Man who tried entering MacDill AFB was AWOL (Update)

chill_wind

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Tue Jun-15-10 01:39 PM
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Man who tried entering MacDill AFB was AWOL (Update)

Man who tried entering MacDill AFB was AWOL

ASSOCIATED PRESS � June 15, 2010

TAMPA � The man who tried entering MacDill Air Force Base with a car full of military-style gear and weapons is an active member of the military listed as absent without leave.

At a news conference Tuesday, officials at MacDill said the man and a woman also in the car had three rifles, three handguns and loads of ammunition in their sport utility vehicle.

An official said there is no indication the incident was an act of terrorism.

Neither the man nor the woman involved have been identified. They are still being questioned.

Authorities say the pair tried driving in with fraudulent military identification. Security asked them to get out of the vehicle and searched the car.

An FBI agent fatally shot a veteran at the base last month after an altercation.

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100615/BREAKINGNEWS/100615012/1086/rss07

back threads:

Breaking: Two Arrested for Trying to Break Into Coast Guard Central Command

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=338753&mesg_id=338753

Guns, ammo, seized from SUV at MacDill AFB
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8558897

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HiFructosePronSyrup

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Tue Jun-15-10 01:42 PM
Response to Original message

1. Doesn't really clear up much.

Could be an attempt at terrorism from a member of the military, or it could be some drunk late from his hunting weekend.

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SpiralHawk

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Tue Jun-15-10 01:44 PM
Response to Original message

2. "Well gosh, AWOL can happen to anyone. Sniff. Smirk." - xCommander AWOL (R)

Edited on Tue Jun-15-10 01:45 PM by SpiralHawk

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sinkingfeeling

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Tue Jun-15-10 01:53 PM
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3. If he's really in the military and AWOL, why the fake ids?

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Ganja Ninja

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Tue Jun-15-10 02:02 PM
Response to Reply #3

4. Exactly. What's up with that?

His regular ID would have got him in no problem despite his AWOL status. They likely wouldn't have even checked that. He also had over 2 dozen loaded clips for an assault weapon. There's something strange about this. Maybe he was planing to get some full auto assault weapons on base to go with his ammo.

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Lasher

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Tue Jun-15-10 02:25 PM
Response to Reply #4

6. An assault weapon is not necessarily full automatic.

Take the AK-47, for example. This is one of the weapons that we commonly refer to as assault weapons. I have one that has its full auto capability disabled. Therefore, it is strictly a semi-auto weapon - just like many other firearms that most people would think of as hunting rifles. This AWOL soldier might very well have had just such a weapon.

But to legally get ahold of an AK-47 with full auto capability, an individual has to jump through substantial hoops. To simplify I'll just say that common folk just don't have them, with rare and tightly regulated exceptions.

My point is, this individuals probably had a semi-automatic weapon that functions with these clips. And if something sinister was intended, I doubt if they were going to shop around on base for a full auto version.

Just my opinion.

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Lasher

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Tue Jun-15-10 02:07 PM
Response to Original message

5. Very good of you to have referenced prior threads the way you did.

Classy.

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