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An
Accidental Shooting Part II By: John T. Slovenz Reference: How an Accidental Shooting Occurred A few months before the incident, while still assigned to (Co A, 2/508th ABN INF), I was selected to work on the Brigade Maintenance Evaluation Team, (as an additional duty) as a Small Arms Inspector and Maintenance Instructor. At the time of my selection, I had already been through three different Small Arms Courses and was school trained on most Small Arms, too include such weapons as: the 3.5 RL; BAR, A4 and A6 MG’s, 50 Cal. HMG (Excellent Sniper weapon, with the Sniper Scope mounted on it!) and many other weapons. In addition to past training, shortly after the XM16E1, was issued to the 82nd ABN DIV, in 1964, I began a series of correspondences with Mr. Morris L. Marshall, from Colt Manufacturing, regarding the M16. A few months after our arrival in the Dominican Republic, I initiated correspondence with PS Magazine. Although the initial correspondence addressed the M16, over the years, I wrote about other matters. Prior to the accident, I was re-assigned as Unit Supply Sergeant and began training SP/4 Lynn Berlin (an outstanding individual), as my replacement for Company Armorer. As part of his training, we performed a weapons inspection of our Unit. While I was the inspector, he recorded the serial number of each weapon inspected, on DA-form 2404, followed by any gigs found. Upon completion, I explained to him; using the results recorded on the 2404, to go back through the unit and check to see if the individual soldier had corrected any minor discrepancies (cleaning) and for him to perform/correct mechanical problems. Since it was late, he was to take care of it the following day. I’m not exactly certain of the day the shooting occurred but I believe it was two days after the aforementioned inspection. However, it was at least a week afterwards before I had the opportunity to examine the rifle at the MP/CID office. At the time, after the examination, my first priority was to complete the evaluation and write a report of my finding. While it didn’t take very long to write the report, it took at least a week of experimenting and testing to complete the analyses. Once the report was complete, along with the rifle, was shipped back to the states by the CID, for further evaluation by another source. A few weeks later their evaluation came back in which they stated: "the finding of my report could not be disproved." After which I appeared before the Court-Martial Officer and charges were dropped against the soldier. It wasn’t until than that the situation had a haunting effect on me. In part because the rifle had came from my unit, but the button itself. Why did it stick out in my mind so much? One thing that was standard practice as an Armorer was to keep all inspection results (DA form 2404’s) on file for at least six months. With this in mind, I went to the filing cabinet, pulled the inspection reports and began reading through them. Sure enough, I found the rifle recorded with the comment: "piece of a fatigue jacket button in lower receiver". (However, it did not impede the operation of the weapon (then), for had it, I would have removed it. It was loose and flopping around.) I also noticed on the 2404, that Berlin, had been making corrections as instructed and had wrote his initials ‘LB’ in the right hand column indicating so after most of the entries. However, the one with the button was not initialed. I called Berlin, to my tent and with the 2404; in hand, I asked him why he hadn’t made the correction. He then replied, that the rifle was signed out before he got to it, for Guard Duty, by the soldier assigned to it. (This was verified by the sign-out sheets.) However, deep in the back of my mind I was still troubled by the fact: Where did it come from? Then it dawned on me, the week before I had inspected the weapons and as always, the front of my fatigue jacket was dirty with weapons oil from the inspection but with one exception, one of the buttons on my fatigue jacket was broken! (I was a sharp soldier, took great pride in my uniforms, and would never have put the jacket on with a broken button.) Apparently, after I had inspected the rifle on the first go around, I slammed the receiver closed and sheared the button off inside. Not long after the incident, while assigned to the 82nd ABN DIV, I attempted to have bib-aprons, made of canvas or blue denim issued to Unit Armorers’ and Weapons Inspectors assigned to the Division, without success. However, foresights better than hindsight, if you are Armorer or a Weapons Inspector, and you’re not authorized (issued) an apron, buy one. It may or may not save someone’s life but it will save some uniforms. John T. Slovenz SFC/E-7, US Army Retired
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