Returning From Deployment - Treveling on Commercial Air With Individual Weapons

[ChuckMK23]

So flying home from Chicago this weekend on United flight - and was seated next to Air Force Major dressed in ABU (AF version of ACU/Cammies). Turns out he was on his umpteenth leg heading home to Dayton, Ohio from Bagram AB in Afghanistan, after 6 month deployment.

After hearing some war stories and other fun, he mentioned how he couldn't wait to get from the airport back to Wright Patt AFB so he could "check in his weapons" before heading home to is wife and kids.

Turns out he was flying home with his weapons - M4 and his M9 pistol - even on commercial air. He had traveled C-17 to Germany, but commercial air (Delta and United) to Baltimore-Washington, then to Chicago, and finally to Dayton, Ohio. His weapons were his personal responsibility all the way home. And sure enough, on the baggage turnstile was sitting a very nice Pelican rifle case with his name and rank stenciled on it. He inspected the contents right there in the airport to ensure everything was ok, and he piled the whole thing in his POV and headed to Wright-Patt.

So my question is... is this just an AF thing? Do folks usually returning home from theater travel home with their individual weapons, even when flying commercial air? According to this AF officer, it is standard practice in the AF.

 

[LazersGoPEWPEW]

So flying home from Chicago this weekend on United flight - and was seated next to Air Force Major dressed in ABU (AF version of ACU/Cammies). Turns out he was on his umpteenth leg heading home to Dayton, Ohio from Bagram AB in Afghanistan, after 6 month deployment.

After hearing some war stories and other fun, he mentioned how he couldn't wait to get from the airport back to Wright Patt AFB so he could "check in his weapons" before heading home to is wife and kids.

Turns out he was flying home with his weapons - M4 and his M9 pistol - even on commercial air. He had traveled C-17 to Germany, but commercial air (Delta and United) to Baltimore-Washington, then to Chicago, and finally to Dayton, Ohio. His weapons were his personal responsibility all the way home. And sure enough, on the baggage turnstile was sitting a very nice Pelican rifle case with his name and rank stenciled on it. He inspected the contents right there in the airport to ensure everything was ok, and he piled the whole thing in his POV and headed to Wright-Patt.

So my question is... is this just an AF thing? Do folks usually returning home from theater travel home with their individual weapons, even when flying commercial air? According to this AF officer, it is standard practice in the AF.

Seeing as I work at the airport in Pensacola and check in quite a few troopers heading off and I unload bags from ones coming back I'd say that it's unusual. I don't recall seeing any military checking a rifle or a sidearm.

I don't offload many rifle cases either. So that's my take on it.

 

[Herc_Dude]

Seeing as I work at the airport in Pensacola and check in quite a few troopers heading off and I unload bags from ones coming back I'd say that it's unusual. I don't recall seeing any military checking a rifle or a sidearm.

I don't offload many rifle cases either. So that's my take on it.

I doubt there are many "shooters" leaving/returning to Pcola.

 

[Gatordev]

I've seen Marines and some Army guys w/ cases in the bigger airports. I know there's also a blurb on how to travel w/ weapons when returning or going on deployment on the TSA website.

I'm w/ devil...The reason you probably don't see many at PNS is because it's at the beginning or the end of the journey and there's not really anything in the town other than the engineering Guardsmen.

 

[Clux4]

The Airforce is kinda different with their weapon policy. Once on my way to the sand-box, I happened to be in a military chartered flight with Airforce personnel going to the sand box as well and NONE of them had a weapon. According to the E-8 I talked to, he said they were going to be issued one in country.
I think your guy was probably on a disassociated tour and was only responsible for himself. But then again, it is very possible. The fact that this was not an issue at the airport shows that the practise is most likely common.

 

[LazersGoPEWPEW]

I've seen Marines and some Army guys w/ cases in the bigger airports. I know there's also a blurb on how to travel w/ weapons when returning or going on deployment on the TSA website.

I'm w/ devil...The reason you probably don't see many at PNS is because it's at the beginning or the end of the journey and there's not really anything in the town other than the engineering Guardsmen.

True. About the only thing I do see is the contractor with a massive duffel loaded up with his body armor. Well I guess I see a trickle of Marines here and there doing the same thing.

A caveat on that. Once you get past all the TSA regulations regarding the transport of weapons there is an entirely separate set of regulations for each airline. I think there is also a limit as to how many we're allowed to carry. I know if there is a mass transport it's a real pain. Another reason why I may not see as many is that it's counted as a checked piece of luggage and the guys I've seen heading out of country are generally carrying about 3 bags stuffed full. I'm not discounting it as a rare occurence but it seems uneconomical for many soldiers to be carrying their weapons with them on commercial carriers.

 

[Zissou]

I frequently travel commercial air with firearms.

Usually from my home to Virginia, which is the end of my COM AIR travel, it's a .mil trip from there. Occasionaly to and from training in places that are used to seeing dudes with guns traveling. Little Rock, Fayetville, Ft. Smith, etc.

Some of these weapons are Gov property. It's none of TSA's business whether its personally owned or .mil. It isn't their place to say "hey, that's a machine gun". They simply ensure that it's in an appropriate container and locked.

Often my weapons are MG's or "destructive devices" according to BATF regulations. For that I have my CAC Card and a letter or orders from the command I am supporting authorizing me to transport these items, complete with serial #'s. This document is for the possibility that a LEO will spot my weapon's during TSA inspection. Though it hasnt happened yet.

Most TSA guys dont know what they are looking at anyway.

I HAVE NEVER, EVER, CARRIED FIREARMS OCONUS ON COM AIR.

This USAF fella's story is odd to me. The USAF treats firearms like nuclear weapons. I'm pretty sure they get issued weps in country, if at all.

If he was issued a wep while CONUS it would have been done by the Army at Ft. Bliss and returned their. The only COM AIR in that trip would be the contracted flight from KUWAIT. And thats not exactly COM AIR.

Maybe BUSDRIVER will comment, if anyone in the AF travels with gats he would know.

 

[MasterBates]

When I COMAIR'd it back from Bahrain, I left my issued and personal (as in I own it) handguns in the ship's armory, and walked across the brow to get them when the boat came back 3 months later.

 

[eaw75]

I was sent on a deployment to Djibouti a few years back, and I had to fly commercial with my M-9 from Ft Benning to Djibouti. The trip was 6 legs, and the mandatory security check at each stop got pretty annoying.

I must admit that it was unnerving when they pulled out my weapon in Addis Ababa, as a couple hundred passengers at the neighboring Yemen Airways flight finished up their call to prayer and walked over to focus on my inspection. In fact, upon my return I made it a point to address the issue directly to my CO regarding the potential personal safety issues of sending Sailors alone on commercial flights to that AOR with issued weapons.

 

[FlyinSpy]

If he was issued a wep while CONUS it would have been done by the Army at Ft. Bliss and returned their. The only COM AIR in that trip would be the contracted flight from KUWAIT. And thats not exactly COM AIR.

Coming out of Bagram, it is not unusual to catch a C-130 or C-17 to Al Udeid, and then catch a comair flight out of Qatar back to CONUS. I flew direct from Doha to Dulles, which was a sweet way to come home on a 3 month old 777 that had *maybe* 15 people not in business or first class - I had my choice of any of 4 or 5 complete rows to lie down in, and about a dozen hot Malaysian flight attendants to service my alcohol and food needs...

 

[PropAddict]

I The USAF treats firearms like nuclear weapons.

Hmmm. . .so you're saying maybe they gave the guy the suitcase thinking it was full of old ascots or something, and he only discovered they were weapons later??

 

[Zissou]

Coming out of Bagram, it is not unusual to catch a C-130 or C-17 to Al Udeid, and then catch a comair flight out of Qatar back to CONUS. I flew direct from Doha to Dulles, which was a sweet way to come home on a 3 month old 777 that had *maybe* 15 people not in business or first class - I had my choice of any of 4 or 5 complete rows to lie down in, and about a dozen hot Malaysian flight attendants to service my alcohol and food needs...

Sounds like a sweet trip, was that a .mil or .gov agency trip?

 

[BigRed389]

When I COMAIR'd it back from Bahrain, I left my issued and personal (as in I own it) handguns in the ship's armory, and walked across the brow to get them when the boat came back 3 months later.

Surprised you got them back after being off the ship that long.

We had a 9mm and a number of Turkish shotguns go "missing."

VBSS "tactical" gear is another set of gear that often gets "lost."

 

[MasterBates]

I think the GMs knew I had more at home and would come looking.

 

[ChuckMK23]

Zissou (and others) - my United Airlines traveling companion was indeed on some sort of disassociated tour -going from a an engineering position to teaching Afghan National AF types how to maintain airplanes... so I think the observation was correct - he was only traveling by himself - and indeed he was a little worried about his "luggage" and mentioned it would be a non-career enhancing event if somehow it got lost.

But it was a very nice Pelican .... The AF always seems to have the best!

Side note - some interesting giouge this guy mentioned: first Afghan student pilots at Defense Language Instituite as we speek and will be doing UPT with either AF or Navy - and those bound for Rotary Wing will be headed to HT's at Whiting - I thought that was interesting info! I relayed my own experience as an IP at the HT's teaching Saudi's and he thought the Afghans would be way more motivated ...

Apparently the Afghan National AF is receiving a boat load of new MI-17's and they are being taught by USAF how to maintain them...

Hope that clears up what I know.