Iraq abuse - by American soldiers

Whilst in Iraq, my son was drug tested periodically. Once when he got there, and 15 times during the first three month tour. He then had one before he left for home on two weeks leave, then another when he returned. He had a further 6 during his 3 months there. All this testing is random. Some had more tests than him, some had less.

As for any ammunition being fired. All was counted out, and counted back in. If any was lost, or gone astray, and unaccounted for, then they were up on a charge.
Not sure if this is how the US Army works, but is certainly the case in the British Army.

But where do you mean by guard duty? You mean sitting in a tower or walking the grounds.

What rooftop though?
High rise flats? Barracks tops? Towers?

Ok, since obviously you didnt read my answer to your question the first time, I will REPEAT...since you have asked the same question 3 times...here is what I posted in response the first time

[Originally posted by Brohaculo]
Sorry I missed this part in your post and didn't answer it... Yes, they were in OP's (observation posts) on top of flat roofed buildings..usually only a few stories tall..not a guard building on the perimiter of a US camp/base

Also in response to:

My other note is this, since army regs say you must police ammo and casings and hand them in....you dont think someone would ask "Hey where did those 5 rounds go?"

And no...this isn't the Brittish Army, so I don't really care if they count every round expended... and toward the beginning of the war, do you acutally think they counted every single round? No, they did not. Good lord you are being nitpicky. These aren't MP's or commo pogues, or supply guys who dont carry much ammo...these are Infantry, simple grunts, when they returned from patro/guard duty onto a secure base, they emptied their mags and chamber into a large ammo bucket. Do you really think they counted each round at the START of the war? That is hilarious. Now they count all ammo expended, and if you are involved in a shooting you are taken out of commission for a day or 2 answering the questions "who did you shoot" and "why" etc, but at the beginning those questions were not asked.

Call it what you like, but I called it an OP because I couldn't think of a better name for it...hell call it an LPOP if you want, it still doesn't change what happened, but knock yourself out trying to disprove it since it seems as you get a kick out of it. And yes, an OBSERVATION POST is supposed to be just that...OBSERVATION...but obviously they didn't just observe if they shot people now did they? So what would you call it, an OP/KP observation post/killing post? lmao


Sorry for the edit...I didn't reply to Bikereddie

Whilst in Iraq, my son was drug tested periodically. Once when he got there, and 15 times during the first three month tour. He then had one before he left for home on two weeks leave, then another when he returned. He had a further 6 during his 3 months there. All this testing is random. Some had more tests than him, some had less.

So your saying in the Brittish Army has only a six month deployment, and in that time he had 24!!!!!!! drug tests? Wow that is unbelievable, and says alot for waste...giving each soldier in the Army a drug test EVERY WEEK is a bit overboard isn't it? And no...when his unit of the 101st got deployed for 18 months, they had one when they got to Saudi, (then if you took leave one before, one after you returned) and one when they left Iraq. So that was a max of 4 in 18 months, not 24 in 6 months!!! Britt overkill on that, considering each test costs about $60.

[edit on 14-12-2005 by Brohaculo]

Originally posted by Brohaculo
Ok, since obviously you didnt read my answer to your question the first time, I will REPEAT...since you have asked the same question 3 times...here is what I posted in response the first time

Well you did answer it in a diffrent post, which I replyed to..

And no...this isn't the Brittish Army, so I don't really care if they count every round expended... and toward the beginning of the war, do you acutally think they counted every single round?

Yes they do, the american army doesnt just blast off rounds and not count them....or atleast I hope not.

No, they did not. Good lord you are being nitpicky. These aren't MP's or commo pogues, or supply guys who dont carry much ammo...these are Infantry, simple grunts, when they returned from patro/guard duty onto a secure base, they emptied their mags and chamber into a large ammo bucket. Do you really think they counted each round at the START of the war? That is hilarious. Now they count all ammo expended, and if you are involved in a shooting you are taken out of commission for a day or 2 answering the questions "who did you shoot" and "why" etc, but at the beginning those questions were not asked.

They emptied into a large ammo crate but guess what...the army keeps a note of how many rounds are fireed in total and if there are less rounds than usual they have been fired, stolen or misplaced.
That sends off red flags, believe me this is SOP at all ranges and bases.

Originally posted by Brohaculo
Call it what you like, but I called it an OP because I couldn't think of a better name for it...hell call it an LPOP if you want, it still doesn't change what happened, but knock yourself out trying to disprove it since it seems as you get a kick out of it.

I am pointing the holes in your theory.

And yes, an OBSERVATION POST is supposed to be just that...OBSERVATION...but obviously they didn't just observe if they shot people now did they? So what would you call it, an OP/KP observation post/killing post? lmao

If they where supposed to be observing I think someone MIGHT notice them firing off rounds and well shooting from somewhere your supposed to be hiding isnt the best plan in the world..

Originally posted by devilwasp
An E-4 is equivilant to a lance corporal, one step away from corporal.

I made an error , same with you..

Specialist IS the same rank as corporal, the highest JNCO you can get before becoming a sergeant..
www.defenselink.mil...

Originally posted by Brohaculo
Do you really think they counted each round at the START of the war? That is hilarious. Now they count all ammo expended, and if you are involved in a shooting you are taken out of commission for a day or 2 answering the questions "who did you shoot" and "why" etc, but at the beginning those questions were not asked.

Yes, each round was counted out, and counted back in. Maybe the US has no proper policing of this, but the British Army certainly does.

Yes, they do have to answer the questions of who, and why they shot etc. Common practice i would have thought, but maybe you know something we dont?

Originally posted by Brohaculo
Sorry for the edit...I didn't reply to Bikereddie

Whilst in Iraq, my son was drug tested periodically. Once when he got there, and 15 times during the first three month tour. He then had one before he left for home on two weeks leave, then another when he returned. He had a further 6 during his 3 months there. All this testing is random. Some had more tests than him, some had less.

So your saying in the Brittish Army has only a six month deployment, and in that time he had 24!!!!!!! drug tests? Wow that is unbelievable, and says alot for waste...giving each soldier in the Army a drug test EVERY WEEK is a bit overboard isn't it? And no...when his unit of the 101st got deployed for 18 months, they had one when they got to Saudi, (then if you took leave one before, one after you returned) and one when they left Iraq. So that was a max of 4 in 18 months, not 24 in 6 months!!! Britt overkill on that, considering each test costs about $60.

[edit on 14-12-2005 by Brohaculo]

Thanks for the apology. No problem with that.
As for what i quoted, i was only writing what my son told me. I have to take what he says first hand.
I have no doubt as to what he said is true considering all the other things he has told me, and with photographic evidence to back up his claims.

As i said, drug testing is random in the British Army. Some have more, some have less. How is that unbelievable? You been there? you been tested? You experienced any thing in Iraq?
Try being a Father with a son on deployment for 6 months. Maybe, just maybe you would appreciate, and understand what these lads have to go through.

Enough said.........

Eddie..............OUT.....................

[edit on 16-12-2005 by Bikereddie]

I agree with Bikereddie on this one.
It has always been standard operating practice for decades at least. We counted rounds when we recieved them, signed for them, and then counted back the rounds when turning them in and again a form was signed.
If a firearm is discharged even in a combat situation, you had to account for the rounds fired during the debreifing. This was especially excrutiating if there was a kill or wounding of an enemy (or friendly) combatant.

We were doing this back in the 80's and 90's. I am sure that this requirement has held up even today.

This is also something that american police are required to do everyday so it is not something that should be to difficult to believe.

If you need a bit of my background, I was in Lebanon 3 days after they blew up the marine barracks, I went to Grenada during the rescue, I was in Panama when we went after Noreiaga (spelling), and I was in Desert Storm. So I think I can speak from a personal experience on this

Thanks for the extra info Ken.
At least you know what i am getting at.

I would love to hear from any US soldier ,just what is the procedure for signing ammunition in and out. You said you served, what unit/regiment?
Sorry if you have already stated that, but at least we have some more ex servicemen among us to try and educate the few that seem to think they know a lot just from watching the media etc.
You cant beat the real thing when it comes to definite information from the people that have been there.