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Subscribe to RSSJOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – A company of soldiers has been released from lockdown at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington as criminal investigators probe the theft of $600,000 worth of weapons accessories.
About 100 soldiers from the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division were allowed to return home Tuesday evening after being restricted to their battalion headquarters since Jan. 4.
Sources told KING5 the equipment went missing sometime between Christmas and New Year's. Someone realized a lock had been changed in the weapons room, and no one had a key to it.
Read original story on KING5.com
After breaking through the lock, JBLM officials tallied about $600,000 worth of missing weapon sights, night vision devices, optics, rifle scopes and other items.
NBC sources said they do not believe the equipment was stolen for espionage, but rather to sell for profit.
Brigade commander Col. Michael Getchell told The Associated Press the restrictions "have been an integral part of the investigation."
An Associated Press phone message to the investigating office was not immediately returned.
Lockdowns are a common military practice in cases like these, JBLM spokesman Major Chris Ophardt told NWCN.com.
In March 2001, about 150 soldiers faced a similar situation over a one pair of missing night vision goggles, he said.
KING5 and The AP contributed to this report.
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I thought the military didn't have waste fraud and abuse...that's what the flag waving chickenhawk party keeps telling us as they raise spending again...and sends the bill to our kids and grandkids
Funny how they made such a big deal about this, yet when a semi-trailer full of cash came up missing in Iraq we didn't hear about for months.
If the merchandise is gone, locking up the people they think did it, is pointless.
No wonder they do too, I think they went about this all wrong. I'm betting the lock was changed by the thief after they cut off the original lock in part so that no one would notice it missing, but also because it would mean they could keep coming back for more (since they had the key). Throw up a camera, put up a new lock, and watch to see who tries to open it next. Of course, all that assumes the thief wasn't part of the group that was originally notified of the theft.
Rick, I spent four years in the Air Force, and I do not recall anyone saying there was no waste, fraud, and abuse in the military. Just the opposite. We had hot lines to report such things. The military has its share of thieves, druggies, and thugs just like most places that would employee a lot of young people that are not necessarily the cream of the crop.
Yep lock the barn door after the cow got out!!!!! I too think that they should have watched to see if someone came back for more, after all crooks ain't to bright and very greedy!!!!
But I must say that the last time they had a weapon missing and they locked down, they caught a armed robber that had robbed the pawn shop here in Kittitas at gun point! and thn taken the gun onto a military base with hightened security!!!! like I say not to bright!!!!!!
You sir do not know the history of what party started WW1,WWII, KOREA, VIETNAM, Clinton's wars, The Jackass Party. Get your facts straight, or do they teach true history in schools now?
Soldier -- hmm ... my history book taught that the Kaiser, Hitler/Hirohito, North Koreans and French started WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam respectively.
My question is why did they lock them down in the first place, only to release them without finding the equipment????
I know the USMC does a check of all equipment before any is allowed to leave for the day. Perhaps the Army should start doing the same. Those items that are "sensitive" should have armed guards or at least a surveillance camera so they know who has been in the Tool boxes and supply cabinets.
They do a lockdown when something is found missing to try and prevent whoever took it from getting out of the area with it. When it is obvious that the gear is already gone and no one is willing to come clean then there is no reason to continue a lockdown.
It's also collective punishment or Negative incentive -
Actions like this is why very few consider reupping.
Sometimes that's the only option you have. And if a lockdown is all it takes to make someone decide not to re-enlist then good riddance.
In a situation like this, doing an equipment check before anyone leaves for the day would not have helped. The lock was apparently cut and the equipment was stolen after it was all checked back in. The lock was replaced to delay alerting anyone to the theft until the equipment was long gone. The Army probably did do surveillance of the area after the equipment was found missing but before publicizing the crime just in case the thieves returned for more. It would have helped if there were surveillance cameras in place with recordings. Maybe they did have cameras, if they did, then this raises more questions.
My Friend, A Armsroom check is made daily by the X.O. , Armorer, and the CQ, The Security system is turned on, A call must be made to the Military Police to confirm the system is on, Door is locked. Security Doors Loocked, Keys put into security container, Locked, Took to the Safe, Locked in the safe by the commander. Now how much more security do you need?
Locked in a secure area ( caged ) if need be and assigned ( signed ) out for WTF - over ! These are MILITARY ( top shelf) stuff.....OUR tax dollars at work...FBI mis -places weapons and computers with sensitive info on them...they don't need spy's, we just give it away !!!!! Iran you want nukes , check the garbage can behind Ft Lewis , try to get there before Iraq does.....
The newest revelation that the army has wasted billions on radios had not made it onto msnbc yet? The GOP chickenhawk party is disgusting in their defense of the warfare state.
You Maggot, go jump off a cliff. low lifes like you are a problem, you people hate the military so you believe everything you hear. You can not back up anything you say.
In a few weeks, they will discover that the equipment was never missing - that it was some kind of inventory error.
"Someone changed the lock" Really ! It's the army for christ sake they should be able to find out who. What was it a padlock, gimmie a break!
As a matter of fact yes it would be a Series 200 padlock.
80% of the military and security today in America is a complete joke...... Children sneak on and off that base all of the time to visit young soldiers.... by children meaning 15yrs. and up.
Need to find out who in the 4th Stryker Brigade is still affiliated with the gang bangers back home and than you will find out who stole the missing equipment.
Over 8,000 times that amount vanished in Iraq. Cargo plane full of cash... and suddenly *poof*, gone. And who was keeping an eye on it? Why, none other than a 24 year old who had ties to the Bush campaign. What was done? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Look at Wall Street. Again, nothing. Absolutely nothing done about their fraud.
Lesson: If you want to steal, steal BIG.
You are a complete Idiot. A kool Aide drinking one, When are you people going to get over bush..
Maybe next time they will invest in a CCTV camera system, runs about $300.
Where are all the cameras?
They probably have cameras. But the data was....misplaced....or corrupted...or hacked........
Guys just wanted to use the IR goggles to see through the girls clothes. Too bad homoland security don't us them instead of the touchy feely method.
Who cares. The military is no longer an honorable profession. Sexual deviancy and moral depravity is now condoned, promoted, and defended by the United States.
God help us all.
The military is not honorable? Really? After many tours in Iraq and many months away from my family.. who also serves as I do.. Damn you. I cannot understand people like you. I, like my job and take it very seriously. Not all of us believe in negativity and serve doing things correct and make morally right decision.
Fred Phelps, is that you?
Where can i buy these scopes xD
The $600,000 of missing inventory was likely chalked up over many years - It took one event for them to do a formal inventory and then pin all of the losses on this one company.
Same thing happened on my ship. A supply clerk got caught stealing sometihng small - but the brass decided to do a complete inventory of the supply system and then held this poor slob accountable for $5 million of missing inventory.
A spy or terrorist can do their shopping on EBay. That's a time-saver.
Un-effing believable. I'm from a military which grilled you and sent you a bill if you lost your gear when a 155 howitzer shell blew you halfway into the next county ("Where's your OTHER shoe, soldier? The Army paid for that, you know, so don't be telling me it came off in no damn explosion...") - and now $600K of (really cool, expensive) stuff goes missing because nobody does a routine inventory? WTF?
Look, the Military has (or, at least had) a code about this type of stuff - the guy at the top is responsible. So, start tracing it upward until you reach the highest, responsible person. Company commander? Regimental commander? Base commander? Theatre commander? Leon Pannetta? However far it has to go - and then you cashier them. It may not be justice the way the civilian world understands it, but it damn well serves to make sure that the officers and non-coms do the stuff they are supposed to do, like check the security on and inventory the weapons and equipment lockers, which is about as elementary a precaution as you can take.
What happen to the , CQ, SDNCO, OD making Security Checks? Physical security required checks every two hours, The logs on the Armsroom had to reflect your checks, We had JSSID security systems that had to be disarmed. It was hooked to the Military Police Station...
all equipment that was assigned to individual soldiers is normally signed for by the soldier and accounted for by the squad leader, typically an NCO which is called a green 2 report. The said equipment when done with use after a military op is then stored with the supply aka arms room then packed in boxes, put into a conex and shipped under guard, so on and so on. So sometime when the equipment was shipped if it is up to the commander the soldiers carry this equipment with them then turned in after landing going to the unit arms room is where it all begins. One cannot blame the unit commander, he only has to worry about getting his men from point A to point B. Everything else is delagated downward as with unit policy and SOP. If you were in the military, you would know this.
Time to start checking around on Craigslist and eBay...
In due time the CID will track these persons or person down....
Because the items went missing between Dec 25 and Jan 1. That also happens to be the time when the majority of troops take their leave to be with family( which is highly encouraged by command). It was a brilliant time to plan a massive theft that would take hours if not days to pull off completely.
We had a incident in my company. People who are living in the barracks have to store they're personnel weapons in the arms room. On the day we where going on leave one of my squad members wanted to sign out his weapon. It was missing. Sure enough we where on lock down. 1sgt gave us the option with a amnesty box. One person goes in stays in for 5 seconds then the next. The weapon showed up. Thank God. Otherwise we would have been on lock down waiting for MP's and CID. But besides theft i think the biggest issue in the military is drugs....
I remember that. 2001 I was stationed in Bamberg Germany, we lost a pair of NVG's in a case. Look all over the motor pool at night looking for it. It was found on one of the 5 ton trucks in between the seat rail and the tarp that covers the back of the truck. The next day I was walking out of the motor pool and one of the investigator pull me to the side and ask if I can tell if there I could see the bulge coming out of the tarp. I said you have to understand we were looking for it at night in pitch black darkness with little or no light, theres a difference.
This happened to me when I was stationed at Lee Barracks in Germany back in 87'. We got locked down for 2 weeks over a pair of NODs, ( night optical devices ). Ends up that a PFC that had just transfered with orders to Ft. Benning had sent them home to his mom. He got caught because his mommy did'nt know what they were and took them to the recruiting station where he enlisted to find ouy what the hell he had sent her. Needless to say that the recruiters contacted Army CID. What a dumbass!!!!! This happened in A Co. 2/87 Inf. Mainz, West Germany. If anyone on here was there then and remembers this, please reply.
You 2-87 guys always were a bunch of yahoos. Nothing like that ever happened in 1-87 (sarc.)
:p
And to all you pansy ass bully bait nutjobs on here that keep talking @!$%# about the so called warmongering jackboots in service of this great nation, REMEMBER THIS!! If it was'nt for us you would probably be speaking German, Japanese, or Russian. We are the reason you have the right to speak your mind, live your life within the laws, and live where you please. If you don't believe this, than you are more than welcome to move to N. Korea and see how well you fair.
Ratranger.... you forgot Farsi.
Nevermind.... Achmed wants us all dead, not able to speak a different language.