Gangs in the military

[RHPF]

So I defintely should have posted this sooner, but I am currently working on a paper about Gangs in the military. Given that this board has countless hours of active duty available to it, I figure you guys may have some stories or insight. Please keep in mind that if you are offering up your story for my essay than can you please send me a PM with your name/rank/some other indentifier so that I can properly cite it.

So far the worst spot looks like Camp Pendleton about a decade or so back.

 

[robav8r]

Your best definitive source for an article of this nature is probably an NCIS agent. I have seen gang activity on the ships I have been deployed on. Usually young, junior enlisted sailors find themselves involved with folks that offer comraderie, friendship and acceptance which eventually turns to illegal activity and violence. We had a gang in the V-1 division on the Theodore Roosevelt during my last deployment. These thugs were robbing, extorting and generally harassing all new check-ins. If you are informed about the prevalence of gangs in your command, sometimes you can spot the "colors" that a gang will wear while in uniform such as a certain flight deck jersey stencil or the way they will "battle dress" their pants while on the flight deck.

 

[Brett327]

Your best definitive source for an article of this nature is probably an NCIS agent. I have seen gang activity on the ships I have been deployed on. Usually young, junior enlisted sailors find themselves involved with folks that offer comraderie, friendship and acceptance which eventually turns to illegal activity and violence. We had a gang in the V-1 division on the Theodore Roosevelt during my last deployment. These thugs were robbing, extorting and generally harassing all new check-ins. If you are informed about the prevalence of gangs in your command, sometimes you can spot the "colors" that a gang will wear while in uniform such as a certain flight deck jersey stencil or the way they will "battle dress" their pants while on the flight deck.

I've always heard of such things but never seen it. What kinds of strategies did the CO/officers on the ship use to deal with that. Perhaps a pithy entry in the POD?

Brett

 

[robav8r]

The two NCIS agents we had during my tour were pretty savvy guys and usually shared bits & pieces of the story after the fact. In the case of the V-1 gang, they had suspicions about these knuckle-heads for awhile and waited patiently to collect all requisite evidence. When we heard about the CO's mast, the CO had them processed and off the ship within a few days, never to be seen again.

 

[navy05]

RHPE, one of my best friends was a former USMC CID agent at Camp Pendelton on their gang investigative unit about 6 years ago. He's a US Marshall now in Los Angeles. He has lots of wild stories about gangs in the Marine Corps. If you'd like PM me and I can give you his email address. I'm sure he can help you out for you paper.

 

[BigIron]

The two NCIS agents we had during my tour were pretty savvy guys and usually shared bits & pieces of the story after the fact. In the case of the V-1 gang, they had suspicions about these knuckle-heads for awhile and waited patiently to collect all requisite evidence. When we heard about the CO's mast, the CO had them processed and off the ship within a few days, never to be seen again.

Hey Fog, since I am following in your footsteps, was the activity just in V-1, or was it happening in other parts of the ship? Also, did these gang members ever try to harass/intimidate you?

 

[robav8r]

Hey Fog, since I am following in your footsteps, was the activity just in V-1, or was it happening in other parts of the ship? Also, did these gang members ever try to harass/intimidate you?

Air Dept is the biggest dept on the ship with LOTS of personnel problems. Tha Gang Activity both on TR and other ships i've been on was primarily focused on the junior enlisted folks. And these gangs never walked around the ship looking for trouble or overtly harassing sailors, they just tried to exert their influence late at night in places where they could get away with it (berthing compartments, pump rooms. smoking sponsons, etc). Your NCIS agent will let you know of any known problems (and he has pretty good intel on this king of stuff). PM me with any specific TR questions.

 

[eddie]

I remember seeing a quick bit from a special on how street gangs were enlisting members so they could get real training and combat experience.

 

[TurnandBurn55]

General Zinni talks about it some in "Battle Ready" while he was in Okinawa... granted, it's in the 1970s timeframe but an interesting chapter nonetheless.

 

[jai5w4]

I remember seeing a quick bit from a special on how street gangs were enlisting members so they could get real training and combat experience.

JAG doesn't count...

 

[skim]

JAG doesn't count...

Me and my legal homies plan on gettin straight krunked up in the navy yo so we can free up our cuz's locked up in cell row D. pour da 40 holmes.....

 

[scarnuts]

Me and my legal homies plan on gettin straight krunked up in the navy yo so we can free up our cuz's locked up in cell row D. pour da 40 holmes.....

..word..

 

[thull]

Me and my legal homies plan on gettin straight krunked up in the navy yo so we can free up our cuz's locked up in cell row D. pour da 40 holmes.....

You is? Damn, but hows you gonna EXPRESS yoself, ain't no graffiti walls on dem ships, less you spray up the flight deck when no one lookin, now DAT be deployment wid a PURPOSE. REPRESENT. word.

 

[zab1001]

done