US Marines= Irresponsible children?

[Pantomime-Horse]

Emu shooting an accident say Marines

An emu shot dead by United States marines firing live ammunition on a rifle range may have been behind the targets, a US Marine Corps spokesman said.

Captain Jeffrey Pool told AAP the emu was shot on May 8 when the marines were training for the Tandem Thrust joint military exercise underway in the Shoalwater Bay area of Queensland.

"When it was learned the emu had been shot the firing exercise was halted immediately and the Marine Corps launched an investigation and the personnel were stood down and re-briefed on environmental regulations," Capt Pool said.

"I would love to be able to say it was an accident but until the inquiry is completed I cannot," he said.

"The emu may have wandered into the line of fire. Or it may have been behind the targets but within the impact area."

Responding to claims by Australian conservationists that US servicemen had shot and skinned wallabies for trophies during previous Tandem Thrust exercises, Cpt Pool said: "That goes against every basic training principal learned in boot camp."

Cpt Pool said if it was found a US marine had deliberately shot the emu and the individual was identified he would be charged under US Marine regulations and Australian laws.

Australia's Wildlife Protection Agency president Pat O'Brein said conservationists were horrified but not surprised over the emu incident.

Mr O'Brien said: "We've had good authentic reports that the last time the Americans were here some were shooting wallabies and skinning them to take the skins home as trophies."

He said conservationists were calling for an end to the Tandem Thrust exercises held at Shoalwater Bay every four years.

Speaking on the John Laws radio program, the US Navy's Rear Admiral John Costas said: "A general from the Marine Corps has commissioned an investigation that consists of a Marine Corps officer and will actually have two Australians as consultants."

Rear Admiral Costas said: "The assumption in our country and yours is innocent until proven guilty, so we'll await the results of the investigation before speculating further."

©AAP 2001

[Shrapnel]

More like malicious children.

What do Australians think of Americans? I'm curious.

I remember hearing some news about some US army or navy (can't remember which) raping a 12 year-old Japanese girl awhile back....

I think that's a much more severe international incident than a spy plane capture (*cough* *cough*)

[shorbe]

The Australian attitude towards Americans can pretty well be summed up by the following joke:

Q. Why did God create America?
A. Where else was he going to put Americans?

shorbe

[thespook]

go ahead and laugh, funny boy. i've heard 'em all. I've heard just about everything people from other countries call us: idots, decadents, gun nuts, you get the picture. but when shit goes wrong where they live just about everyone calls americans the same thing:

for help.

[Pantomime-Horse]

At 5/17/01 09:48 AM, thespook wrote: go ahead and laugh, funny boy. i've heard 'em all. I've heard just about everything people from other countries call us: idots, decadents, gun nuts, you get the picture. but when shit goes wrong where they live just about everyone calls americans the same thing:

for help.

Actually often America imposes itself, America only got involved in WW2 for their own interests, If Perl Harbour never happened America wouldn't have given a fuck about WW2, Sure you won WW2, but any country who decided to join in for the last 4 years could say they were the winners, Australia, England, France still actually did more to win the war than America did, America had money & Equipment, that's what America relies of, the Millitary aren't that well trained, they just have the numbers & the fancy kit.

[shorbe]

I wonder how you judge who won a war anyway?

If we want to be technical, America won the Pacific theatre, and the USSR the European theatre (since they got to Berlin first).

shorbe

[Raptorman]

At 5/19/01 05:57 AM, shorbe wrote: I wonder how you judge who won a war anyway?

Simple, if you are breathing at the end, you won.

[Raptorman]

Actually often America imposes itself, America only got involved in WW2 for their own interests, If Perl Harbour never happened America wouldn't have given a fuck about WW2, Sure you won WW2, but any country who decided to join in for the last 4 years could say they were the winners, Australia, England, France still actually did more to win the war than America did, America had money & Equipment, that's what America relies of, the Millitary aren't that well trained, they just have the numbers & the fancy kit.

You need to check history a little further. The Pearl Harbor attack was in responce to a US naval blockade of Japan. This was done to try to slow down the Imperial expansion while holding down isolationists at home.
I take it you are not a military man. If you were you would know how patently ludicrist the training statement is. Our trainning is top notch. In my tech class there were several students from Barain and Australlia. To be the best you train with the best. We train with everyone. While every country likes to think of its forces as the best but when dick measuring time is here nobody thinks groups like SEALs or force recon aren't world class contenders.

As for general America bashing I refur you to the famous 1971 speech by Canadian Gordan Sinclair. He seems to have said it best.

[Pantomime-Horse]

At 5/20/01 08:44 PM, Raptorman wrote:

Actually often America imposes itself, America only got involved in WW2 for their own interests, If Perl Harbour never happened America wouldn't have given a fuck about WW2, Sure you won WW2, but any country who decided to join in for the last 4 years could say they were the winners, Australia, England, France still actually did more to win the war than America did, America had money & Equipment, that's what America relies of, the Millitary aren't that well trained, they just have the numbers & the fancy kit.

You need to check history a little further. The Pearl Harbor attack was in responce to a US naval blockade of Japan. This was done to try to slow down the Imperial expansion while holding down isolationists at home.
. While every country likes to think of its forces as the best but when dick measuring time is here nobody thinks groups like SEALs or force recon aren't world class contenders.

America's best rank 18th place, British SAS rate 1st Place , Australia/New Zealand SAS rate 2nd, Israel rate 4th & I don't know the other details but I can get them.

[Raptorman]

America's best rank 18th place, British SAS rate 1st Place , Australia/New Zealand SAS rate 2nd, Israel rate 4th & I don't know the other details but I can get them.

I have served in the US military and I keep up to date on world military affairs. I am aware of no impartial body that ranks the value and capability of Spec Ops units. Informal reviews usually reflect the nationality and predjudece of the reviewer. Also, as all the top condenders tend to be allies, they won't be opposing each other in the forseeable future. Even if they did, the point would be moot as Spec Ops units rarely meet each other in a wartime situation. They most often covertly meet "regulars" so would you judge thier capeability by how well they do againt each other or how well they do on the likely field of operations. This is further obscured by the diffrent focus of the specific group. Do they specialize in maritime insertion? CT/HR? Deep insertion personell retrieval? Intel gathering? Any group will be the best in their area of specialty and will be weaker outside of it. The debate of who's Spec Ops groups is ultimatly pointless and inconclusive. It has to be placed under the catagory of arguments like "who has the biggest dick" and "which martial art is best".

You make a point about Americans reling on expensive toys to get the job done. Let me tell you, only a fool fights a man on even terms. A Huti rebel may be the best machette fighter out there but are you going to be damn fool enough not to just shoot him? As an insturctor once told me in CT trainnig, "Cheat, cheat, always cheat." There are no rules in war, your objective is to come out alive. Whatever I can do to gain advantage, I am going to do. Superior technology is one big advantage to help you to not die for your contry but to have the other bastard die for his. To put an example forth lets say a F-6 and a F-22 met in the air. You would want to be in the F-22. Even if the other pilot was more skilled you have a better chance of going home and his chances of being a charred courpse are greater with you in the better aircraft.

[shorbe]

Pantomime: I think you need to finally accept that Australia really is just a quaint, little backwater on the international scene. If you want to knock the Americans, have a go at their crappy sit-coms or something, but their military would step all over ours.

Raptor: Duh! Everyone knows ninjistsu is the best martial art, cause they can jump backwards onto tall buildings, catch poisoned darts between their teeth, and disappear in smoke bombs. They also wear the funkiest two-toed slippers.

shorbe

[Pantomime-Horse]

At 5/22/01 10:22 AM, shorbe wrote: Pantomime: , but their military would step all over ours.

Only 2 reasons, Equipment & Numbers, Give us their equipment & numbers & see what happens.

[shorbe]

Pantomime: Yeah, and if I had breasts, I'd have a good time. If, if, if...

shorbe

[Pantomime-Horse]

At 5/22/01 10:53 AM, shorbe wrote: Pantomime: Yeah, and if I had breasts, I'd have a good time. If, if, if...

shorbe

My point was that our army are better trained & better Deciplined than they are.

[Raptorman]

My point was that our army are better trained & better Deciplined than they are.

How would you know? What is your source of insight to the trainnig and discipline levels of any military force? It is obvious that you have never been there. I going to address Shorbe (spelling?) to defend the skill and professionalism of my Australlian contemporaries and you pull of with an uniformed statement like that. Enlighten me, What do you base this assumption off of?

[Raptorman]

At 5/22/01 10:22 AM, shorbe wrote: Pantomime: I think you need to finally accept that Australia really is just a quaint, little backwater on the international scene. If you want to knock the Americans, have a go at their crappy sit-coms or something, but their military would step all over ours.

Raptor: Duh! Everyone knows ninjistsu is the best martial art, cause they can jump backwards onto tall buildings, catch poisoned darts between their teeth, and disappear in smoke bombs. They also wear the funkiest two-toed slippers.

shorbe

As to our sitcoms I cam only say. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima fucking culpa.

Oh, and its is obvious that the best martial artist are Gung Fu practitianers. Just watchsaterday morning "Kung Fu Theater" (if you get it over there) Why thay to can jump over buildings ect. But they can also move thier hands so fast they break the sound barrier (listen to the crack), throw the occasional lightning bolt, and have the innated ability to say things when their mouth is moving in a compleatly diffrent manner. ;-)

[shorbe]

Raptor: I think your tiger style might be better than my snake form, but can your kung fu practioners make a paper swan in their spare time or serve the tea ceremony without spilling a drop?!

shorbe

[Perdix]

Raptor: Which branch did you serve in? Saying "CT training:" should have clued me in, but I never said I was the best soldier. I spent six years in the Army National Guard, not the most illustrious military branch, but I never had that strong of a military attitude.

Back to the subject of the post. It is specifically against the UCMJ to shoot animals, although I must say that it doesn't surprise me that a soldier would "accidentally" shoot one if given the opportunity. It is the fault of the individual, not the Marines, and should be dealt with as such.

[Raptorman]

I was in the Navy. CT= Counter Terrorism, that phrase is used by several branches so it would not really clue you in. Anyway, did you spend any of your time active? If so I think you would notice a huge diffrence between active forces and resurvists. When you live somethinng 24-7 it is a lot diffrent then a weekend a month. (Correct me if I'm wrong on the drilling schedule.)

You are right that there is little doubt some Marines might shoot an emu if the oportunity presented itself. But let's face it, nobody cares about an emu. The people that are making the fuss are the people that want the US out. Buy 'em a new damn emu and carry on smartly.

[Slizor]

Actually often America imposes itself, America only got involved in WW2 for their own interests, If Perl Harbour never happened America wouldn't have given a fuck about WW2, Sure you won WW2, but any country who decided to join in for the last 4 years could say they were the winners, Australia, England, France still actually did more to win the war than America did, America had money & Equipment, that's what America relies of, the Millitary aren't that well trained, they just have the numbers & the fancy kit.

And the only reason that they had all this fancy equitment and money is because they delayed joining world war one.
Oh the best example of america sticking there big fat ass in where it wasn't needed was vietnam

[Perdix]

At 5/28/01 10:57 PM, Raptorman wrote: I was in the Navy. CT= Counter Terrorism, that phrase is used by several branches so it would not really clue you in. Anyway, did you spend any of your time active? If so I think you would notice a huge diffrence between active forces and resurvists. When you live somethinng 24-7 it is a lot diffrent then a weekend a month. (Correct me if I'm wrong on the drilling schedule.)

I would like to thank you for your service.
The only time I spent on active duty was during training, which doesn't really count. My basic training and job school are the same ones used by the regular Army. Regardless, I understand the differences between the active duty personell/duty and that of reservists. The reservists, myself included, tend to be much less experienced as well as being a lot less productive. I suppose I might have enjoyed it more if we had actually done something other than pull 5 police calls a day and sit on our asses waiting to train. I think my most enjoyable experience was during an annual training (where we spend the unimagineable amount of time training, a whole two weeks! hah!) where we did some MOUT (Military Operations Urban Terrain) excercises.
I think I should have been a bit more picky when I was deciding what to do and for who... maybe I should have been a diver...