Harry Reid once again showed how disconnected from reality he is, blaming the tragedy in Nevada with seven Marines killed Hawthorne Army Ammunition Depot in Nevada and seven or eight injured on sequestration…
Hawthorne is out in the middle of nowhere, about 120 miles Southeast of Reno, NV and transportation of the injured was almost surely an issue…
Among his other blather was this ‘gem’ of wisdom…
“Mr. President, it’s very important we continue training our military, so important. But one of the things in sequester is we cut back in training and maintenance. That’s the way sequester was written.”
You can go HERE and read the rest of his BS statement if you’d like. I’m hearing the Marines are NOT happy about this, and basically consider this nothing more that political posturing, using the dead Marines.
The problem is, exercises like this are planned WELL ahead of time, and safety IS always high on the priority. What has been done was to immediately isolate the lot of mortar rounds that included the round that blew, both stateside and downrange. The Marines ‘may’ also temporarily pull the 60mm Mortars from use until the accident investigation board is completed.
Actually, they HAVE banned the use of all 60mm mortars worldwide… Article HERE.
Thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the Marines who died, and all those who were injured. And I truly hope Reid and his ilk just SHUT UP!
The Democrats are shameless when it comes to making statements that seems to support their side of an issue. Facts or truth is not needed when their start blabbering. And the MSM licks it up like is was soul quenching. Prayers for the family’s of the Marines, too.
Re: Democrats blathering about military issues … some things never change. They will always trip over their own tongues as they rush toward any available microphone to opine. And it will always be idiocy of worst kind.
They CAN’T stop it. It’s not in them to stop it. It’s against their nature.
On another note:
I’m still enjoying your new digs here.
Just plain old everyday Washington evil.
CP- Yep…
Rev- I know, but still… “Dancing” in the blood of our Marines is just beyond the pale…
Reid’s a bitch for publicity.
Turns my stomach. No waiting for any facts, no concern for the emotions of the Marine’s families; just political blather.
Ed- Yep, and thanks!
ADM- True!
Stephen- Bitch or whore, same difference
WSF- Yep…
Reid continues to be one of the most disgusting politicians in the Senate . . . . hard to imagine people even calling him an American , , . .
I heard it was a mortar round that “went off” when they droped it in the tube.
How the heck could that happen?
Teh commies can never let a crisis go to waste. No matter who they offend.
drjim,
This more or less explains there are 3 “safety devices” in the M-734 fuze to prevent such an occurance. The chances of a premature detonation of the HE round is suppose to be zero, but exceptions do happen.
Read from the manual:
In the 60mm morter round axial acceleration and wind stream forces combine to arm the fuze 100 meters or more from the launcher This mechanical arming is accomplished by a torsion spring rotating the detonators 180 degrees into an explosive train alignment as soon as the spring is unlocked by the acceleration forces depressing a Zig-Zag Setback Device and the wind stream forces unscrewing a Jackscrew locking device.
This delay in mechanical arming after two independent features of gunfire is a basic safety requirementcalled “dual-safing.”
An unprecedented third safety factor incorporated as a product improvement in the M734A1 fuze was to delay the electrical arming of the PROX, NSB, and IMP settings beyond 100 meters out to the highest point of mortar flight (apex).
I figured there were redundant safeties that required the round to be out of the tube, and headed downrange.
Sabotage, maybe?
Eia- It DOES make one wonder…
drjim- NO idea… But it was a major malfunction
Opus- You are correct Lady, and they get away with it due to PCism…
bogside- Thanks for the explanation…
I can’t understand how there are enough disgusting people in Utah to keep re-electing this guy.
It would be nice, but probably asking too much, to have the media call him out on this. But his lack of honesty and integrity will not be pointed out because he is of the media-preferred political party.
I could be wrong, but this sort of thing seems to come so often from those who never served. Of course, that’s the case with the majority these days.
PH- Nevada…
Murph- You’re right, they won’t!
RM- Yeah, but at least we DO have some vets coming up that are getting into politics (Allan West, et al)
Dingy harry Reid is lower that whale droppings on the ocean floor
Just disgusting.
Fuzzy- True!
Jenn- Agreed!