Article

2013-05-26 Europe

French soldier stabbed while on patrol near Paris

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Steve White 2013-05-26 00:00|| || Front Page|| [2 views ] Top

#1 The relative safety of my armchair, this appears to be an urban combat patrol TTP rear security lapse. Yes, a blinding flash, but in need of saying nonetheless. I doubt the French will permit a reoccurrence.

Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told journalists near the site of the attack: "The soldier was attacked because he is a soldier."

Not at all certain I agree with the Defense Minister's assessment.

Posted by Besoeker 2013-05-26 01:47|| 2013-05-26 01:47|| Front Page Top

#2 ROEs are:

1) Three men patrols
2) Only the patrol lader has a loaded weeapon.
3) This loaded weapon is usually a pistol. Rarely a FAMAS (assault rifle in the M16 class);
4) the two other members have FAMAS but nomagazine in them. Magazines are in pouches carried t the belt and in addditionthey are wrapped in sealed plastic pouchs.
5)Unless you had a vey good reason for oing so Thre will be hell to pay for both the soldier and the leade if at the end of patrol magazines are not in their sealed pouches
6) I don't remembe if the FAMASes have fixed bayonnets

Posted by JFM 2013-05-26 05:05|| 2013-05-26 05:05|| Front Page Top

#3 The ROEs are a recipe for arming the other side. It just takes a couple really armed (locked and loaded) to relieve anyone in the patrols of their unloaded main weapons. Get the drop on the NCO/Officer with the one gun and the rest will follow.

If you don't trust your soldiers, don't put them out there.

If you give them a rifle, give them the ammunition that goes with it.

Posted by Procopius2k 2013-05-26 08:21|| 2013-05-26 08:21|| Front Page Top

#4 thx JFM - my first thought was that they prolly were carrying unloaded weapons

Posted by Frank G 2013-05-26 09:15|| 2013-05-26 09:15|| Front Page Top

#5 I've never understood this unloaded weapon nonsense. An unloaded rifle is just an elaborate club. Might as well give them cellphones to call the police. Only minutes away...

Thanks to JFM for the details.

Posted by SteveS 2013-05-26 12:44|| 2013-05-26 12:44|| Front Page Top

#6 Thanks for the thanks. Thinking about it if they gave cellphones to the soldiers the police would arrive sooner as them being able to extract the magazine from first pouch, then from the second sealed one, the inserting magazine and cocking weapon.

Posted by JFM 2013-05-26 17:24|| 2013-05-26 17:24|| Front Page Top

23:16 Pappy
22:56 DarthVader
22:43 European Conservative
22:13 Bobby
22:06 Bobby
21:34 tipper
20:12 Thing From Snowy Mountain
19:35 Procopius2k
19:10 Besoeker on the road again
19:08 Frank G
19:07 Alaska Paul
19:01 Alaska Paul
18:45 Frank G
18:07 Bright Pebbles
17:54 Elmerert Hupens2660
17:37 Shipman
17:31 Shipman
17:31 Alaska Paul
17:29 Shipman
17:28 Shipman
17:25 Shipman
17:24 JFM
17:24 Alaska Paul
17:15 M. Murcek