[Flipside]

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2009/sep/12/marines-take-risks-deadly-game/

Raleigh, N.C. — Lance Cpl. Patrick Malone was relaxing on his bunk at an Iraqi combat base when a direct superior interrupted his late-night movie.

It was time for a game Marines sometimes play to build confidence in colleagues: Point a gun at a comrade and ask, “Do you trust me?”

Cpl. Mathew Nelson raised his weapon — and the 9 mm pistol went off, striking Malone in the head. The higher-ranking Marine rushed to the wounded man’s side and tried to perform CPR, but Malone was mortally wounded.

Of all the stupid, irresponsible..... Words pretty much fail me as to how completely idiotic and brainless this is.

[General Battuta]

It is.

Yes, yes, I'm sure we'll hear the usual flood of 'you have to trust your comrade with your life' and 'this practice might save more lives than it costs', but, c'mon, it's basic firearms safety.

Don't point your weapon at anything that you are not prepared to kill.

[iamzack]

I can’t believe the Marines, these professional soldiers, are playing these games.

I certainly can. This sounds exactly like something either/both of my parents would do.

[Flipside]

Thing is, if your fellow soldiers are pointing their guns at you in any situation, then they've failed to grasp an extremely simple premise of being in the Army.

[iamzack]

Marines are in the Navy.

[Flipside]

I was wondering what form of pedantry would be the response, I was actually expecting someone to mention training or firing squads, so kudos, at least, for being original.

[Akalabeth Angel]

Evidently the guy on the bunk should've said "hell no I don't trust you. Get away from me"

[IronBeer]

/Facepalm. Not saying anything original, just reinforcing.

[iamzack]

I was wondering what form of pedantry would be the response, I was actually expecting someone to mention training or firing squads, so kudos, at least, for being original.

Do you mean in defense? Marines typically aren't all that bright, and are very focused on bravado and manliness, in my experience, so this sort of thing never surprises me. I would be surprised if it was Army or Air Force, though.

[NGTM-1R]

Do you mean in defense? Marines typically aren't all that bright, and are very focused on bravado and manliness, in my experience, so this sort of thing never surprises me. I would be surprised if it was Army or Air Force, though.

You deal with a very different Marine Corps than I do.

I would be pretty surprised if anyone offically sanctions this kind of craziness.

[iamzack]

Officially, of course not. But folks in the military do lots of really stupid not officially sanctioned things while on duty. There are retards in every business, it's just that most of them don't get weapons.

[Mika]

Words fail me

Given that I have been about to get blown up by a soldier kicking unexploded mortar shell, yes, I do believe that story. Or that a wooden bullet almost hit my ass because some guy cleaning his "already removed the clip" weapon hadn't checked if it was also loaded. Both of these cases were unintentional and didn't have any bravado in them, only lots of combat fatigue.

I have heard similar accounts of US Marine forces as iamzack describes. And I have never been in US.

[Akalabeth Angel]

Words fail me

Given that I have been about to get blown up by a soldier kicking unexploded mortar shell, yes, I do believe that story. Or that a wooden bullet almost hit my ass because some guy cleaning his "already removed the clip" weapon hadn't checked if it was also loaded. Both of these cases were unintentional and didn't have any bravado in them, only lots of combat fatigue.

I have heard similar accounts of US Marine forces as iamzack describes. And I have never been in US.

One time I looked at the US Casualty list in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was amazing how many deaths were non-combat related.

Motor-Vehicle Accident
Tire Exploding
etcetera

[iamzack]

When my dad was in Iraq he and his buddies flipped a humvee. For the luls.

[BloodEagle]

When my dad was in Iraq he and his buddies flipped a humvee. For the luls.

Pictures or it didn't happen. 

[redsniper]

Don't point your weapon at anything that you are not prepared to kill.

I mean seriously...

[Flipside]

I was wondering what form of pedantry would be the response, I was actually expecting someone to mention training or firing squads, so kudos, at least, for being original.

Do you mean in defense? Marines typically aren't all that bright, and are very focused on bravado and manliness, in my experience, so this sort of thing never surprises me. I would be surprised if it was Army or Air Force, though.

What I actually meant was that this is Hard-Light, and we love to nitpick

[StarSlayer]

This case is FUMTU

But iamzack is correct in that bored Jarheads equals trouble brewing.

[Dilmah G]

And THIS, is why you become an officer. So you're not sitting next to someone who may well have nearly failed the general aptitude test for entry.

[Bobboau]

I will let the marines determine how the marines handel themselves.

but it does sound like the guy should have answered 'no'