« TSA Pat -Down Leaves Bladder Cancer Survivor Humiliated and Covered In Urine | Main | Service Dogs Help Veterans With PTSD »
November 21, 2010
TSA Confiscates Nail Clippers From Soldiers Returning From Afghanistan
A friend of mine sent me this about his TSA experience. He, unlike most of us, was coming back into the country from Afghanistan on a military charter
As the Chalk Leader for my flight home from Afghanistan, I witnessed the following:
When we were on our way back from Afghanistan, we flew out of Baghram Air Field. We went through customs at BAF, full body scanners (no groping), had all of our bags searched, the whole nine yards.
Our first stop was Shannon, Ireland to refuel. After that, we had to stop at Indianapolis, Indiana to drop off about 100 folks from the Indiana National Guard. That’s where the stupid started.
First, everyone was forced to get off the plane–even though the plane wasn’t refueling again. All 330 people got off that plane, rather than let the 100 people from the ING get off. We were filed from the plane to a holding area. No vending machines, no means of escape. Only a male/female latrine.
It’s probably important to mention that we were ALL carrying weapons. Everyone was carrying an M4 Carbine (rifle) and some, like me, were also carrying an M9 pistol. Oh, and our gunners had M-240B machine guns. Of course, the weapons weren’t loaded. And we had been cleared of all ammo well before we even got to customs at Baghram, then AGAIN at customs.
The TSA personnel at the airport seriously considered making us unload all of the baggage from the SECURE cargo hold to have it reinspected. Keep in mind, this cargo had been unpacked, inspected piece by piece by U.S. Customs officials, resealed and had bomb-sniffing dogs give it a one-hour run through. After two hours of sitting in this holding area, the TSA decided not to reinspect our Cargo–just to inspect us again: Soldiers on the way home from war, who had already been inspected, reinspected and kept in a SECURE holding area for 2 hours. Ok, whatever. So we lined up to go through security AGAIN.
This is probably another good time to remind you all that all of us were carrying actual assault rifles, and some of us were also carrying pistols.
So we’re in line, going through one at a time. One of our Soldiers had his Gerber multi-tool. TSA confiscated it. Kind of ridiculous, but it gets better. A few minutes later, a guy empties his pockets and has a pair of nail clippers. Nail clippers. TSA informs the Soldier that they’re going to confiscate his nail clippers. The conversation went something like this:
TSA Guy: You can’t take those on the plane.
Soldier: What? I’ve had them since we left country.
TSA Guy: You’re not suppose to have them.
Soldier: Why?
TSA Guy: They can be used as a weapon.
Soldier: [touches butt stock of the rifle] But this actually is a weapon. And I’m allowed to take it on.
TSA Guy: Yeah but you can’t use it to take over the plane. You don’t have bullets.
Soldier: And I can take over the plane with nail clippers?
TSA Guy: [awkward silence]
Me: Dude, just give him your damn nail clippers so we can get the f**k out of here. I’ll buy you a new set.
Soldier: [hands nail clippers to TSA guy, makes it through security]
This might be a good time to remind everyone that approximately 233 people re-boarded that plane with assault rifles, pistols, and machine guns–but nothing that could have been used as a weapon.
.
Wild Thing's comment........
To Janet Napilitano, our military returning and vets are the real enemy and terrorists. it’s not supposed to make sense, just control. Rush Limbaugh talked about it too.....Rush: Obama groping flyers to punish them for voting GOP - ‘This is all about control...."Republicans enjoyed a tidal wave of success earlier this month, taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives, winning six U.S. Senate seats and seven governorships. That doesn't include a record 680 seats going to Republicans in state legislatures, and 19 legislatures switching from Democrat to GOP control. Limbaugh says it's because of that political tsunami that Americans are now being subject to radiation scanning that turns flyers into nude avatars, and those who refuse the scan become subjects of patdown searches that involve touching the genitals of men, women and children.
"The American people are the ones who are guilty. The American people are the suspects. The American people are the ones who need to be controlled. Now this is not gonna be contained at airports, folks. Obama and the Department of Homeland Security are promising to start searching subways and buses and trains and people on them.
"And these are the same people trying to force everybody into public transportation. These are liberals. None of this is accidental. None of this is for the betterment of anybody but them. This is all about control and illustrating power to control. That's what this. And when they say, 'If you don't like being patted down, don't fly,' remember that's your government talking to you."
Limbaugh called Americans' backlash against the heightened measures "a miniature revolt," and said, "There's a simple way to stop this stuff. It's called profiling. We're not doing what's simple here. The solutions are simple, they're just hard for some people to stomach."
These Heroes should have been shown respect and they should have been honored.
OBAMA is in charge of the TSA, this is OBAMA’s mess!
This part did have me laughing though at how stupid the TSA are. Gotta love this conversation.
TSA Guy: You can’t take those on the plane (nail clippers).
Soldier: What? I’ve had them since we left country.
TSA Guy: You’re not suppose to have them.
Soldier: Why?
TSA Guy: They can be used as a weapon.
Soldier: [touches butt stock of the rifle] But this actually is a weapon. And I’m allowed to take it on.
TSA Guy: Yeah but you can’t use it to take over the plane. You don’t have bullets.
Soldier: And I can take over the plane with nail clippers?
TSA Guy: [awkward silence]
Me: Dude, just give him your damn nail clippers so we can get the f**k out of here. I’ll buy you a new set.
Soldier: [hands nail clippers to TSA guy, makes it through security]
Posted by Wild Thing at November 21, 2010 05:55 AM
Comments
If we have any conservative comidians who want to make some movies we have at least five years worth of material. The scripps are writing themselves.
Posted by: Avitar at November 21, 2010 08:14 AM
Force everyone to deplane and re-screen for no reason... but it makes them feel like they're doing something. (Hey, Saudis used to do this on flights leaving or just going through there just so they could confiscate DVDs with nude scenes, etc. for their own fun... sounds like that here, too.)
Posted by: Anonymous at November 21, 2010 12:17 PM
This is becoming absurd...all for a the want of the terrorists...they are winning...so lets move on...CRAZY!!!! I talked to a family today who has a son in Afgh...he says they can't tell the good guys from the bad...so lets leave I say...
Posted by: jan at November 21, 2010 04:56 PM
This instance only shows they don’t have the sense God gave a brass door knob. This is a plane full of Marines returning from combat. If…and I say IF…one Marine went nuts and tried to hijack the aircraft with nail clippers, just how far do they think he would get. Remember, this is an aircraft full of Marines returning from Combat who want to get home.
Posted by: BobF at November 21, 2010 05:49 PM
Yup we are getting good men killed over there for nothing. And obama's the biggest nothing there is.
Toe Nail clippers, insane, obama's got all his automatons strip searching all these suspected Domestic Terrorist, while the real terrorist can walk through.
Posted by: Mark at November 21, 2010 05:50 PM
Avitar, I agree, there is an overwhelming amount of material for them to use.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 21, 2010 06:31 PM
Anonymous, thanks for sharing that about the Saudis.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 21, 2010 06:35 PM
Jan, thanks for telling about what that family told you. I remember back last year I think it was of the reports of the terrorist men wearing burka's in Afghanistan because our soldiers were told not to fire on civilians ie. women in burka's. sheesh so the terrorist were getting away dressed as women.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 21, 2010 06:45 PM
Bob, great way to put it.
"This instance only shows they don’t have the sense God gave a brass door knob."
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 21, 2010 06:47 PM
Mark, that is exactly what it is....insane. I agree.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 21, 2010 06:48 PM
OMG... apparently it's real.
http://www.birthornot.com/
"You can vote and choose whether we abort or keep our unborn child. For the first time, your vote on the topic of abortion can make a difference."
Posted by: Anonymous at November 21, 2010 07:39 PM
America Was Not Threatened!!!
Really???
Posted by: Anon at November 21, 2010 09:28 PM
Anonymous, what sick people to do this. This is the first I have heard about this, how horrible. wow omg. Thanks for the link and letting me know about it. I voted for them to have the baby, but I have to say what a sick couple they are. OMG
When I voted the page came up and it looks like more people voted the other way...so sad. So many wanted them to kill an innocent baby.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 21, 2010 11:34 PM
Anon, I had heard something about this the other day. I agree Anon, really is right. Thanks for the link.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 21, 2010 11:36 PM
