proper training. We are supposed to teach, coach, and mentor...not film and ridicule.
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Sgt Richard Sprague
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The question should be how and why a soldier was promoted to NCO not knowing how to load a weapon. How many other soldier task is the NCO not proficient in. One of the roles of a NCO is to train soldiers, if soldiers are not proficient in soldiers tasks they should not be promoted to leadership roles. Looks as though in the Reserves and National Guard the only qualifications to get promoted to leadership positions is NCO Schools, and not soldiers knowledge. I wonder how long the soldier had been in the Army, I hope it was not a 3 year SSG like I have seen in the National Guard.
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SPC David Glines
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Is the video gone
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1SG John Feller
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The title to this meme is misleading, the person in question appears to wearing specialist 4 rank. The weapon shown also appears to be belt fed. I do not see any magazines present in the photo and the URL listed is not available for view.
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SSG Motor Transport Operator
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As a safety I would approach that particular individual and instruct him or her how to load without putting them on the spot. Despite PMI, some are more proficient than others. Just because someone have a combat patch doesn't mean they carried or had to fire their weapon during their tour of duty.
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GySgt Bill McManus
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1st who allowed this to be,film. If you are on MY firing line you,better do your job and remove this shi t bird from line .
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CSM Thomas McGarry
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about 10 years ago I deployed with a Reserve Hospital Unit oversea and we were at Ft Dix for about 5 weeks to validate. When we went to the range some medical officers had never handled or fire a weapons before as they do not receive this training during their Officer course. We trained them and they all eventually qualified. These were all Nurses or Doctors who have were all very skilled in their field but as others have said if you don't receive the training how can you be proficient in these skills!!
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SPC Horizontal Construction Engineer
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As a newer soldier in the Army National Guard, i can say ive seen and made many mistakes. I dont see the need to put someones mistake up on the internet. Obviously there is a training issue. Wouldnt you fix it internaly, not embarass the soldier in front of their battle buddies and the whole world on the internet? A soldier is only as good as their training. I know in my unit, if my leadership spots a major deficiency or possibly a deadly deficiency like this, they address it immediately and fix it. My opinion, leadership in that unit has some burden to bear in this situation?
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SFC Ralph E Kelley
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There is a difference between being a leader and having a rank
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SGT Power Generation Equipment Repairer
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I mean her load them
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SGT Power Generation Equipment Repairer
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Have Sgt load 12 more magazines. She'd know then. That's what you do. Give her what's missing...training. the prev mob group failed her years ago.
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LCpl Troy Gwyn
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Lol. And soldiers have the audacity to question why Marines feel "superior".
No way, active duty or reserve, would a Marine NCO not know how to load they're weapon.
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SPC Steven Caliendo
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Doesn't matter if you're regular Army, Guard, or Reserve, we all went through basic training somewhere and supposedly were taught how to use a weapon and whatever else we needed to know, so, how did this "soldier" ever make it through basic is what should be the real question here, or is my Army now not the one I joined many years ago which I am coming to believe more and more seeing films like this on the internet!
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SSG S2 Intelligence Nco
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Holy fucking shit, Batman. By the power of motherfucking grayskull I would have kicked her off the range. Professionally of course. I did 12 active and now am in the reserves. First BA was a range. I was running right side as a safety and couldn't believe my eyes. The patience I had to exhibit was akin to the patience I use with my toddler. One guy was phenomenal and even went back out later to show off by firing on two lanes at the same time and still qualifying on at least one but maybe both, I don't remember.
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SFC Michael Barry
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Remove her from firing line and send to remedial training area until competent. Then have off line one on one conversation about pulling her head out of her ass
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