Hill AFB Unit Misplaces 12 M16’s

To me this is so stupid that it is laughable. Apparently a few Air Force folks were out at a range at Hill AFB “training”. After knocking off for the day at 1500, they loaded all their weapons into a box in the back of a Hummer. Nobody bothered to secure the box or even raise the damn tailgate and naturally, gravity and inertia being what they are, the box slid out.

A container of M-16 machine guns, which fell from the back of a Humvee on Tuesday afternoon at Hill Air Force Base, likely was off the installation within minutes, according to the facility’s security commander.

The box of 12 assault rifles was “probably off the yard fairly quickly,” said Maj. Shannon Smith.
…….
Hill Air Force Base commander Kathleen Close and Air Base Wing Commander Linda Medler refused through a spokesman to answer questions about the unit involved.

UPDATE: M16’s Recovered

Hill Security Forces Commander Maj. Shannon Smith said the individual who kept the rifles for over two days acted on a “crime of opportunity” and likely held on to the weapons while trying to decide what to do with them. He said procedures for weapons transferring at Hill are “sound” and that Tuesday’s mishap was a simple mistake, noting that members of the 729th “scoured” the base in search of the M-16s.

Major Smith, why don’t you get Kathleen and Linda and come on over for a quick OPD. First, your “procedures” are no where near “sound”. To suggest so indicates a serious lack of judgment or plain stupidity.

I can’t believe that I need to educate field grade officers on such a simple concept. Individual weapons security is an individual responsibility. That means that only the assigned individual can remove the weapon from the arms room and only that individual can return it; and that individual must maintain positive weapon control 100% of the time in between. In those rare cases when weapons need to be transported in bulk, an armed guard is within eyesight of the container 100% of the time (that means in the bed of the truck with the weapons). Just ask any Corporal, they’ll enlighten you.

But wait, hasn’t Hill AFB been in the news recently?

She praised Hill for being one of the best Air Force bases in the country, despite missteps this year that have included an F-16 firing on a vehicle at the Utah Test and Training Range and missile components being shipped to Taiwan instead of helicopter batteries.

That last one got the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff fired!

“Yes, we’ve had some isolated incidents,” Medler said. “I think the most important thing to do is learn from our mistakes. We will make improvements and continue to move forward.”

“Isolated icidents?” I don’t know about “moving forward” but I can see a “move” in your immediate future.

Category: Politics