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.
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.