[url]http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=32727[/url]
Axes against evil: 1 base's
plan to bludgeon terrorists
Army fort in Arizona to issue 'ax handles'
to guards as part of new security measures
Posted: May 23, 2003
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Paul Sperry
© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com
WASHINGTON -- As the Pentagon deploys more
Stinger missiles around its perimeter to guard against
new al-Qaida threats, an Army fort out West plans to
issue axes to beef up security.
Actually, axes isn't quite accurate. Some sentries at
Fort Huachuca in Arizona will only get the wooden
part of the ax -- sans blade.
"No firearms for sentry duty. They get ax handles!"
said a U.S. official, who finds the plan ridiculous.
Indeed, a post-wide memo, "Operations Order for
Force Protection Delta Procedures," advises: "Soldiers
... will be issued a flashlight, batteries and an ax
handle to be used in case of an emergency."
The March 6 memo obtained by WorldNetDaily adds:
"Any detained personnel will be controlled by the
mere threat of being struck by a wooden ax handle."
Another memo, distributed March 17 under the
subject line, "FP Con Delta Reactive Procedures,"
details equipment for guards at the fort.
"Guards: Battle Dress Uniform (BDU), sleeves down,
Kevlar, LBE [load-bearing equipment], weather
appropriate over garment, and axe handle club," it
states.
A spokesman at Fort Belvoir here, where all guards
are issued firearms, chuckled at the ax-handle
contingency at Fort Huachuca. "I've never heard of
such a thing," Don Carr said.
A spokeswoman at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, also
was amused, saying guards there always carry
loaded weapons.
A spokesman at the Department of Army here was
equally incredulous.
"I'm not aware of any policy regarding ax handles,
and I have no idea why any post would have such a
policy," said Army Maj. Chris Conway.
He notes that fort security is the responsibility of
each fort commander. "It's not a cookie-cutter thing,"
Conway said.
Fort Huachuca, home to a U.S. Army Intelligence
Center unit, will not issue the ax handles unless there
is a major event of stateside terrorism, which would
trigger the security upgrade to Delta, the highest
warning level.
The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency here, however,
has raised its warning recommendation for all military
facilities to Delta, after al-Qaida leaders this week
issued threats against U.S. military installations.
"We have not changed our plans," said Fort
Huachuca spokeswoman Tanja Linton. "We're at
Bravo-plus."
In response to terror warnings, commanders can
raise force-protection levels at their bases at Alpha,
Bravo, Charlie or Delta.
The Pentagon is at Charlie.