Marine arrested in Japan for bullet

| September 6, 2017

Stars & Stripes reports that Marine Corporal Aaron Swicegood was arrested upon his arrival in Japan’s Naha Airport on Okinawa when a bullet was discovered in his rucksack at the security checkpoint before he boarded his flight for Tokyo, and then on to Los Angeles;

Swicegood told police he didn’t know why the bullet was in his bag and that it must have been there from a previous trip to the United States when he borrowed a pistol from his father to practice at a shooting range, the spokesman said. Police believe he may have mistakenly brought the bullet into Japan, and it somehow made it through airport security undetected.

I guess this is more of a cautionary tale than a real news story.

Category: Marine Corps

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David

Gotta be careful crossing borders… other countries don’t have the same freedoms we do.
I remember a guy from Texas who got caught in traffic, I wan to say at Chamizal in El Paso, could not turn around and had a few .30-06 rounds in the back of his truck and spent months in jail. They really should have change-your-mind turnarounds at border crossings.

Combat Historian

Highway 54 from El Paso into Juarez is notorious for having confusing/lousy traffic signage and exit ramping that leads drivers right into the international border crossing when all they wanted to do was exit at El Paso or Fort Bliss. Those who were stationed at Bliss or Biggs know what I’m talking about…

David

That IS the Chamizal Memorial border crossing; we are talking about the same place. Doesn’t help that since 54 is even numbered the signs refer to E or W when the road itself is N-S.

Combat Historian

Yup, that whole stretch is confusing, especially for those driving that route for the very first time…

Jonp

There was a semi driver hauling ammo not long ago that got confused there, ended up at the border by accident and spent months in jail. Pretty sure it was El Paso

Jonp

I missed the turn in my semi once was on the way into Mexico. I stopped the truck with a big “Hell No” and backed up.

Canada also does not like you if you have pistol ammo although they are polite turning you around and asking you to not come back

IDC SARC

“Gotta be careful crossing borders… other countries don’t have the same freedoms we do.”

True, but we do have a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with Japan.

Ex-PH2

He had a bullet? Okay. But he didn’t have a gun on him, right? So it’s a double-check everything before you pack up to go reminder.

Green Thumb

The Japanese are funny about this. And they are upfront about it.

When we did a few live fires there (as well as ranges) with them (JSGDF), they account for every expended round (shell casing). And they will not leave (even in a damn blizzard) until they have a full count.

Dead serious.

HMCS(FMF) ret

Yep, I saw the same thing with the JGSDF back in the mid-90’s during a joint training exercise in Hokkaido.

desert

Too bad they weren’t as conscientious on the Bataan Death March!!!

Graybeard

Different generation. Let’s not blame this generation for what their grandfathers may have done.

IDC SARC

What? A Marine can’t have a snack on a plane?

W2

Come on IDC, teveeybody knows the standard USMC snack is crayons and glue,. How could this guy forget to pack his crayons and glue?

W2

Everybody. I suck at typing on my flip phone.

desert

Maybe a “Friend”? put it in there for a “joke”? some friend if true!

Dave Hardin

CONTENT WARNING…Strong language that may not be suitable for all audiences.

https://youtu.be/HYXpNp1MFws?t=26s

Former EM1/SS

Can we have a discussion about the difference between a bullet and a cartridge?

Ducks and runs……

Dave Hardin

The Irony of it all, never trigger the Gun Nutz

Former EM1/SS

You’re no fun, Dave. I was counting on two or three pages of explanation and argument.

Maybe if we jump into the clip or magazine debate…..

Dave Hardin

That probably won’t get us there. Post something about how West Virginia has a skyrocketing wave of gun violence since they passed a law that allows any hillbilly to stalk around with a gun on them.

Maybe some factual information about why the .45 ACP is the stupidest thing you could ever carry for self defense.

Try to reason with Jonn and explain why painting his rifles pink does not mean they are no long assault weapons.

You might want to give a try at explaining to these Constitutional Carry loons why their Rights are taken away from them while they fly over West Virginia or any other state.

Lastly, none of them seem to understand the safety benefits of a special tax on ammunition to help pay for the devastation guns reek on the innocent.

Good luck.

Former EM1/SS

OK, now you are trolling for Lars.

But I like it

“lets you and him fight”

Lars Taylor's Narcissism

I’m easily trolled, because I have a thin skin, and I have anger, stress, and control issues. The folk at my unit call me “Dung Beetle”, because I talked so much shit that they concluded that I ate poo and had additional poo cached somewhere. All of this contributed to my creating a hostile working environment wherever I went at my unit’s AO.

The straw that broke the camel’s back came when they gave me the floor, and I cracked a joke. I asked, “What do you call a group that consist of a couple of individuals of Asian decent, a couple of individuals of Spanish decent, and four individuals of African decent?” When I responded, “[racial slur x2], [racial slur x2], [racial slur x4]”, I wasn’t met with the expected laughter. You could hear a pin drop.

Well, needless to say, everybody smoked me, even the privates. That was followed by a counseling statement and by the statement that my presence was no longer welcomed. I felt oppressed. What’s worse, they didn’t identify me by the gender that I identified with that day.

desert

Kommissar…everyone “smoked me, even the privates”? They smoked your privates? xplains a lot! 😉

David

wreak, not reek. Nyaah nyah!

Dave Hardin

there, their, they’re I doing the bestest I can.

AW1Ed

clip vs mag

26Limabeans

Oh I get now. The clip goes inside the magazine. Cool.
How do you open the magazine?

Michael

I love when the magazines have perfume and cologne samples

USAF E-5

USAF E-5 < only looks at the pictures.

Bill R.

How do you open the magazine? I’ve found it to be best when you start at page one.

Poetrooper

Or the centerfold…

desert

look for the name and address on the front and flip that page! 😉

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

The old US Army .45 tech manual called the magazine a clip at that time I believe. The best thing to remember is that the mag. has an internal spring to drive the round up, where as the clip commonaly called a stripper clip could be used to load a mag. or load a rifle into a mag. well from the top of the receiver in semi and bolt action rifles. Check out those 40MM Bofors.

David

It’s very hard to load a rifle into a mag well unless it is a very, very, tiny rifle.

CWORet

Tiny hands, tiny rifle…

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

Sorry Dave I did not proof read it and I was in a rush. I meant to load the stripper clip into the top of the rifle receiver. IE, Mi Garand

David

I was in a twisted mood. How unusual.

Graybeard

I remember the story – possibly apocryphal – of a HS student who took a roundball for a muzzleloader to school to show his buddies.

He got hauled into the principle’s office and threatened with arrest, expulsion, etc. for bringing a bullet on campus. He put it on the principle’s desk and challenged him to make it explode or fire as it was right there.

Of course, the principle couldn’t do squat with a round chunk of lead – and had to back off.

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

Well you know that this is coming-He will now have to “bite the bullet” for his mistake.

FatCircles0311

Ridiculous. Japan doing this after all the shit we do for them especially our military. This is a yuge slap in the face. If they want to fuck around like this we should seriously rethink taking back our anti missile systems.

What fucking assholes. If the US government allows this marine to be tried it will be shameful.

Green Thumb

Read my entry up top.

desert

Agreed….”Remember Pearl Harbor”!!!

AW1Ed

Same as Washington DC- they’ll lock you up for an expended .22 cartridge. Another reason for never going there.

Steve1371

They also make a bundle from manufacturing firearms for Browning at their Moruku plant.

Patrick408

I think Japan needs to give this Marine a break and spend more time on those big bullets flying over their Country from Kim Jun fat fuck…

Devtun

What? The bullet wasn’t blurry ?

Foxbat40

A single bullet with no gun isn’t much of a threat. The security should take the bullet and send the soldier on his way.

This is a gross overreaction.

FatCircles0311

It’s petty bullshit from the land of petty bullshit while they reap millions of US dollars. I hope Trump hears about this because he wouldn’t let it stand.

Roger in Republic

Unlike some, the Japanese take their security very seriously. When I came thru Narita in 78 the foil paper in my cigarette pack set off the metal detectors. A very pretty security lady gave me a complete pat down. She was quite polite and very gentle about it. She was also very through. As she did it in public, in daylight, with passengers strolling by there was no happy ending. Alas! Wink, wink, nudge,nudge, know what I mean?

Ex-PH2

Why is it that none of you ever discuss swords and lances? Is it only noise and thunder, only shoot-shoot-bang-bang that thrills your benighted souls?

Yef

Swords and lances are obsolete.

I like the latest in tech.
When we move on to lasers, and lasers prove to be more combat effective than guns, then I will be all about lasers. Still got ways to go, though.

CCO

Getting there.

akpual

Shoulda never given the Okinawa back

akpual

that’s given them

Stephen McCartney

I knew that when I was on “The Rock”. No weaponry travels with you, even slugs. That being said I did include a pistol cleaning kit when I was departing Naha and they took it from me.
I guess an empty holster poses the same threat to the population. All in all the Okinawans were very nice folks. Even though they allow the mothers to hold their infants and toddlers unrestrained in their lap, IN the front passenger seat of the micro cars they drive. Their attitude is that the child is always safest with mom. I guess the baby makes the first hole in the window in a head on…and mama-san enlarges it more as she transits thru.
CAPT Bones USN (ret) Okinawa III MEF 2003-2006

Roger in Republic

The japaners think that dying in a car accident is an honorable death. There is no disgrace in being killed in traffic.

Just An Old Dog

One reason why I never had “double use” boxes and bags.
Not smart to take a backpack shooting then after you think you take everything out put stuff in it and fly to the other coast.
Always gonna have that round or magazine lurking in the bottom.

David

or worse, have what you used as a range bag given a wipedown scan by TSA. Trust me on this one.