SwiftVets.com

[Guest]

Double Tap"



Marine Response to a simple question

Regarding the news blurb about the Marine who put two rounds ("double
tap") in a wounded insurgent's head in Fallujah, here's a response from a
Marine:

"It's a safety issue, pure and simple. After assaulting through a target,
we put a security round in everybody's head. Sorry al-Reuters, there's no
paddy wagon rolling around Fallujah picking up "prisoners" and offering
them a hot cup a joe, falafel, and a blanket. There's no time to dick
around on the target. You clear the space, dump the chumps, and move
on.

Are Corpsman expected to treat wounded terrorists? Negative. Hey Libs,
worried about the defense budget? Well, it would be waste, fraud, and
abuse for a Corpsman to expend one man-minute or a battle dressing
on a terrorist. Its much cheaper to just spend the $.02 on a 5.56mm FMJ.

By the way, in our view, terrorists who chop off civilian's heads are not
prisoners, they are carcasses. Chopping off a civilian's head is another
reason why these idiots are known as "unlawful combatants." It seems
that most of the world's journalists have forgotten that fact.

Let me be very clear about this issue. I have looked around the web, and
many people get this concept, but there are some stragglers.


Here is your typical Marine sitrep (situation report): You just took fire
from unlawful combatants (no uniform - breaking every Geneva Convention
rule there is) shooting from a religious building attempting to use the
sanctuary status of their position as protection. But you're in Fallujah
now, and the Marine Corps has decided that they're not playing that game
this time. That was Najaf. So you set the mosque on fire and you hose down
the terrorists with small arms, launch some AT-4s (Rockets), some 40MM
grenades into the building and things quiet down. So you run over there,
and find some tangos (bad guys) wounded and pretending to be dead. You
are aware that suicide martyrdom is like really popular with these
idiots, and
they think taking some Marines with them would be really cool. So you
can either risk your life and your fire team's lives by having them
cover you
while you bend down and search a guy that you think is pretending to be
dead for some reason. Most of the time these are the guys with the grenade
or a vest made of explosives. Also, you don't know who or what is in the
next
room. You're already speaking English to the rest of your fire team or squad
which lets the terrorist know you are there and you are his enemy. You are
speaking loud because your hearing is poor from shooting people for several
days. So you know that there are many other rooms to enter, and that if
anyone is still alive in those rooms, they know that Americans are in the
mosque. Meanwhile (3 seconds later), you still have this terrorist (that
was just shooting at you from a mosque) playing possum. What do you
do? You double tap his head, and you go to the next room, that's what!

What about the Geneva Convention and all that Law of Land Warfare
stuff? What about it. Without even addressing the issues at hand, your first
thought should be, "I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6."

Bear in mind that this tactic of double tapping a fallen terrorist is a
perpetual mindset that is reinforced by experience on a minute by minute
basis. Secondly, you are fighting an unlawful combatant in a Sanctuary,
which is a double No-No on his part. Third, tactically you are in no
position to take "prisoners" because there are more rooms to search and
clear, and the behavior of said terrorist indicates that he is up to no
good. No good in Fallujah is a very large place and the low end of no good
and the high end of no good are fundamentally the same .. Marines end up
getting hurt or die. So there is no compelling reason for you to do
anything but double tap this idiot and get on with the mission.

If you are a veteran, then everything I have just written is self evident.
If you are not a veteran, then at least try to put yourself in the
situation. Remember, in Fallujah there is no yesterday, there is no
tomorrow, there is only now. Right NOW. Have you ever lived in NOW
for a week? It is really, really not easy. If you have never lived in NOW
for longer than it takes to finish the big roller coaster at Six Flags, then
shut your hole about putting Marines in jail for "War Crimes."


wow, war is hell.
God bless them all and thank you brothers.

[AMOS]

RIGHT ON. RIGHT ON. RIGHT ON. Good plan. It's about time.

[BuffaloJack]

100% Agreement from me.
If arrests are the goal then use police.
Use marines, soldiers, airmen and sailors only where the goal is to kill people and destroy stuff.
And if it absolutely positively has to be killed or destroyed overnight then we have Seals, Rangers, Special Forces, and SOCOM people.
No military persnnel should ever be more afraid of liberal lawyers than they are of the enemy.
_________________
Swift Boats - Qui Nhon (12/69-4/70), Cat Lo (4/70-5/70), Vung Tau (5/70-12/71)

[JN173]

With all due respect I must disagree. Such behavior is unacceptable. The gentlman quoted sounds more like a participant in the "Winter Soler" farce than a real grunt.
_________________
A Grunt
2/503 173rd Airborne Brigade
RVN '65-'66

[AMOS]

Better to 'double tap' than end up dead yourself. Come to think of it, there also triples in baseball, as well as doubles. America's sport.

[JN173]

There is a big difference between taking out someone you perceive to be a threat and going into a room with the full intent of killing everyone regardless of their condition or status.

The first in considered self defense. The second is premeditated murder in any court in any country. If we have sunken to the point where we don't insist on our troops making that destinction then we have truly become the villian in this fight.

Additionally just endorsing such statements plays directly into the hands of the Kerry's, Fondas, Sheehans, Murtha's, et., etc. in that it verifies the slander they and their ilk have been pouring on our tjroops for decades.
_________________
A Grunt
2/503 173rd Airborne Brigade
RVN '65-'66

[Deuce]

Great points...
Clearly more journalists will lose their heads over this issue before they get it!

Deuce

[Deuce]

Oh,
and a ps (or by now maybe a pps)
Some of us have lived in NOW for so long we just can't get to yesterday or tomorrow! Gotta be rough on the wives, specially 'bout this time of the year (Valentine's day)!

Deuce

[AMOS]

Merely put a hand on the enemy's shoulder and softly ask "Are you playing dead?" If he says "No", there's no need to worry about him.

[Guest]

[carpro]

Fightin' Words

You media pansies may squeal and may squirm,
But a fightin’ man knows that the way to confirm,
That some jihadist bastard truly is dead,
Is a brain-tappin’ round fired into his head.
To hell with some wienie with his journalist degree
Safe away from the combat, tryin’ to tell me,
I should check him for breathin,’ examine his eyes.
Nope, I’m punchin’ his ticket to Muj paradise.

To hell with you wimps from your Ivy League schools,
Sittin’ far from the war tellin’ me about rules
And preachin’ to me your wrong-headed contention
That I should observe the Geneva Convention,
Which doesn’t apply to a terrorist scum
So evil and cruel their own people run from,
Cold-blooded killers who love to behead,
Shove that mother’ Geneva, I’m leavin’ em dead.

You slick talking heads may preach, preen and prattle,
But you’re damn well not here in the thick of the battle.
It’s chaotic, confusin’ it all comes at you fast,
So it’s Muj checkin’ out because I’m going to last.
Yeah, I’ll last through this fight and send his ass away
To his fat ugly virgins while I’m still in play.
If you journalist wienies think that’s cold, cruel and crass,
Then pucker up sweeties, kiss a fightin’ man’s ass.

Russ Vaughn
2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division
Vietnam 65-66
_________________
"If he believes his 1971 indictment of his country and his fellow veterans was true, then he couldn't possibly be proud of his Vietnam service."

[AMOS]

Nice poem and very well said.

[JN173]

[BuffaloJack]

[Me#1You#10]

This topic evokes strong opinion on both sides. If the rhetoric level rises any further, the topic will be locked.

Please be sure to temper your responses before posting.

Thanks/me#1