• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Green Beret in Airport Explosives Incident Accused of Earlier Violation

MaggieD

DP Veteran
Joined
Jul 9, 2010
Messages
43,244
Reaction score
44,664
Location
Chicago Area
Gender
Female
Political Leaning
Moderate
The Green Beret accused of attempting to smuggle explosives through a Texas airport on New Year's Eve had already been, just a week before, caught allegedly attempting to get a live smoke grenade on another commercial flight, law enforcement officials told ABC News. Special Forces Sgt. Trey Scott Atwater, 30, was detained in a Midland, Texas, airport after security discovered two packages over a pound each in Atwater's carry-on luggage labeled as C-4 explosives, according to an account provided by law enforcement officials. Atwater, who was traveling with his wife and two children, was not carrying the initiator or detonators that are required for the C-4 to explode.

When interviewed by the FBI while in custody, Atwater, an explosives expert in the elite U.S. Army unit, said he simply forgot he had the C-4 on him and must have carried them on an earlier flight from Fayetteville, North Carolina, officials said.
http://www.twitter.com/BrianRoss
According to officials who reviewed an internal security report, TSA officials in Fayetteville said they doubt Atwater had carried the C-4 on a previous Dec. 24 flight from Fayetteville. The report said that Atwater was stopped that day after security screeners discovered a live smoke grenade in his carry-on, but after a thorough search, no other suspicious material was found.

Atwater is scheduled to appear in court later today where he will be arraigned on charges relating to both the Dec. 31 C-4 discovery and the Dec. 24 smoke grenade incident, authorities said.


Anyone else find this rather chilling? How does one accidentally carry explosives in their luggage? IMO, a Green Beret/Special Forces guy doesn't make this kind of mistake. I think he's in serious need of a mental health evaluation...before something else happens.

You?

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/green...t-accused-earlier-violation/story?id=15279491
 
Something very off, I agree.
 
I forgot I had condoms in my suitcase when I came home and my mom unpacked my stuff without my knowledge. However, those are easily hidden and don't weigh a lot. I don't see how you can forgot you had a pound of labeled C4 though. Oh well, time will tell.
 
Last edited:
The Green Beret accused of attempting to smuggle explosives through a Texas airport on New Year's Eve had already been, just a week before, caught allegedly attempting to get a live smoke grenade on another commercial flight, law enforcement officials told ABC News.

Obviously this guy's pathetic excuse of "oops - I forgot" is bull . . . I know the regs: you don't just pack and huff that stuff around. :doh

He's a nutjob, did it on purpose twice and was caught both times: and should be judged by military counsel and preferrably given the boot with a dishonorable discharge.
 
I forgot I had condoms in my suitcase when I came home and my mom unpacked my stuff without my knowledge. However, those are easily hidden and don't weigh a lot. I don't see how you can forgot you had a pound of labeled C4 though. Oh well, time will tell.

1 lb isn't that heavy...

you don't just pack and huff that stuff around.

Maybe you don't...
 
1 lb isn't that heavy...



Maybe you don't...

And you do?

No: you don't just pack and huff that stuff around in your civilian life. It's against protocol in the same way you don't leave base with your weapon in hand. If the guy happened to have it (for reasons I can't think of - but out on a limb here) and he forgot he had it: then he's a brainless idiots.

And brainless idiots who are THAT mindless are NOT capable of functioning. Of course: I don't think the 'oops, I forgot' is the least bit honest, here - I think it's quite obvious he was intentionally packing - first with the smoke grenade and second with the C4.

Out he goes - before he actually manages to kill someone. . . . heavens forbid his wife and daughter actually suffer some tragic happenstance becaues daddy was a dumb dumb and people gave him the benefit of a doubt.
 
One time my friend thought it would be a good idea to cut open a bunch of small fireworks and make them into one large firework.

After five years the scars finally healed.
 
The weapons policy for commercial flights is posted everywhere. You cannot feign ignorance or accident with something like that.

Lock him up.
 
Although I don't see this being quite the same just because explosives are much less common to be carried than knives, but my husband has been stopped by security for having a K-bar in his carry-on. He had it in his checked luggage going out to Virginia, but was showing it to his buddies there and one of them put it back in his carryon case. He didn't check before we left, and it ended up getting confiscated (they were going to let him send it home, but he didn't want to go through the hassle).

For this incident though, I can't imagine not being aware where C-4 in your possession, even small amounts, is at all times. It kinda sounds like the guy was, stupidly, trying to test security and ended up showing the world what a dumbass he really is. Either that or he really is unstable and needs help.
 
This dude is in deep ****. The Army is going to burn his ass, just for having the C-4, nevermind that he tried to bring aboard an airplane.

I've seen what happens to a solider for taking a piece of spent brass from the firing range and this guy is done.
 
I think the incidences were probably test runs for him to see what he could get away with. This guy was definitely planning something.
 
Anyone else find this rather chilling? How does one accidentally carry explosives in their luggage? IMO, a Green Beret/Special Forces guy doesn't make this kind of mistake. I think he's in serious need of a mental health evaluation...before something else happens.

You?Green Beret in Airport Explosives Incident Accused of Earlier Violation - ABC News

Rambo-style gun fugitive kills himself after shooting dead US park ranger - mirror.co.uk

Maybe we should hurry up and find them another war to fight(preferably overseas).
 
This guy is toast. He is not the norm for special operations groups. This one has no brain.
 
Rambo-style gun fugitive kills himself after shooting dead US park ranger - mirror.co.uk

Maybe we should hurry up and find them another war to fight(preferably overseas).

Ugh - I heard of her murder and finding him deceased - but I didn't hear all that other stuff.

Wow.

Just for the record though: having soldiers who pose with their weapons is so commonplace it really isn't a concern to me - it's behavior, attitude, mental condition that seem common among those who end up that way. Not pride.
 
Just for the record though: having soldiers who pose with their weapons is so commonplace it really isn't a concern to me - it's behavior, attitude, mental condition that seem common among those who end up that way. Not pride.

Extremely commonplace. So commonplace that it is almost a standing order.
 
I've got no problem with letting men carry knives and guns on planes. Think that would make things a Hell of a lot safer than trying to control them.

But explosives? No. There's no way you "accidentally" bring C4 onto a commercial airliner without making far more serious security mistakes than a man who handles C4 for a living should be allowed to make. I mean, it could have happened that way-- but that would imply a level of incompetence that's just as intolerable as active malice. He needs to be out of service pronto and we need to be making a serious decision about whether he's going to prison or to a psychiatric hospital.
 
Extremely commonplace. So commonplace that it is almost a standing order.

So: they should be ashamed or have negative views of their weaponry?

I have photos - countless photos - of my husband with all his weaponry over the years. He's a certified sniper, stealthy. These are probably my favorite pics - I even hang some in the livingroom when he's gone.

He's also hot to trott when he's posing without any clothes on ;)
SGBRCBI-1.jpg


But: his job is to identify, intervene and prevent soldiers like that in the OP from actually doing what Benjamin did.

Is my husband unstable? LOL - good lord no.

So: posing with weapons a sign of instability? No - not unless they're holding it to someone's head or their own head it's not a big deal at all. . . .shoot: my Dad's even posed with weapons though he's never fired one.

Pick over Benjamine's mind and I'm sure there were many other warning signs that people saw but didn't recognized. It takes a skilled individual ot actually identify the real concerns and discern them from the faux concerns.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom