Oh crap...we're screwed....

[AZXD]

Originally Posted by devildog12210

Thats crazy when you stop and think about it?!?!?!

Thats the truth when you stop and think about it!

[AZXD]

Originally Posted by one-eyed-fatman

The bad side to this is BW people are much better trained/experienced than most of our NG and local law enforcers. I'll put my money on BW any day against NG's on a government budget and the junk equipment our government gives them.

Will you please stop stating the obvious

[chupacabrachus]

Originally Posted by one-eyed-fatman

The bad side to this is BW people are much better trained/experienced than most of our NG and local law enforcers. I'll put my money on BW any day against NG's on a government budget and the junk equipment our government gives them.

That can vary as much from one state to another as it can one unit to another... too many variables really to compare an entire single state's national guard and or reserve to BW.

ETA: Not to mention NG's got armor, air, arty, etc etc etc etc the list goes on. Don't forget either that ARNG also has 2 special forces groups. I'd say ARNG is quite the force to be reckoned with, even though they get a lot of **** from the active branch.

[gsh341]

Originally Posted by chupacabrachus

That can vary as much from one state to another as it can one unit to another... too many variables really to compare an entire single state's national guard and or reserve to BW.

ETA: Not to mention NG's got armor, air, arty, etc etc etc etc the list goes on. Don't forget either that ARNG also has 2 special forces groups. I'd say ARNG is quite the force to be reckoned with, even though they get a lot of **** from the active branch.

I agree.

I have seen some totally awful Guard units and I have seen some totally awesome Guard units. It depends a lot on the unit leadership.

The big difference between Active Duty units and Guard isn't the skill of the soldiers, it's the skill sets. Active Duty does their job and that's about it. I know, because I was active duty for 4 years. The Guard on the other hand crams all the training into 40 days a year while maintaining a civilian career that may or may not have anything to do with their MOS. The only way to do this is to be highly motivated, hard working and be able to cut through BS and red tape.

Here's an example.

While on active duty I had to qualify several times with my M-16. It took my unit half the morning to get the range open, the rest of the morning and the first part of the afternoon to get everyone zeroed, and the rest of the day to rush everyone through qualification to close the range by 5pm so the civilian range control could all go home. Then we turned in our weapons dirty because there wasn't enough time to get them all cleaned and inspected. The weapons were cleaned and inspected the next day and we finished by noon. The officers were qualified another day and that was just as big a fiasco as the rifle range.

My Guard unit had the range open by 8am, and the first zeroing shots fired by 8:30am. As soon as enough people zeroed to form a complete firing order, those soldiers went to qualify. As soon as enough people were zeroed to form the next firing order, they became the next group to qualify. About this time we had lunch. Then we proceeded to get the rest of the unit qualified in the same manner by 3pm. Then we qualified all the officers on the M-9 range and still closed the ranges by 4:30. The unit then teamed up to clean the last firing orders weapons (since their weapons were cleaned while at the range) and we were all finished, cleaned up and ready for dinner by 5:30pm.

This can-do attitude is pervasive in the SDNG and during our deployment we out performed the active duty units on just about everything. We hauled more, drove more, and did it all faster than the active duty. We also had less injuries, illness and equipment failures. Our troops looked forward to missions and were never looking for excuses to stay in camp.

I saw quite a few active duty units that couldn't claim the same.

[slipey76]

Originally Posted by Captain Jack

Recon? I dunno...that's a question I was going to ask myself. Personally, I do not trust them They're hired guns who will do any job as long as it pays. Their cause is money, not protection.

DING DING DING WE HAVE A WINNER!!!! That best describes it. What if these people were given the job of taking weapons away how dangerous are they? I know of blackwater and have heard of them and know what they do, but are they just hired guns off the street or more of a professional organization of ex military and SF?

[Etta Place]

Originally Posted by SgtWKPII

I was offered a position at Blackwater, but declined.

A wise move.

[Etta Place]

Originally Posted by TRIGRHAPPY

You are an idiot. I doubt you would recognise loss of liberty if it arrested you without reason and threw you in a prison that doesn't exist. Why is the U.S. using mercinaries, and allowing them to build a para-military force? We can't police the U.S. with active duty military, but there is nothing stopping the federal government from using these guys to do it, which they've already done.....on the ground in the contintental united states.

Blackwater, and our government's use of it, is a direct threat to the personal civil liberties of ALL Americans.

I totally agree. They scare me. Their existence definitely threatens our liberty.

They just obtained a facility here in San Diego near the Mexican border. They are doing naval training. Residents here were totally against it, but a Federal judge ruled that they had the right to do it. They call themselves "vocational training."

[Etta Place]

Originally Posted by livinloud5

Years has nothing to do with it.

But ok, my post was misunderstood.

I myself am not pro Blackwater or against Blackwater. I do not like the fact that they make there own rules. Or that they abuse the rules. and that they can be used against us Americans.

My rant was that the Blackwater troops can do what ever they want, but if an American soldier steps out of line once, then they are sent back to the U.S. and prosecuted. As where the Blackwater troops aren't.

Blake.

That's a weakness of the system that Blackwater people wouldn't be prosecuted.

[chupacabrachus]

Originally Posted by Etta Place

..."vocational training."

Which is 100% true.

[DanTheEldest]

Originally Posted by Etta Place

I totally agree. They scare me. Their existence definitely threatens our liberty.

I tend to be more worried about the folks in Congress and the candidates running for Prez than BW when it comes to threats to our liberty, but you are entitled to your fears.