Did Marines in boot camp . . .
. . . have access to their rifles and live ammo? Wouldn't the weapons be stowed in a safe place, especially at night?
I disagree with what you are saying, but I will fight to your death for your right to say it;-)
As I recall from Army basic training (in 1968), rifles were kept in the barracks, accessible to the trainees for cleaning, drills and marching. If I remember correctly, authorized possession of ammunition was restricted to the firing ranges, where it was issued in exact amounts required for each range activity. Of course, it would have been easy enough to steal and conceal a small amount of ammunition, as "Pyle" apparently did. A normal trainee would not have risked being caught with contraband ammunition, but someone bent on murder wouldn't have concerned himself with that sort of risk, especially if it were stolen late in the training cycle, just prior to the intended murder(s).
shareAs I recall from Army basic training (in 1968), rifles were kept in the barracks, accessible to the trainees for cleaning, drills and marching. If I remember correctly, authorized possession of ammunition was restricted to the firing ranges, where it was issued in exact amounts required for each range activity. Of course, it would have been easy enough to steal and conceal a small amount of ammunition, as "Pyle" apparently did. A normal trainee would not have risked being caught with contraband ammunition, but someone bent on murder wouldn't have concerned himself with that sort of risk, especially if it were stolen late in the training cycle, just prior to the intended murder(s).
Same type of situation at Parris Island in 1979 when I was there....
Iran is not a terrorist country!...LittleZeke aka: "LittleBrain" 3/10/15 share
Thank you both. I was thinking that the whole scenario was implausible, if not impossible, but I guess it was plausible, although rare.
I disagree with what you are saying, but I will fight to your death for your right to say it;-)
Thank you both. I was thinking that the whole scenario was implausible, if not impossible, but I guess it was plausible, although rare.
At Parris Island in 1979 when I was there the rifles were locked to our racks with cable locks with each recruit wearing the key (wich also fit the lock on our footlocker) on a chain we wore on our necks.
The ammo part would be more problematic with ammo only available at the range and at the end of each range day being searched by having to turn out all out pockets etc....but someone really bent on getting a round or two out would have been able to do it by stashing it in their boot or something like that.
The main detriment to something like that was the complete holy shítstorm that would have come down on you by the DI's if you were discovered later on to have taken a live round back to the barracks....LOL!
But overall it was completely within the realm of possibility....
Iran is not a terrorist country!...LittleZeke aka: "LittleBrain" 3/10/15 share