Weapon of choice for security forces is...

[Guest BillOfRightsFan]

So, I'm in the Dominican Republic for various reasons and I'm interacting with the local security forces. The first thing that surprised me was the weapon of choice for the security forces. 9mm pistol? No. AR or AK assault rifle? Heck no.

Chrome plated shotguns in either pistol grip or long arm format.

No joke. Every last one of them. Even rent-a-cops watching bank ATMs are thusly armed. An odd choice but it does send the message they mean business. The guys in uniform on the dirtbikes with the chrome pistol shottys and the body armor look like they are right out of Mad Max. Actually this enrite country is Bartertown but that is another story entirely.

The civilian weapon of choice? Remington model 1100. There is a lot of wildlife here...

[MacGyver]

Having been there on "business" a time or two, here are some helpful tips to make your stay more pleasant -

If you get an invite to visit one of the "art galleries" - steer clear.

They've got more streets named after dead U.S. Presidents than we do, and five lanes of traffic squeezing into a two lane road is SOP there.

Food from street vendors here is fun, there it might kill you.

Hati is closer than you think, and just one ill directed cab ride away.

Pedestrians absolutely do not have the right of way. Ever.

It is possible to break the bank in the casino downstairs in the Intercontinental.

The $5 5lb. bag of coffee beans simply labeled "coffee" in the airport is some of the best coffee you'll ever drink.

Have fun. Be safe down there.

[Magiccarpetrides]

hahaha...bling bling! Take some pictures for us!

[raydog1]

HAHA , he's right!

[Guest Muttling]

When the contract doesn't specify what weapons security contractors (e.g. mercenaries) are required to carry, the non-American companies will typically pick the FN-FAL (especially the African companies.)

[Moped]

For what those guys are doing though, I think a shotgun is a great weapon. Far superior to a pistol without having to worry about how many walls the missed shoot is going to penetrate. I tend to prefer a regular stock though. Easier to aim with than a pistol grip. Doesn't look as cool though.

[Guest Muttling]

Gunman and Moped...

+1 to both your posts.

[Guest Muttling]

If it's self defense, go for a pump. Far less risk of jamming and the only thing more intimidating than a fixed bayonette is the "chunk chunk" sound of a shotgun.

[Guest Muttling]

You can shoot a semi-auto without exposing your self, but you have to pump your pump & you know your arms aren't long enough, so you have to remove the butt-stock off your shoulder !!!

If your arms aren't long enough to cycle the action at the shoulder, how the heck are you holding the weapon????

I can cycle pump actions AND bolt actions at the shoulder. The time to get back on target for my follow up shot is the bigger issue for me.

[Guest BillOfRightsFan]

Ok, made it back safe. The trip was eye opening. There was one place I was working in called La Vega where you couldn't go 1/2 a mile without spotting something burning. It was about as abject an example of poverty I've seen anywhere.

I did eat some of the food from the street vendors. There was a "hot dog" vendor whose operation was "fine dining" in that he had laminated menus, tables and chairs and the well heeled of Santiago showing up. I am pretty sure the "hot dog" was not what I would expect at a Sounds game. But I survived.

The 5 military outposts I visited had these funky light tanks. You could charge American's $50 a ride and keep your motorpool and fuel expenses down. They looked like lots of fun in the jungle and across the rice paddies. (And it did occure to me that this place looks like what I've been told Viet Nam looks like.) At Army Base Conception they had a Santa in the commanders hatch of one out front. At Puerto Plata they had the largest nativity scene I've ever seen in my life (and I live next to the Opryland Hotel so I know of what I speak!) Try doing that on an American base.

The Haiti/Dominican border has 2 peace keeping elements. On the Hati side are a bunch of blue helments and EU troops. On the Dominican side there are Dominican troops in multi-cam with light armor. The idea is to help control their problem with illegal aliens and curb drug traffic. Given that the National Police remain in their barracks all the time I don't know what the military planned to do. Since I only had to "walk around" to find 2 narco-haciendas I am not sure they are really serious about it. Though while I was there they did get 2 Super Tucano attack planes. One of those could easily take on drug planes, ships or outposts. The only hang up is you need good pilots. Given what happened with good US equipment and worthless pilots in El Salvador it is questionable if they will ever their their monies worth from these aircraft.

I'll leave this post with a quote I heard from a Dominican concerning the two military camps on the boarder.

They want us to help the haitians. They want us to solve the problems of both countries such as drugs, illegal immigration and corruption by combining both countries with Dominican annexing Haiti. Well, that is a good idea. The US should go first and try that with Mexico.

I thought that was a very telling and accurate way to describe the situation.

[MacGyver]

Good to hear you made it back safe.

[Guest Muttling]

Welcome home my friend. Got anymore pictures? I'd love to see the hardware you're talking about. Especially the "funky light tanks." I'm very curious.

As for aircraft, you're SO right. The DEA has been trying to stand up some Afghan counter narcotics teams. We bought them a few Mi-35 Hinds and brought their "pilots" over here to train. Instead of pilots, we got punks who were politically connected and have never flown a helicopter. It took us a while to straighten that crap out, but we've finally got them going in the right direction.

[56FordGuy]

Welcome home my friend. Got anymore pictures? I'd love to see the hardware you're talking about. Especially the "funky light tanks." I'm very curious.

+1 I'd love to see some pictures of the armor, I could probably find someone to identify what it exactly is.

[kesava]

you know there is something primal about the racking of a shotgun. when I was a young boy we had some people break into our basement (Ohio, everyone has basements and a side door to get in it), my gramps grabbed "Marie." When they got the first floor door, as they crept it open he racked the shotty. I heard 3 bumbling idiots falling down the steps. they ran out the door they came in and we watched as they hobbled/slinked to the car. Of course the cops were pulling up right around this time. They needed and ambulance, one had a crushed ankle, another had broken rib and the third a severe concussion. I love shotguns. Not one shot fired and no bad memories to live with.

All the same, glad to hear you made it back in one piece.

Edited December 22, 2009 by kesava

[Mike]

GOOD CHOICE !!! I like those fal !!! like 56 nations use them ????

Over 90. "The right arm of the free world"

Sounds like you had a great trip man! Nothing like broadening your horizons.

-Mike