Active or Military Vets Never Issued a Weapon

[LeonCarr]

A good buddy of mine was in the Air Force from '80 to '86 as a Weapons Loader on F-4 Phantoms and F-16s. The only time he shot a firearm was in basic, and it was an M16 with a .22LR adapter. It is kinda amazing that they trust him with MK84 2000 pound bombs and 20MM rotary cannon, but not a rifle .

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[Kurt S.]

Well hey there Amprecon. I was an AME as well. Never worked in the rate, mostr\ly was a plane captain on A-4s and A-7s. I fired an M-14 and Colt Ace in boot camp, and fired a S&W Model 10 later on. Carried an M-1 with plugged barrel as my drilling piece in boot.

I went to A school at Memphis (Millington) (1968). I go through Memphisevery year on the way to visit the folks in KY. My wife and I spent a little time there this summer to visit her long-lost sister, boy has it changed.

 

[amprecon]

Kurt S. I have residence in Memphis now but am deployed to Iraq as an aircraft maintenance contractor for the Army. Yes Millington has changed quite a bit. They, just until recently, were performing the restoration of the Memphis Belle in the old AME training hangar. IIRC the Air Force has taken possession of it and it's no longer there, but it brought back memories walking through that old hangar across Navy Rd.
We never fired rifles in boot, we were shown a M-14 and an M-16 in the classroom and fired the .22 converted 1911's and that was it, but we also lugged around the de-milled Garands for the dog and pony show they enjoyed at our expense.
The Military's job is to kill people and blow crap up, to not be issued a weapon and be in the military is the ultimate oxymoron, hypocritical and ridiculous. If there's members that some believe shouldn't be handling a weapon then they chose the wrong profession, get them out. But of course that's MHO.