(May 08, 2014)
Norfolk, Va. – A watchstander on the destroyer Mahan raised her pistol to intruder Jeffrey Savage, but could not disengage the gun’s safety. Savage snatched the pistol and killed another sailor with it before other sailors shot the intruder.About 11pm on Monday, March 24, 2014, a civilian named Jeffery Savage drove a 2002 Freightliner truck to the entry gate at the Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Va. He didn't have a worker's pass which allowed him entry to the base, but waved a "TWIC" ("Temporary Worker Identification Card"?) at the guard station and made hand motions indicating that he wanted to make a u-turn around the guard shack, suggesting that he wasn't trying to enter the base.
(Savage had been previously convicted of manslaughter in civilian courts, but was somehow able to acquire a TWIC.)
But when the guard nodded permission, Savage drove the semi through the entry point and onto Pier 1, where two U.S. Navy ships were docked: The USS Comfort, a hospital ship, and the USS Mahan, a Destroyer.
After parking his truck, he walked past the hospital ship and then up the entryway to the Mahan.
Sailors watched Savage stumbling down the pier, at times talking to himself and other times screaming. Some remembered Savage flailing his arms. Savage walked to the end of the pier and looked into containers. He reversed and stopped briefly at the brow of the hospital ship Comfort before heading to the Mahan. Savage walked up the destroyer’s brow.
The gangway sentry, a MA2 (Master At Arms Second Class... US Navy ranking for military police who typically are assigned to sentry and guard duties, plus some other patrolling activities) attempted to direct Savage away from the ship. When Savage continued his approach, the unidentified MA2 drew her service pistol (probably an M92) and when he changed his approach to a rush she attempted to engage him with direct fire.
She was "unable to get a shot off" (see below the line) before he reached her. Savage wrested her pistol out of her hands, and turned it in her direction with the obvious attempt to shoot the downed sailor with her own pistol.
Another Master At Arms, MA2 Mark A. Mayo, was "chief of the watch" and also present at the time but apparently not armed.
He shoved his shipmate away and protected her with his body; Savage shot him four times.
Mayo and the sailor with him pursued Savage up the ramp as the ship’s watchstander tried to keep him from boarding. At one point, the watchstander drew her pistol. Savage yelled “give me that gun,” the watchstander raised the firearm to point it at him but could not disengage the safety. Another sailor yelled at her to shoot, but Savage snatched away the gun. Mayo and his assistant wrestled with Savage, who pulled away. Mayo shoved the disarmed sailor to the ground and protected her while Savage shot him. Other sailors opened fire. In moments, both Mayo and Savage were dead.MA2 Mayo gave his life to protect his shipmate, and to prevent Savage's attack on his ship. He is being called a hero (and rightly so) and has been nominated for the Medal of Honor for his actions. It's unknown at this time if the CMOH can be awarded for actions in home port not in time of war, but what is clear is that MA2 Mayo willingly gave his life to protect his ship and his shipmates; he performed his duties at great risk to his own personal safety in a manner which exemplifies the traditions of the military service of the United States of America.
MA2 Mayo received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for heroism. (This is similar to the Soldier's Medal, which is awarded for similar feats in the U.S. Army.)
The incident is being investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigation Services (NCIS). At least at this time, reported circumstances suggest that Savage acted on his own during a period in chaotic, incoherent rage, perhaps fueled at least in part by alcohol and/or drugs.
The rest of this is all personal.
The job of the Master At Arms is similar to "the cop on the beat" in civilian terms. I first heard the term when "my son, The Squid Kid", joined the Navy a few years ago.
He had expressed an interest in Law Enforcement as a career, but was unable to find a civilian position with openings in their training program. He decided to join the Navy and try for the Master At Arms program.
Since then, he has risen in rank to PO4 (essentially, a middle-level NCO position/supervisory) and has given up his earlier interest in civilian police work. He loves the navy and he had decided to put in at least 20 years, perhaps 30. In a word, he is a Lifer. Well, I did my best with the kid and he's old enough; he has five kids, a wonderful wife, and he's one of the happiest men I know.
Part of his happiness is due to the extensive training he has received. He has gone through increasingly intense schooling.
He really liked the Evasive Driving School! His description of the first time he performed the perfect "Bootlegger Turn" made me envious.
He went to three levels of Sniper Schools, as well. He is a "Designated Marksman". If you didn't know, the primary person assigned to shoot at floating mines from the deck of a Navy ship; the purpose is to blow the mine up using rifle fire, as when a combat ship is trying to work its way through a mine-field.
In fact, he has not only gone through "C-schools",l but several "A-schools" as well:
Master-at-Arms "A" School
Master-at-Arms "A" school is located at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas. MAs receive formal and specialized training managed by the staff and personnel assigned to the Center for Security Forces (CENSECFOR). Sailors graduating from "A" School will have the basic knowledge in performing law enforcement duties and will be qualified to operate the M9 pistol, M4/M16 rifle, M500 shotgun, expandable baton, Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) pepper spray, various restraining devices, and operating a patrol vehicle.[27] MAs graduating from "A" School will also possess basic knowledge in interview and interrogation techniques, report writing, use of force and rules of engagement doctrine, and military law.
His pistol-handling skills were honed by at least three schools, and he can handle a M92 so well that his first shots with this ungainly pistol (have you ever shot a M9 in double-action mode?) were always on target.
Yet while this MA2 had obviously gone through at least some of the skills training ("C-schools") as The Squid Kid, and she was a 'watch-stander', when Der Tag came she couldn't even get the safety off!
Why is this?
MA2 is an enlisted rank of E3 or a Private First Class in the U.S. Army.
She has gone through what I would think of as being a graduate of Basic Training, with probably no (or at best, little) advanced training. She has probably shot her M9, but has received no special hand-gun schooling.
And especially, she has received no training in advanced handling under stress conditions, such as one might experience when trying to keep an unarmed maniac from boarding a ship in port. (See also USS COLE in Yemen on 12 October, 2000.)
Speaking in terms of IPSC/USPSA experience, she is a "New Shooter" who is expected to mess up a few times before learning all the basic skills (such as automatically finding the M9 safety without thinking about it.)
In short, U.S. Navy ships while in Home Ports assigns security watch-standers who have not yet acquired the basic skills to perform their duties. The job of these people is to guard the ship(s) from intrusion ... such as this one.
Given, this is an unique experience. Sort of like 911 was an unique experience. Except that the World Trade Center had been attacked before, and the Cole had been attacked before.
Have we become such a complacent nation that we don't feel concern whether our watch-standers are competent to perform their duties?
Have we become "too big to be fired?"
The watch-stander is not to blame. Her Chief Of The Watch, MA2 Mayo, may have no better skills ... but he still knew what to do in an emergency. And the sailors with the M4s had no problem with recognizing a threat, and eliminating it expeditiously (and accurately). ]
So there's hope for us yet. But training, instruction and experience count for a lot more than simple hope ever will.
Remember: "Gun Control" means "Hitting What You're Shooting At".
"Gun Handling" means "Knowing Where The Safety Is!"
1 comment:
practice, practice, practice.
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