Lost Weapon

On the 22nd of December, around 1500, I lost accountability of my weapon. I left it outside of the ALOC on a bench in the gazebo after smoking a cigarette. My normal routine is to leave my weapon in the weapon rack inside of the ALOC before smoking a cigarette. However, this was not the case. Fortunately, another Soldier noticed it and tried to return it to someone in the ALOC next door. They looked up the serial number in LIW and returned it to our ALOC. This is the best outcome considering the other possibilities that could have occurred.

Accountability of sensitive items is very important to all Soldier members; especially of any weapon system. This is true during training operations and as well as in a combat zone. This is even more paramount in a combat zone. It is a Soldier’s duty to ensure he or she maintains his or her weapon system in a constant state of readiness. Not just in the sense that it is clean and functions properly, but to ensure it is readily available to use in combat.

Should an installation come under direct fire, and a Soldier member does not have his or her weapon readily available, there could be dire consequences; especially if that Soldier is securing the perimeter. His or her weapon system is the first line of defense for that section of the perimeter.

Another possibility is a local national that works on an installation whom is not friendly to our forces exploits the situation. Upon finding an unattended weapon, he or she could then use that weapon to harm, maim or kill a Soldier, coalition force member, or civilian that supports us. These are just two of many examples of what could happen when a Soldier loses accountability of his or her weapon.

There are other things to consider in regards to proper accountability of sensitive items. Some of them include operational security, time and money. If someone were to lose a loaded SINCGARS radio and it wound up in the enemy’s hands, the enemy could then listen to conversations of...