Two USAF Airmen soldiers shot dead at Frankfurt airport

[ClearedHot]

Story developing on CNN.

Fox actually has a little more detail... Shots Fired at Bus Carrying U.S. Soldiers in Germany

Edited March 2, 2011 by ClearedHot

[Prozac]

CNN now reporting that the personnel aboard the bus were USAF normally stationed in the UK. 2 killed: One pax and the driver.

[PapaJu]

This is terrible. Hope they got the guy and tear his nuts off.

[Prozac]

Reported that there is a 21 yr old Kosovar in custody.

[Coasta]

I noticed the Big Blue AF bus parked at the terminal. Way to go with the force protection...

[Toro]

I noticed the Big Blue AF bus parked at the terminal. Way to go with the force protection...

There's a USO at Frankfurt. This could have been a lot worse.

[daays]

While I'm really only a lurker here (soaking up information), I felt the need to post on this topic as it's a tough thing to deal with. This is hitting home hard. One of my fellow veh. operators was one of the ones killed, and while as of yet I don't know who it was and I may not have any personal relationship to them, I've got a few friends over there and it could just as easily have been one of them. News is slowly trickling out but I hope everyone, no matter your religious beliefs, are keeping the families of those involved in your thoughts and prayers. Tragic situation, but it really hits harder when it could have been my self in that drivers seat or on that bus. At any rate, hopefully the shooter is brought to real justice for his atrocious actions.

Edited March 2, 2011 by daays

[Vertigo]

I traveled through Frankfurt twice in the last two weeks while I was going and returning from E-leave. I was constantly shaking my head at the other military members in the airport as they were SO easy to pick out. Now, don't get me wrong... I'm not blaming the victims in this case, but people need to be aware of how they are dressed and what they are carrying with them.

I was able to pick out US military members easily because they were 1- wearing sage green fleece jackets or 2- wearing digital camo backpacks with name tapes and a big black stencil saying "US" on it 3- wearing combat boots and service T-shirts (i.e. Army PT t-shirt and a black t-shirt that read on the back US Army Military Police). Mind you I saw this at Riyadh and Doha as well as all these people were on my flight when we arrived there. I just wanted to go up to them and say "Hey! Thanks for making our flight a target!"

Edited March 2, 2011 by Vertigo

[DFRESH]

Vertigo... you would.

[Vertigo]

Vertigo... you would.

I would what? Call people out on their stupidity? Pass on words of advice to anyone traveling on a civilian carrier overseas to the middle east?

[theat6bisasham]

I would what? Call people out on their stupidity? Pass on words of advice to anyone traveling on a civilian carrier overseas to the middle east?

Are you retarded? These guys were not on leave you idiot, they were ON DUTY. Give me a fricken break....saying they need to blend in better. How about instead of making us cower our heads on duty, we should be tougher on terrorists....typical PC response..get tough on the victims......you really hit the moron button on this one.

[Vertigo]

Are you retarded? These guys were not on leave you idiot, they were ON DUTY. Give me a fricken break....saying they need to blend in better. How about instead of making us cower our heads on duty, we should be tougher on terrorists....typical PC response..get tough on the victims......you really hit the moron button on this one.

What part of "I'm not blaming the victims in this case" did you not understand? The rant was about something DIFFERENT but RELATED. Get it? Or do you need me to draw it out in Crayon?

[Login Name]

Clearly you two haven't been overseas. Vertigo hit the nail on the head.

[osulax05]

This shooting is a tragedy and my prayers are with the victim's families.

I gotta agree with vertigo as well.

[sky_king]

Agree with Vertigo. Hell, I won't even put a USAF sticker on my car in the states.

[Prosuper]

The story sez these guys were from Lakenheath going down range, why weren't they going from EGUN? Have they shut down the AMC terminal there? Another question, why are we even doing troop movements out of commercial airports, I can see a small group but a bus load?

[zrooster99]

Just want to chime in that I agree with vertigo on this one too. Not these guys fault, leaders need to do a better job and focus on the right things instead of the bullshit queep. Let me add my prayers for the victims and families.

[Guest Crew Report]

Agree with Vertigo. Hell, I won't even put a USAF sticker on my car in the states.

Location: Laughlin AFB

Must be rough in Del Rio.

[Guest Crew Report]

The story sez these guys were from Lakenheath going down range, why weren't they going from EGUN? Have they shut down the AMC terminal there? Another question, why are we even doing troop movements out of commercial airports, I can see a small group but a bus load?

They were doing pre-deployment training at ETAR. They weren't deploying yet.

[Prosuper]

OK, I'm pissed off, our guys got shot down like sheep without the ability to defend themselves, at least soldiers outside the wire have the means to fight back. It's like that for the majority for the USAF, if the .1% ever happens in the AOR and a base gets infiltrated alot of Airmen go their death unable untrained and unarmed. But hot damn they look good in their PT gear and reflective belt with the right socks. Air Power, Fit to fight, hooah, what a bunch of bullshit. Stop with the pretending of believing our training will get us through the unthinkable at least us non trigger pullers with absolutley no type of training to defend ourselves becides gas gas gas don your mask and shoot a few rounds before a deployment. Until we are trained to at least the standard of Security Forces or basic infantry why do we continue to carry a weapon in the AOR just to be given to the armory and not seen until DEROS. How does a service at war with leadership with a peacetime attitude fix this? Away from the AOR we are in more danger than surrounded by wire. Airmen are now a soft target in the DOD. RANT OFF

[M2]

Location: Laughlin AFB

Must be rough in Del Rio.

I take it you haven't been down to the border with Mexico lately...

OK, I'm pissed off, our guys got shot down like sheep without the ability to defend themselves, at least soldiers outside the wire have the means to fight back. It's like that for the majority for the USAF, if the .1% ever happens in the AOR and a base gets infiltrated alot of Airmen go their death unable untrained and unarmed. But hot damn they look good in their PT gear and reflective belt with the right socks. Air Power, Fit to fight, hooah, what a bunch of bullshit. Stop with the pretending of believing our training will get us through the unthinkable at least us non trigger pullers with absolutley no type of training to defend ourselves becides gas gas gas don your mask and shoot a few rounds before a deployment. Until we are trained to at least the standard of Security Forces or basic infantry why do we continue to carry a weapon in the AOR just to be given to the armory and not seen until DEROS. How does a service at war with leadership with a peacetime attitude fix this? Away from the AOR we are in more danger than surrounded by wire. Airmen are now a soft target in the DOD. RANT OFF

How's it different from any other base where the commander is too bat-shit scared to allow people to carry personal firearms to work and leave them in their car? Uniforms are targets because the low-life criminals know they can't carry weapons on base (Texas law allows any law-abiding citizen to carry concealed in their vehicles under the Motorist Protection Act of 2009). And despite what some claim US Code Title 18 §930 (Possession of firearms and dangerous weapons in Federal facilities) states, it clearly defines the restrictions as applying to facilities (defined as buildings) and not bases!

Now thanks to the asshat up at Hood we all have to take "Active Shooter" CBTs on how to run away at the sound of gunfire. I'd rather be armed and put a few well-placed rounds into the threat, and I am willing to risk my life to do so!

[/RANT] x 2

Cheers! M2

[Majestik Møøse]

I don't think it's out of the question to ask why the AF insists on shuttling people around on Big Blue buses. Each year we get bombarded with CBTs and briefings about how not to stand out in public areas while traveling. Then they put 40 of these inconspicuous airmen onto a big, blue American-made school bus and park it out in front of an foreign airport. Do they even sell those things in other countries? Better yet, are we actually buying them in America and then hauling the damn things across the world?

[sky_king]

Location: Laughlin AFB

Must be rough in Del Rio.

It's not worth taking the risks I don't have to take.

[Herk Driver]

I don't think it's out of the question to ask why the AF insists on shuttling people around on Big Blue buses. Each year we get bombarded with CBTs and briefings about how not to stand out in public areas while traveling. Then they put 40 of these inconspicuous airmen onto a big, blue American-made school bus and park it out in front of an foreign airport. Do they even sell those things in other countries? Better yet, are we actually buying them in America and then hauling the damn things across the world?

ETAR much?

[Spoo]

Each year we get bombarded with CBTs and briefings about how not to stand out in public areas while traveling. Then they put 40 of these inconspicuous airmen onto a big, blue American-made school bus and park it out in front of an foreign airport.

No shit...