Soldiers toss arty simulators at Dahlonega crowd
Three soldiers stationed at Camp Frank D. Merrill in Georgia have been arrested for tossing artillery simulators at a crowd of people in a Dahlonega, GA parking lot according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution;
“A large group was standing around talking, and a Cadillac with three occupants pulled up, threw two devices and fled,” Wooten said.
He said the Cadillac fled up Georgia 400 and deputies who were in the area and heard the explosions “were able to see them on 400 as they attempted to turn off their lights and elude us.”
The Cadillac pulled onto a side road off Ga. 400 and the three suspects were taken into custody. Deputies later found a dozen undetonated devices that had been thrown from the Cadillac before it stopped, Wooten said.
The three suspects are assigned to the 5th Ranger Training Battalion, but they’re not Rangers, at least not in the military sense. Nicholas Gregory Wendt is a Specialist in the Signal Corps, SGT Thomas Dale Campbell and SSG Jeremy Wade Morgan are both in the AG Corps. The AJC article merely says they’re in the 5th RTB, but doesn’t mention their MOSs, I thought I’d clear that up.
No one was injured in the brief assault, but hardly anyone ever is. Artillery simulators whistle like an incoming artillery round before the paper and gunpowder device explodes and flashes. The only possible injury is if an inexperienced victim slips and falls in their own excrement after detonation – or holds one as it detonates.
But these three pogues need to be punished for acting like assholes regardless. Especially the NCOs who should have known better.
Category: Military issues
Hmmm, I take issue with the no injuries from an Arty Simulator thing. My PSG in A-Stan was a Major in the Marine Corps, until one of his guys through an Arty Sim into a foxhole and it killed a young marine. Blew her leg off.
Sounds like all three of them were NCO’s, and most DEFINITELY should have known better. We just had a couple of guys off USS Seawolf trying to breathe/huff out of an Oxygen Breathing Apparatus (OBA) cannister (impossible–it takes in CO2 and produces Oxygen for about 30-40 minutes) threw it on a fire, and damn near killed themselves.
Stupidity should ALWAYS be painful, and in these cases will be punished.
There was a guy who was with us who was injured as well. Arty sim was thrown about 6′ away from him into some gravel and that gravel flew and tore up his neck. Came very close to shredding the artery.
sounds like three new privates will be heading over to the new Armor Basic Training area to pick up cigarette butts.
Dumbasses.
Something tells me those guys will be doing something a lot more ‘interesting’ than picking up cigarette butts.
And I hope whoever gave them those simulators enjoys his ‘reassignment’ too.
I know a punishment that would be fitting…but we would need at least 3 more sims and a bucket of KY.
Yes indeed. Everyone in the chain of command needs some counseling over this stupid affair. Morons.
Seemed like something cool at the time,,,,,,,,, That is one way to avoid deployment.
As a civilian, I threw a mil-spec purple smoke grenade on a beach in Fla, and freaked a bunch of tourons out. Didn’t put it near anyone, but that incessant smoke blacked out a bunch of beach. LMAO!
Douchebags.
My brother set off a red smoke grenade in my grandma’s yard way back when he was in. It seemed like it filled the entire trailer park. Pretty cool to a 10 year old kid, and he made sure no one was close when he pulled the pin. These three jackasses deserve whatever they get, though.
You know, when would the alarm bells start going off in your head?
1) When you gathered the simulators?
2) When you contemplated tossing it into a crowd of civilians, who apparently weren’t doing anything?
3)a. When you fled the area?
b. Or when you had to turn your headlights off when you drove off?
Or the extra credit question.
When at anytime did you contemplate how this might affect your career?
When I was a boy, my father came back from his Guard AIT, he somehow had a flare he forgot to turn in. We went to the lake that night, in the middle of my hometown and “disposed” of it. We bookied out of there as fast as we could.
I think I was 8 or so. I can barely remember three(I think?)
bright white lights floating above the lake. It came in a tube I think, the top came off and was put underneath. Then I think my father either hit the ground or hit it with his hand. Eh, twas a long time ago.
At what point did throwing some arty-simulators at a crowd of civlians seem like a good idea?
And at what point in the evening did someone say, “Hold muh beer and watch THIS shit!” All three of them look like sorry POS losers. Hope your careers were worth it.
#14 NH:
Probably at the point where their blood-alcohol ratios inverted.
Little boys and their toys…
I live near there and I have an excellent idea. Next time some of those boys want to scare people, I have some redneck neighbors that get liquored up and drive 4wheelers through the neighborhood. I volunteer my neighbors for an anal hygiene violation.