U.S. soldiers punished for carrying rifles

Press, 15 February 1982, Page 6

U.S. soldiers punished for carrying rifles

NZPA-Reuter El Salvador The American Ambassador to El Salvador (Mr Deane Hinton) said yesterday that a United States Army Lieuten-ant-colonel was being relieved of his duties .and would be sent out of El Salvador for carrying an Ml 6 rifle, on the job. contrary to standing instructions. Junior officers and men who also violated the regulation about carrying rifles were being given a firm oral reprimand not.to do it again. The incident of the American military men assigned in El Salvador carrying the Ml6s has caused controversy in Washington.- President

Ronald Reagan asked on Friday for a report, but said it was “understandable" that they were carrying the rifles. Lieutenant-Colonel Harry Melander. a warrant officer and five men were part of an American military team advising the Salvadorean Armed Forces on building a Bailey bridge to replace one that was blown up earlier by. Leftist guerrillas. Some of the men were filmed on television-video-tape by Cable Network News carrying Ml 6 rifles. American military advisers in El Salvador are forbidden to engage in combat or carry

anything more than sidearms for their protection. They are allowed to keep Ml 6 rifles in the quarters, but have instructions not to take them out with them on the job. Mr Reagan said: “The only thing I can assume is they were for personal protection and I think that’s understandable. I'm asking for a full report and we’ll have one from the Defence Department." “The policy is that they do not engage in combat.'nor were these gentlemen, as far as has been indicated, doing that at all."