National guardsman, under 21?

**Doug570** · February 17th, 2018, 03:40 PM

Serving on submarines our topside security watch always carried 1911's regardless of age or rank. Commonly these were junior people ranging in age from 17 to 22 and E-2 to E-4. We qualified and carried. Various alert forces were issued 1911'a, M-14's and shotguns with no rank or age consideration. That was 1975 to 1984 and things do change.

**Tacgunner** · February 17th, 2018, 04:41 PM

It's not about age, it's about "duty assignment". While in uniform, regardless of age, you can be issued a weapon to carry/use for assigned duty. Outside the gate, or off duty, you are in the realm of the State and Federal laws that apply to everyone. While on base/assignment you might be only 19 years old and have a pistol issued to you. Off-duty, off-post, you better be 21 to purchase/carry.

At 18 I was fixing pistols, grenade launchers, recoiless rifles and machineguns. Uncle Sam owned them & trained me to fix his weapons. Could I buy such items at 18? No, not all of them. Be it age, or finances, they were "legally" or "financially" out of reach at the time.

"Uncle" can let you use any of his weapons anytime he wants, regardless of your age. But once you are off-duty, you are simply like any other citizen, and fall under the same laws as everyone else who is not in uniform.

**ItchyTick** · February 17th, 2018, 06:34 PM

Originally Posted by abner13

How many E-3 or below HM's were fully qualified and deployed to a squad? I was Navy '79-83 and most E-3s and below didn't even get to shoot pistols after their 10shots with a .22 1911 during boot camp.

Fleet or FMF? FMF we carried 1911s

**PAMedic=F|A=** · February 17th, 2018, 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by abner13

Even in the military , a person under the rank of E-4 will very rarely be issued a handgun , regardless of age.

Depends on the Units MTOE. My unit all line medics have a m9 and only an M9. Obviously the line medics are the lowest rank, max of SGT.

When I was deployed I spent a few unhappy weeks having only a pistol. When I stopped by HHC Company HQ and asked for a rifle because the company I was attached to ligimently did not have any extra, the supply guy started feeding my a load of crap about not having any.

The Company Commander came out and ordered the supply sgt to "find him one or give him mine, he's a fucking medic doing dismounted patrols, I'm a company commander so I should never be firing anyway.".

Magically a previously non-existent M4 appeared.

My opinion of that officer went up a good deal, and not without consideration that I knew that the BN Commander had ordered that all officers would carry a rifle regardless of the MTOE, so he would have caught some shit for it.