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Last updated on March 6th, 2018 at 12:30 am
An Australian soldier has been killed in Iraq; shot while cleaning his weapon.
UPDATE. Chief Bastard has background on weapons maintenance.
UPDATE II. John Howard and Alexander Downer are responsible, apparently.
UPDATE III. Four Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
- How very tragic. My condolences.Posted by RebeccaH on 2006 04 22 at 10:17 AM • permalink
- This is very sad.
I’ve heard that there are problems with the safety catch on some Australian rifles; I hope that something can be done to prevent accidents like this in future.
Posted by Evil Pundit on 2006 04 22 at 10:22 AM • permalink
- Oh how sad. My condolences as well.Posted by Mr. Bingley on 2006 04 22 at 10:29 AM • permalink
- All sympathies to friends and family, but geoff asks the question of the moment.Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2006 04 22 at 10:31 AM • permalink
- My condolences to the family as well. However this happened, it is tragic.
But go read Chief Bastard’s post if you are confused as to how this happened. That clears things up, I think.
Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 2006 04 22 at 10:39 AM • permalink
- How awful, all my sympathies for the man’s family.
geoff: Yeah, unfortunately, it can happen. It *shouldn’t* happen, and I’d assume they’re going to review weapons-handling procedures to see how clearing the chamber might’ve been overlooked and how the weapon was allowed into a position where it could shoot him in the head, but an accidental discharge during cleaning isn’t out of the question: I probably hear a story twice a year about something similar, although very rarely is it fatal.
Opposition leader Kim Beazley said this was a brutal reminder that Iraq was a dangerous place…
I think Beazley should stop talking now.
Posted by Aaron – Freewill on 2006 04 22 at 11:06 AM • permalink
- How very sad. Condolences to all.
Somehow, the losses from things like accidents and friendly fire are almost harder to take than the battle casualties. Don’t know why that is.
Posted by Kyda Sylvester on 2006 04 22 at 11:18 AM • permalink
- With the F88 it is almost impossible to see into the chamber (when inspecting the weapon you used to remove the barrel to check).
I see 2 credible possibilities, faulty weapon (but why did he point it at himself without having first cleared it?)
or
he didn’t follow the laid down proceedure.
I’d lean towards the second explaination (unless the bullet that hit him was a ricochet) as I can see no reason why he would be pointing a loaded weapon at himself at any time.
It looks like a tragic mistake.
Posted by Harry Buttle on 2006 04 22 at 11:19 AM • permalink
- I think Harry (#11) has it right.
Major error in procedure. Even with the Army’s constant training and repetition of safe handling procedures, errors can happen.A tragic loss of life.
However it happened, my deepest sympathy to the soldier’s family and his comrades in arms.
Posted by Pedro the Ignorant on 2006 04 22 at 12:02 PM • permalink
- Chief Bastard makes some good points.
Last year, Salvatore Marracino, an Italian paratrooper, shot himself in the head while clearing a jammed rifle during target practice.
I wonder if these aren’t examples of familiarity breeding dangerous short cuts.
Posted by Bruce Rheinstein on 2006 04 22 at 12:14 PM • permalink
- Not to marginalise what happened, but my best mate had 3 blokes die in his training group without a weapon fired.
By its nature sticking (mainly) young men in charge of firearms, multi tonne machinery and explosives should see hundreds dead. That it doesnt is a tribute to them and their instructors.
My sister nearly shot me once and we were raised with rifles (she assures me it was an accident).Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 04 22 at 12:28 PM • permalink
- My sincere condolences to the family and friends of this fallen soldier.Posted by MentalFloss on 2006 04 22 at 05:35 PM • permalink
- I agree with 91B30.
Maybe their rationale for using the word “victim” is the nature of the attack—not soldiers facing one another in battle, but an improvised explosive device left by cowards at the side of the road that might have killed anyone—combatant/non-combatant, man, woman or child.
Posted by MentalFloss on 2006 04 22 at 07:51 PM • permalink
- What a tragic waste of life.
My condolences and sympathy for the family of this fine young man.Posted by deadparrot on 2006 04 22 at 08:31 PM • permalink
- A commenter at Tim Dunlop’s blog asks:
We hear very little – in fact nothing – of what’s going on between our troops and the locals in Iraq. If they were making such a huge impact, how come it’s not plastered all over the media in an orgy of military glorification?
At last, the anti-war contingent are asking the same question as the rest of us!
Somehow, the losses from things like accidents and friendly fire are almost harder to take than the battle casualties. Don’t know why that is.
Kyda, that’s because they are potentially avoidable. Accidents (and friendly fire) will happen, no matter how many safety procedures you throw in, but ultimately, someone makes a mistake. We’re only human, after all.
And it’s that same humanity that causes us to feel some degree of guilt anyway. All one can do is try to learn from what happened, mourn our losses, and move on.
Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 2006 04 22 at 11:42 PM • permalink
He sounds like he cleared his weapon without taking the magazine off and accidently left a round in the chamber. It’s easily done.
…And wrong.
I am sad that a defender of this country has lost his life, however the fact remains, unless someone can demonstrate a significant malfunction of the weapon, it looks like he is a nominee for a Darwin Award.
The fact is, anyone who cleans or maintains a weapon without clearing it, is a fool. There is no such thing as an “accidental discharge” with a functioning weapon. Only a “negligent discharge” which is what usually costs lives.
There are four critical safety rules for handling firearms.
1) Treat all guns as if loaded.
2) Don’t point the weapon at anything you do not wish to shoot. (like your head)
3) Off target, off trigger (If your weapon is off your target, your finger stays off trigger).
4) Be aware of your target, its foreground and background.Having been shot in the head, the soldier clearly needed revision of rules 1, 2 and 3. Unless it was a suicide.
Sadly, many Police and Soldiers become complacent with their weapons, having to handle them daily. It is this complacency which results in them being injured.
Check out this idiot DEA officer, who shot himself in the leg in front of a class of children (who he was teaching gun safety!) He is now suing the DEA for leaking the embarrassing video which someone took. Video of said idiot here..
The clueless reporter refers to it as an “accident” (as does the officer referring to it as an “AD”) when he was well and truly negligent, insisting the weapon was clear when it obviously wasn’t. Thank God nobody else (i.e. a kid) was injured.
- My condolences for the family.
A month or two ago, Tim Dunlop lamented my absence. Based on this comment, to use a random quote, screw Dunlop.
It’s times like this that reminds me that some opponents of the invasion of Iraq are not merely misguided idealists.
- Dan
“The fact is, anyone who cleans or maintains a weapon without clearing it, is a fool. There is no such thing as an “accidental discharge” with a functioning weapon. Only a “negligent discharge” which is what usually costs lives.”
You are correct the ADF have changed it to Negligent Discharge and NDs are not committed by “fools” as you claim but by people with inexperience or/and who make mistakes. The ADF do not treat NDs lightly and soldiers who commit one even in training using blanks are even Charged. Most NDs are committed by Officers because the SSO training is short and firearm training inadequate. However, they are always looking for ways to improve these things.
The soldier who died was a trained sniper. My bet is his weapon malfunctioned. These guys are extremely well trained and he would never have pointed his weapon at his own head whilst cleaning it.
- He shot himself with a 9mm pistol, he may not have been as well trained on the 9mm as he was on other weapons.
I’ve seen some very scary things done with pistols, its very easy to wave around such a short barrel.
Posted by Harry Buttle on 2006 04 23 at 06:32 AM • permalink
- Once again, Harry is on the money. (#31)
Infantrymen do not use pistols as an everyday weapon.
Special duties like SECDEF Iraq require different weapons and skills, and he may not have had the level of training that all Infantrymen are required to have in using their usual personal weapons.
The 9mm Browning can be very unforgiving of mistakes in handling drills.
No second guessing or finger pointing here, just a very real sadness that a life has been lost.
What a bloody tragedy.
“Old Faithful” is hurting tonight, both the current diggers and the old and bold.
Posted by Pedro the Ignorant on 2006 04 23 at 08:41 AM • permalink
The soldier who died was a trained sniper. My bet is his weapon malfunctioned. These guys are extremely well trained and he would never have pointed his weapon at his own head whilst cleaning it.
Anyone trained in handling weapons would never have pointed his weapon at his own head period. Malfunction or not, he obviously wasn’t handling his weapon safely at the moment of discharge. Even well-trained people can have moments of carelessness, and it’s just unfortunate that his moment of carelessness resulted in his death.
As funny as it is, I think the video of the DEA agent is instructive. This man served as a DEA agent for many years before the incident, and unlike an infantryman, his handgun would have been the main weapon he trained with and used everyday.
- A young female reservist inadvertently killed herself with the Browning in the 90’s on Greenbank Range via handling error. Shot herself in the chest. How? Tried to cock the weapon and turned it towards herself whilst she did so. Had her finger on the trigger at the same time, working parts released, bang, dead. A similar scenario is certainly feasible in this situation.
- #30
You are correct the ADF have changed it to Negligent Discharge and NDs are not committed by “fools” as you claim but by people with inexperience or/and who make mistakes.
What I actually said, was “anyone who cleans or maintains a weapon without clearing it, is a fool” and I stand by that.
I believe #31 makes some good points about the pistol not being his primary weapon hence the unfamiliarity, however again, if he were cleaning it as the reports suggest…
The link Tim provided to Chief Bastard suggests the ADF may have other problems with weapons handling. Having played with firearms (so to speak) since I was a lad, I am so acutely aware of the safety rules I mentioned above, I get uncomfortable when people even point their fingers at me. I remain at a loss how anybody could point a weapon, unloaded or otherwise, at their own head.
On the other hand, Bugs Bunny taught me one can stop a bullet by sticking one’s finger down the barrel, however this can cause the barrel to explode covering all present with soot, or periodically relocating their beak to the back of their head with no loss of life. I recommend tying the barrel in a knot to avoid this.
- #35 I heard that one a little differently. Reservists at an indoor range all using the browning pistol. Three members shooting safely downrange. A right handed shooter had a stoppage. He turns tries to clear the stoppage by re-cocking. He has 2 members to his left. Stoppage does not clear. While still facing down range turns the pistol 90 degrees to the left. Re-cocks. Stoppage clears. Pulls trigger. Bang. Round goes through heart of remale reservist to his left. She bleeds to death. Bullet lodges in leg of 3rd person who is standing to the left of the female reservist.
- A terrible tragedy.
Hopefully, if something good comes of this it will be taking the Browning SLP out of service and replacing it with a better weapon.
The Royal Australian Armoured Corps pushed for a replacement weapon back in the early ‘90s, if not earlier, and were told that it was too expensive and too low a priority in the Infantry dominated Army. Idiots!!
- #38
I’ve never heard either story, but your version sounds like the making of an urban legend.
What was the construction of the indoor range? Were there baffles between the shooters (i.e. cubicles)? Where was the Range Safety Officer during this, especially if the shooters were (obviously) inexperienced reservists?
Were they shooting hollow points? The subsequent injury sounds a bit dodgy.
I’m not saying it couldn’t happen, but…
- Accidental discharge while cleaning? WTF? That’s bullshit. The weapon shouldn’t be cocked and loaded while cleaning is taking place. It was 30 years ago when I was using an SLR, but I am sure I remember that prior to cleaning you had to uncock the weapon, remove the magazine and make sure that the breech was clear.
Poor bastard stuffed up. What sort of safety/weapons drills are these soldiers getting these days?
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