Weapons transport in the Marines

Here’s another example of the same kind of thing.  As a Marine unit, we used to take annual trips to the range for qualification and familiarization fire of weapons.  We would travel to the range on buses.  Each Marine had an M16A2 but the bolt had been collected and the rifles were inoperable (they won’t fire without the bolt – in case you didn’t know).

In defense of these 40+ disarmed Marines was a single NCO (Non Commissioned Officer) with a single 9mm handgun.  I’ll just repeat the same paragraphs from above.

The longer I considered it, the less impressed I was.  My life was completely inconsequential to whomever the OIC (Officer In Charge) was.  He couldn’t care less about whether or not I was killed in the course of an attempt to steal these weapons.  Functionally, the Marine Corps didn’t care whether or not these weapons were stolen or they would have allowed us our bolts and some magazines of ammo.  If they can’t trust Marines with weapons during peace time, why would they at war?

As was the case with most of the crap in the Marines, as long as it “looks” secured, that’s good enough.  I see the same kind of mentality all over the government, especially in Watauga.

I can’t help but wonder how much more water infrastructure we could have purchased if we didn’t have to comply with boundless amounts of EPA, TCEQ, labor laws and other red tape that the government puts in the way.  My tax dollars (and yours) get burned up so that some bureaucrat or environmental weeny can feel good about themselves.  I’m sure I’m happier not knowing how much these costs are.  I guess I’m just not one of the elite few who’s opinions actually matter.