SecNav was armed in Afghanistan; CNN gasps

| December 31, 2017

The Secretary of the Navy, Richard Spencer, made a trip to Afghanistan and he was photographed in Camp Shorab talking to some folks by the Marine Corps Times. He was strapped with a handgun, you know, in a war zone. Of course, CNN reporter, Barbara Starr couldn’t believe her jaundiced eyes;

Good thing that he wasn’t eating two scoops of ice cream at the time.

From Business Insider;

Spencer was reportedly offered the pistol and ammunition from Marine commanders, according to a Navy spokesman cited in a San Diego Tribune report.

“He was offered the weapon to carry while he was traveling around [Afghanistan] and he accepted that offer,” the spokesman told The Tribune. “It was not something that he specifically requested and it was offered to everybody on the travel team.”

If I was in Afghanistan, where most of our recent casualties resulted from “insider attacks”, I’d have more than one firearm visible. Grow up, CNN.

Category: Navy

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GDContractor

Unlike when SECDEF Panetta hoverboarded into KAF and they took all the guns away.

desert

yeh, only the knee growth would take away weapons in a war zone, and only a complete phool, bimbo, news freak would question ANYONE being armed in a war zone!

Hondo

If I was in Afghanistan . . . I’d have more than one firearm visible.

At least one – in ANY combat zone. Or you’re simply a soft target.

Grow up, CNN.

Don’t hold your breath, Jonn.

Ex-PH2

“Grow up, CNN.” (gigglesnorrttt gasp cough gigglesnorrttt)

You are a funny, funny man, JL.

AW1Ed

Like the old joke, “Why are you carrying a hand gun- expecting trouble?”

“If I was expecting trouble I’d be carrying my rifle.”

TopGoz

Because in the opinion of the Communist News Network, civilians shouldn’t be armed. Anywhere.

NEC338x

CNN. To ignorant to realize that police and sheriffs are civilians. In banana republics the local police are usually the military holding up the strongman.

MCPO NYC USN Ret.

Only a pistol?

I would have had a spring loaded folding knife, k-bar, pistol, rifle, multiple magazines, blow out kit, t-kit, ballistic vest, signal flares, smoke, fragmentation grenade, comms, 3 packs of smokes, 2 bottles of water and a pack of double bubble.

But hey, what the hell do I know …

Stacy0311

You forgot a log of Cope and some jalapeno cheese spread

MCPO NYC USN Ret.

Thanks, you are correct … and a role duct tape (100 mile an hour tape).

11B-Mailclerk

550 cord, 100mph tape, Swiss Army knife.

Seriously, though. I had more practical use of my “champion” Swiss knife than any other field tool I ever carried. Paired with a decent sheath knife for heavy work, you are good to go. I can see the utility of the various “multi-tool” gadgets, but most seem rather heavy compared to a “champion” or the larger “swisschamp”.

There is much to be said by “less is more” when it comes to weight.

Messkit

S.O.G.’s EOD model. Everything I need in a tool, plus blasting cap crimper. You just never know when a blasting cap needs a good crimp.

11B-Mailclerk

I thought the corkscrew on my knife was useless, other than to hold a tiny eyeglass screwdriver.

Drove up to the brigade CP on a field exercise at Ft. Irwin. Apparently, it was he CO’s birthday. Money line: “you cheap bastards finally buy a bottle with a cork, and no one brings a corkscrew!”

COL Frazer was rather surprised when I provided one, and opened his birthday cheer for him. At his order, I got dibs on the ice cream (at 125F!) and told to pile it in the bowl until my arm got tired.

Sweet.

RCAF-CHAIRBORNE

” I have come to chew bubble gum and some kick ass, Im all outta bubble gum” Rowdy Roddy Piper ‘They Live’

Atkron

Love that movie!

IMDB says he improvised that line…

Ex-PH2

That makes sense to me, too.

Is it our fault that CNN has reporters with brains the size of a pea, if that?

Ex-PH2

I have a list of stuff, too, should I ever find myself in the depths of a desert:
1 – good Army compass on a neck lanyard
2 – 6 bottles of frozen water
3 – birding binocs – small and compact, but powerful
http://www.birdwatching-bliss.com/mini-binoculars.html
4 – several packs of Slim Jims and beef jerky and a can of Spam
5 – several magazines, such as Better Homes & Gardens, Playgirl, and Cosmopolitan (yes, I’m a Cosmo girl)
6 – a Swiss Army knife
7 – a folding mirror for signaling
8 – Morse code book
9 – matches in a waterproof container plus an unopened pack of Bic lighters
10 – 3 small bottles of nail polish remover
11 – one of those box cutter things
12 – a small but sturdy axe
13 – kleenex
14 – extra pair of specs
15 – extra large head scarf in bright pink
16 – retractable steel pointer
17 – extra woolen socks
18 – extra hat with wide brim
19 – cash money in small bills
20 – sunscreen SP50
21 – several packs of dental floos
22 – solar charger for my cell phone

AW1Ed

And a deck of cards for rescue. Start a game of solitaire and pretty soon someone will come along and tell you that you can’t play the ten on the queen.

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

Hey that’s what the computer says when I play the ten on a queen instead of the Jack. You must have the same computer that I have. Small World.

Ex-PH2

I knew I forgot something.

Steadyfast

And a poncho liner!!

11B-Mailclerk

Woobie!

Ex-PH2

A jar of bacon grease.

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

You forgot the gallon can of relative bearing grease for the compass. Remember that east is east and west is west and your the gal that I love best.

Ex-PH2

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

chooee lee

Reminds me of my safari in Africa. Somebody forgot the corkscrew and for several days we had to live on nothing but food and water. W. C. Fields
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/w_c_fields_389150

OWB

May I have a golf cart to carry all the stuff?

Ex-PH2

Heehee!!!

Sgt Fon

Ex-PH2, what were you Airforce with a load out like that? All you need is a K-bar and some bubble gum….

AW1Ed

Navy. You can load WAY more shit on a ship than a plane.

*grin*

AW1Ed

Steve1371

Ex- I have 4 sets of binocs but here in Vermont I mostly use a pair of Minolta 8×21 compacts while hunting. They are very crisp and clear as well as fit in your shirt pocket small. They work well here but out west they run out of horse power on those long range trophy judging evaluating sessions. I have book marked the birdwatching website you posted as I like to feed birds in winter and put out nesting boxes . My grandkids enjoy seeing the birds a lot and I like having them around to eat bugs in the summer. I’me not sure I could haul the rest of your kit. Sounds like a load to me. Happy new year!

Ex-PH2

i thought that was kind of a lightweight load, except for the six bottles of frozen water.

After all, nail polish is flammable and if you’re lost you can set up a giant SOS with it, set fire to it, and someone flying overhead will report it to the mothership, which will promptly appear and bring you cookies and hot tea.

desert

yes it is, because we..as a nation…keep watching that pathetic excuse for a wart on the ass of humanity!

MAC(SW) (RET)

I wonder if the ole’ SECNAV went through the official arming process for DOD Civilians prior to his jaunt to Afghanistan? You know, so he’s legal and all. Just thinking out loud is all…….

John Seabee

Spencer IS a former Marine ya know. I have no doubt he knows his way around firearms 😉

MAC(SW) (RET)

It was part joke part serious.

All DOD civilians, regardless of their military background or current “rank” are required to have an “Arming Packet” prior to carrying in the great country of Nastycrakistan. As per the GIRoA.

DOD isn’t too bad, but arming contractors over here is a bit more tedious!

A Proud Infidel®™

The Candyassed Nitwit Network shows its true colors yet again.

UpNorth

Candyassed Nitwit Network is the best descriptor yet of CNN.

A Proud Infidel®™

As Elvis woulda said, “ Thankyuhverymuch”!

USAFRetired

Let.s see. SECNAV was a former Marine Helicopter pilot and as such a graduate of TBS. Obviously the CNN reporter has Turner Broadcasting System confused with The Basic School.

Hell there are a lot of places in this country, I wouldn’t want to travel in without a sidearm.

USMC Steve

And unless he resigned his commission, he is still a commissioned officer in the Marine Corps, thus can be as armed as he fucking wants to be. He is not actually a civilian.

Fuck the CNN retards.

CPT11A

Because American civilians are allowed to carry firearms? This isn’t hard.

OWB

I am offended that she is offended.

Noone but the US would so proudly showcase the mental misfits. Good thing that the adults simply do not care about her opinion.

CPT11A

The first response to that tweet says, “Spencer may have been trying to impress the Marines pictured, who are not carrying weapons. Their expressions suggest how well he succeeded.”

Right, because us military types, especially Marines, are famous for drooling out of our brainless smiles in the presence of our superiors, as if we were a bunch of civilizationally useless snowflakes getting indoctrinated by our over-the-hill hippie twat of a professor in a freshman seminar on the “Intersectionality of Sex Toys”.

Eggs

Whoever that “tweeter” was did not look at that photo very closely and more than likely wouldn’t know wtf they were looking at if it were pointed out to them.

Eggs

I meant the responder to the tweet there

Mason

I read the responses after seeing your post. Not a lick of common sense from any of them. If I was a twit with a tweet account, I’d set them straight.

r. manning ancell

Semper Fi, Mr. Secretary!

M48DAT

You don’t need a gun until you need a gun.

HMCS(FMF) ret

Looks like it doesn’t take much to get the “reporters” at CNN all wee-wee’d up…

FUCK. THEM.

NECCSEBEECPO

Well he is a former Marine Pilot and SERE trained, so I believe he can handle himself.

The only issue I see is his PSD, they do not like it when the client or Asset has a weapon. I was on a JTF in Iraq as a Navy IA and the Joint Task Force had a Private Military Company that was our security and PSD force. They did not like the fact we had weapons sometime depending on leader engagement location and threat we had both M-4 and Pistol, they would brief us on contact and told us not to engage unless PPO told us to. We also did drills and what they called certification with them, so they could trust us, when shit went off and it did sometime.

I would think NCIS who would have lead as PSD duty, would have done drills with him and he would also have to have clearance from RSO and DSS.

Club FManager

Yellow penalty flag thrown NECCSEBEECPO for not issuing a WAR STORY ALERT

26Limabeans

Did it have a high capacity clip thing and a Pickadilly rail?

A Proud Infidel®™

OR a Chainsaw Bayonet?

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

If it was a pickadilly rail, then it was made in England with a mini player that played “It’s a Long way to Tipperary” when you hit the play button.

Ex-PH2

Memo to Ms. Starr

Re: Your question: Can someone explain why the civiilan head of the Navy is wearing a sidearm?

Yes. He is an adult and you are not.

OWB

😉

The Other Whitey

CNN miserably fails at common sense yet again.

Skippy

Crazy with my POG job overseas I always had two plus a few blades
I never toke any chances better alive then carried by six

BHWHAHAHAHA !!!!!!!!!!!

Skippy

Also anyone on here will back me up on this the IP and the AP
We’re never to be trusted every single one I ever crossed paths with we’re a piece of shit
The Iraqi army people I worked with were very professional never a issue. But I still
Never put my guard down

OWB

Someone should tell her that open carry restrictions stateside do not apply in war zones.

Fridge

The stupidity of CNN reporters never fails to amaze me!
With all the insider attacks, I’m a little surprised SECNAV isn’t wearing full battle rattle with an M4! And I’m very confident that our SECNAV is well versed in how to use a firearm!

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

Someone must have hit you over your head for making that comment and all you can see are starrs.

Hack Stone

She needs to spend more time trying to track down the love of her life, Basil St. John.

(You older farts will catch that reference)

Heart of TEXAS (PSG, Ret.)

Barbara Starr, sweetheart, sit down and shut up.

Sonny's Mom

Probably no relation to Brenda Starr… Brenda always did her homework.

Rosalee Adams

Oh shirley not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!………………poor ole CNN, its panties in a wad at the drop of a hat
Have we heard from Jake ‘it be my desire to continuously point out the sins of Trump and his merry brigands’
Tapper yet?

A Proud Infidel®™

Waitaminnit. SecNav on the ground in the Middle East, proper attire? Check. Sidearm? Check. Now WHERE THE HELL IS HIS PT BELT?

OWB

Now that you mention it, haven’t seen as many (if any) of those recently. Hmmm.

rgr769

So, we are shocked, shocked, that people carry like GUNZ in a war zone! Who knew these obscene violations of NY state gun control laws were occurring in Afghanistan? Someone notify the NY state AG.

26Limabeans

I kept an M-14, M-16, M1911A1 and a Stevens 12 guage in the hootch. Oh, and I had a knife.
The guy in the photo isn’t even sporting a flak vest. CNN outta rumage through some of there archives for war zone photos. How about Clinton under sniper fire?
Strap a rod on her.

H1

“When in Indian Country, act like it”
Other than a spare mag and a flashlight holster added to the drop panel.
GTG.

Atkron

Your lack of objectivity is showing again CNN…

Or, as my Southern grandparents-in-law would say…you’re showing your ass again.