Pentagon to Destroy $1.2 Billion in Surplus Ammo

[rebelsoul]

When I ran the range tower I always had a suppressive fire exercise. I was ordered to expend all ammo, so I at least my troops got some useful training out of it. The extra ammo was issued incase we had some bolos. We were a signal unit so we rarely had any trigger time. I would run the targets wide open and berate any firing position that didn't keep them pinned down. In our AAR, the lessons about controling your fire and not burning through a mag to quickly were always highlighted; its hard to keep the dummies down during a mag change. The veiw from the tower was "AWESOME".

[Klem]

Yeah, but I think the mad minute reached its zenith in the Vietnam War. My buddy was a tank crewman in that conflict, and told me that ammo kept getting supplied to their firebase at regular intervals, whether or not they actually needed more ammo. In part to prevent the ammo dump from getting to full and becoming a lucrative target for enemy sappers, the unit had frequent mad minutes to shoot up 7.62mm and .50 caliber machine gun ammo, and 90mm main gun rounds. They burned up beau coup "fifty" barrels during these blasting sessions, because of the oversize ammo cans they installed atop the turret. But, his favorite activity was to see how many 90mm rounds his tank could put downrange in 60 seconds. IIRC, his personal best was 17.

"Yeah, but..." If you say so. I guess it's not really relevant until it involves the USA, much later in history.

[Slappy]

I have 30+ years out in the Gulf and other waters and have yet to see a NOAA vessel do anything other than research and catch fish. Just got back from Venice fishing and there was a NOAA girl there getting samples and she did not have a gun nor need one for that fact. All patrols I have seen and any boardings of any vessels in the gulf or any others waters have been by the CG. I suppose I could be called into action being I used to be a Licensed Merchant Marine Officer, but I doubt that would ever happen, to old and would not be worth much. Calling NOAA out to do anything other than make laws for fishing and counting fish is all I ever see them doing or being used for and they can not even get that right.
The last report I read was the government had ordered billions of rounds using the excuse they get it cheaper and they have so many personnel that need range time. Why would the IRS need hundreds of thousands of rounds in 9MM and 357?? They do not have that many people anymore and state they have been cutting back on personnel!?? BANG BANG!!

It is a big BMW Big Money Waste!!

[Slappy]

PS: My mother in law use to work for NOAA, now get this?? Guess what her job was<<<<??? her job was cooking,,, coming up with different ways to cook shrimp I kid you not, she didn't even have a side arm nor a rifle doing that dangerous job, imagine that?? BAMG BAMG!!

[stanc]

"Yeah, but..." If you say so. I guess it's not really relevant until it involves the USA, much later in history.

A little touchy, are we?

I didn't say how the "mad minute" began was at all irrelevant or unimportant. I was merely noting that, while the British created it, the Americans took it to the extreme.

Surely you don't think that an infantry company shooting .303-caliber bolt-action rifles can put on a firepower display that even begins to compare to that of a tank company firing .50-caliber heavy machine guns and 90mm cannons. Especially when Vietnam mad minutes were usually conducted during hours of darkness, making for a spectacular fireworks show.

The video below isn't Vietnam, but it gives a rough idea of what I'm talking about:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31vm3-BQRJU

[Klem]

Video footage from the annual Knob Creek shoot offered as proof of US supremacy of the Mad Minute? Are you for real?

Are you honestly trying to suggest that the firepower of your Vietnam dumps never happened on the WW1 or WW2 battlefield's? If the USA didn't invent it they did it better...Is that now the debate? Or are we still on the origins of the 'Mad Minute'? Either way...Knob Creek...Really?

Here's footage of your mates the Russians. Probably a little more firepower than Knob Creek, or even a hilltop in Vietnam. But before we get into a measuring contest between the USA and the rest of the world let's not forget the origins of the Mad Minute, and all it represents... the British, and the SMLE303.

[stanc]

1. As I stated in my previous post, the Knob Creek shoot was only intended to give a rough idea of a Vietnam War tank company mad minute, not to "prove" anything. Have you always had such poor English comprehension?

2. I've never heard of WWI or WWII instances of shooting up large quantities of ammo just to prevent too much ammo from accumulating. If there was a supply problem, it was more often too little ammo on hand, rather than too much.

3. You're the only person trying to make a debate on this matter.

4. The discussion was originally about the US use of "mad minute" firing, not the historical origin of the term.

5. The Russians are not my mates.

[nincomp]

PS: My mother in law use to work for NOAA, now get this?? Guess what her job was<<<<??? her job was cooking,,, coming up with different ways to cook shrimp I kid you not, she didn't even have a side arm nor a rifle doing that dangerous job, imagine that?? BAMG BAMG!!

I just report what I read. It may be absolute hooey. Note: the following is absolute hooey:

Slappy, what you do not know is that shrimp have become much meaner lately. In addition, if they are left in the sun, they will go bad. Now I don't know about you, but I would not feel safe around gangs of bad shrimp without a sidearm!
Jim

ps. It would be cool if your mother-in-law supplied the shrimp recipes for Bubba in Forest Gump.
pps. Maybe some of the "ammo" was actually dynamite, so the NOAA could fish the easy way?

[Slappy]

They (NOAA) also map the ocean floors. This is a live link, if you can read side scan and bottom scan this is pretty cool. The last time I knew guns are not allowed on these vessels. BANG BANG!!

http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/media/exstream/exstream_04.html

[LR1955]

Guys:

The article is primed to be debunked. Anyone who has dealt with ammunition planning, forecasting, and storage knows it is a lie. Also, the military would not just destroy billions of dollars of useful Class V. Not too many years ago we were still drawing and using various types of .50 cal ammunition from the mid to late 1950's. If the ammunition has been tested and found safe to use, it will be stored until someone who has an authorization for that DODIC requests it and uses it.

The DoD will destroy items that have been found to have degraded to the point where they are dangerous to use. Much of this stuff is probably obsolete ordinance that we didn't sell to another country.

I think this article is 95% a lie and 5% half truth.

LR1955

[Heywood]

Why does the NOAA need to be enforcing any laws!!! Let the coast guards enforce all laws off of our coast. Far to many bureaucracies have been given the power to enforce some law as they see fit.

The fourth branch of government has granted them the power to not only enforce laws but to create them. It is known as the administrative branch, it is entirely unconstitutional but it exists none the less.

[LR1955]

Guys:

Destruction of Class V has has nothing to do with arguing over who invented the 'Mad Minute', tactics used in Vietnam, NOAA, cooking shrimp, or someones political opinions.

Stay on topic or this thread will be locked.

LR1955

[stanc]

Destruction of Class V has has nothing to do with arguing over who invented the 'Mad Minute', tactics used in Vietnam, NOAA, cooking shrimp...

What, Class V isn't food? I thought the "V" is for vittles...

[LR1955]

Thread is locked.