View Full Version : US Military Knives Confiscated?
Bill Harsey
06-29-2011, 10:02
Just call a phone call from lawmaker in New Hampshire who asked me if I have heard anything about United States military personnel returning from overseas having knives with blade lengths over a certain size (4 inches?) confiscated by US Customs.
Looking for actual instances of this from person from whom knife was taken.
Have another heavyweight lawmaker in DC ready to jump on this if we can find an example.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
Edited to add: By Military Knife I mean any knife owned by a member of the United States military and in their possession upon re-entry to the United States.
Yes this was prompted by stories of this happening. Trying to find some truth here.
Mr. Harsey, I'm sorry that I don't know about the 4" rule but I know everytime we leave country (Afghanistan) we have issues with our military issued "spring opening" knives such as our Benchmades/Gerbers. We have to go to the JAG as part of outprocessing and he has to do a memo for every guy with the knife's information such as the name, NSN, size etc... We have to have the knife in the bag that is going on a pallet and not in our possesion. The knife has to have a memo attached to it and we have a copy for ourselves and a copy for customs. This is on military aircraft all the way home. Without the memo, we are told that our knives will be confiscated by customs prior to leaving country. Last year I had three knives because I was issued new ones over here and I had to have an individual memo for each knife.
Team Sergeant
06-29-2011, 11:32
Every time I read something like this it disappoints me to think I stood guard for this country and these sheep.
We've become a nation of sheep.
I, personally have had auto-openers confiscated. I never tried carrying a long blade on my person while transiting but I do recall there was a max length that could not be exceeded, palletized gear or otherwise....
Mr. Harsey:
This is 100% true. Just came through BAF a month or so ago for the birth of my 1st child and JAG had to do a memo so customs wouldn't take my auto-open Benchmade. Anything auto-open or over 4" in length is confiscated by US Customs officers, Navy Customs or MP's. I posed the question that if I can legally posses this in the US as a US service member why is it being taken from me before returning to the US? All I got was a dick on my forehead look from the Customs agent.
In my trips back and forth - we just got around this by including it in our orders. It was funny as all hell: they'd take every bullet you had unless you had "authorized to carry ammunition and/or knives/edged weapons" on your orders. Yeah.....no reason going to/coming from combat that one would have bullets or edged weapons. This is insanity.
Roguish Lawyer
06-29-2011, 13:36
Mr. Harsey, I'm sorry that I don't know about the 4" rule but I know everytime we leave country (Afghanistan) we have issues with our military issued "spring opening" knives such as our Benchmades/Gerbers. We have to go to the JAG as part of outprocessing and he has to do a memo for every guy with the knife's information such as the name, NSN, size etc... We have to have the knife in the bag that is going on a pallet and not in our possesion. The knife has to have a memo attached to it and we have a copy for ourselves and a copy for customs. This is on military aircraft all the way home. Without the memo, we are told that our knives will be confiscated by customs prior to leaving country. Last year I had three knives because I was issued new ones over here and I had to have an individual memo for each knife.
And people wonder why the war is costing us so much . . . :rolleyes:
SpikedBuck
06-29-2011, 14:15
Just call a phone call from lawmaker in New Hampshire who asked me if I have heard anything about United States military personnel returning from overseas having knives with blade lengths over a certain size (4 inches?) confiscated by US Customs.
Looking for actual instances of this from person from whom knife was taken.
Have another heavyweight lawmaker in DC ready to jump on this if we can find an example.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
Edited to add: By Military Knife I mean any knife owned by a member of the United States military and in their possession upon re-entry to the United States.
Yes this was prompted by stories of this happening. Trying to find some truth here.
Bill,
Think I'm going to have this problem...got two knives longer than 4"...was told I could redeploy with them in my checked baggage on MILAIR. Now, I'm flying back commercially...the other issue is the APO won't let you mail them home either. So more than likely, they will remain here...which is a shame, as one is an Iraqi knife I actually have orders for...will let you know what happens when I redeploy in a few days.
Dan
Why not just distribute a brochure that reminds returning members of the armed services that they are responsible for adhering to the laws of the land regarding knives? The brochure could have an URL that has links to existing laws and to contacts if more information is needed.
What kind of messages are we civilians sending to veterans with this kind of crap? We trusted you over there, but over here, not so much.
Why not just distribute a brochure that reminds returning members of the armed services that they are responsible for adhering to the laws of the land regarding knives? ...............
The problem is the M-4 is not much of a mount for a bayonet and even back when I had an M-16 folks hated to carry the issue bayonet.
Most guys carried some sort of Swiss Army knife / leatherman as a belt knife and K-BAR or some other private purchase knife on the web gear somewhere.
Little knife for little stuff and big knife for big stuff - both were tools.
I don't see the difference between a bayonet and a K-BAR locked in a team box. Both came from the states.
15 USC 1242 - Sec. 1242. Introduction, manufacture for introduction, transportation or distribution in interstate commerce; penalty
Whoever knowingly introduces, or manufactures for introduction, into interstate commerce, or transports or distributes in interstate commerce, any switchblade knife, shall be fined not more than $2,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
15 USC 1244 - Sec. 1244. Exceptions
15 USC Sections 1242 and 1243 of this title shall not apply to - (1) any common carrier or contract carrier, with respect to any switchblade knife shipped, transported, or delivered for shipment in interstate commerce in the ordinary course of business; (2) the manufacture, sale, transportation, distribution, possession, or introduction into interstate commerce, of switchblade knives pursuant to contract with the Armed Forces; (3) the Armed Forces or any member or employee thereof acting in the performance of his duty; or (4) the possession, and transportation upon his person, of any switchblade knife with a blade three inches or less in length by any individual who has only one arm.
The overseas Navy customs may be uninformed as to the law.
from the CBP website
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/329/~/traveling-outside-of-the-u.s.,-traveling-with-and-bringing-back-personal-knife
Blue
longrange1947
06-29-2011, 15:09
Sig - Why should I need jack??? The dam knives are legal here in the states. They are returning to the states with a legal knife. Only the truely brain impaired has turned this into an issue, and I mean the idiot libs that passed a knife law that prohibits importation of a legal knife.
Of course some will sit back and slap themselves on the back and congratulate themselves for keeping the sheeple safe from the deadly knives in the hands of our military. England has been very successful with these techniques of keeping the people safe. :D
Sig - Why should I need jack??? QP Longrange1947--
So that the bureaucrats who dreamed up this policy can check the appropriate boxes off of their 'to do' lists (including the budgetary guidelines) and then throw themselves the party you mentioned. Heck, they could then throw themselves another party of the efficiency for using Adobe CS 5.5 to make both the brochures and banners for the party.
I would assume this now applies to wherever.
Member of U.S. military in Iraq- Bringing goods back to the U.S.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) regulations prohibit military personnel from bringing souvenir weapons (i.e. firearms, handguns and parts thereof) into the United States from Iraq. Therefore, when returning with weapons assigned to you by the military, you should ensure you have your military orders, which authorizes you to carry the firearm. Otherwise, you will not be allowed to enter the U.S. with the firearm. Switchblade knives returning with military personnel or members of the Special Forces are restricted (Military personnel check with your program manager at US Central Command for directives.)
* Military regulations do not supersede federal regulations and troops must comply with ALL regulations when entering goods into the United States.
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/740/related/1/session/L2F2LzEvc2lkL1hsTjZFTHhr/~/traveling-outside-of-the-u.s.%2C-traveling-with-and-bringing-back-personal-knife
And so it goes...
Richard :munchin
Bill Harsey
06-29-2011, 20:11
After doing some reading here at ps(.com) over the years it seems like troops can occasionally choose and purchase various gear and add to their kit for deploying overseas. Said troops own this gear and it is their private property.
Someone please correct if I'm wrong but it seems that deployed troops can go to the in-country PX and buy stuff that becomes their personal property. Knives are among the items that are sold in PX's to members of our military... so troops can do their job.
Seems like the same government that allowed troops to purchase or actually sold it to them also has a hand in taking it away.
Would someone give me an example of a knife being seized by Customs, not hearsay but an actually concrete example. Maybe I missed something.
Blue
The Reaper
06-29-2011, 20:33
I took a D2, a Leatherman, and a Yarborough Knife over and had no problems going either way.
OTOH, the board at the Customs tent at Bagram with the list of prohibited items was so pathetic it was hilarious.
No nail clippers on your person, but carry that M4 and the M9 right on board.
TR
Cake_14N
06-30-2011, 07:12
Would someone give me an example of a knife being seized by Customs, not hearsay but an actually concrete example. Maybe I missed something.
Blue
Iraq 2004. We were all issued a Benchmade auto-opening knife upon arrival at our airbase. When we were to return, the first 5 or 6 guys to go through the customs tent had theirs confiscated. Word got around about the problems with the knives, so amazingly enough room was found in the Intelligence safe ( not subject to a customs inspection at that time ) for a number of extra items to make a very secure trip home.
During my trip to The Deid in 2007-8 things were different. Had a different brand of self-opener, breezed right through Quatari customs as well as US customs just by showing my military ID. Customs specifically targeted the knives and made sure everybody that had one was active military. Seemed pretty stupid as we were all in uniform at a US base..but customs will be customs.
This is a problem of the military customs not knowing the law. Please PM me if a knife is seized. If CBP seizes your knife at the airport make sure you ask for the number for Fines, Penalties and Forfitures at that port, there is a way to get your things back if seized contrary to law. Also ask to talk to a CBP supervisor. The pertians only to your working knifes not war trophys and the such.
Blue
TOMAHAWK9521
07-05-2011, 11:51
If the APO won't allow you to ship your knives, try going with FedEx. They weren't as anal as the APO on shipping stuff. That's how I got my Spartan Model 1 from Iraq over here to A-stan. I put in my FedEx shipment.
DeltaGolf
07-24-2011, 14:23
15 USC 1242 - Sec. 1242. Introduction, manufacture for introduction, transportation or distribution in interstate commerce; penalty
Whoever knowingly introduces, or manufactures for introduction, into interstate commerce, or transports or distributes in interstate commerce, any switchblade knife, shall be fined not more than $2,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
15 USC 1244 - Sec. 1244. Exceptions
15 USC Sections 1242 and 1243 of this title shall not apply to - (1) any common carrier or contract carrier, with respect to any switchblade knife shipped, transported, or delivered for shipment in interstate commerce in the ordinary course of business; (2) the manufacture, sale, transportation, distribution, possession, or introduction into interstate commerce, of switchblade knives pursuant to contract with the Armed Forces; (3) the Armed Forces or any member or employee thereof acting in the performance of his duty; or (4) the possession, and transportation upon his person, of any switchblade knife with a blade three inches or less in length by any individual who has only one arm.
The overseas Navy customs may be uninformed as to the law.
from the CBP website
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/329/~/traveling-outside-of-the-u.s.,-traveling-with-and-bringing-back-personal-knife
Blue
I know I'm a bit late to the party (again), but from a legal standpoint, the problem could be with interpretation, specifically the portion of the statute that Blue highlighted . I can easily see some pinhead up the bureaucratic chain reasoning that once a soldier heads back to the states, he is no longer "acting in the performance of his duty" and therefore no longer authorized to carry an automatic knife.
I know I'm a bit late to the party (again), but from a legal standpoint, the problem could be with interpretation, specifically the portion of the statute that Blue highlighted . I can easily see some pinhead up the bureaucratic chain reasoning that once a soldier heads back to the states, he is no longer "acting in the performance of his duty" and therefore no longer authorized to carry an automatic knife.
I think that is just the way they are. When I went to Germany back in '92, I took a Norinco SKS with me that I had bought in the States. When I took it, all of the appropriate paperwork was completed. When I got ready to return in '97, I sent the required ATF paperwork with a list of my firearms, when and where they were purchased, etc. When the ATF paperwork returned, they had denied my bringing it back. I said screw 'em and brought it back anyway.
We do up 2062's for our knives and havnt had a problem with em with that paperwork.
Are you guys actually being comprehensively searched? Most I've seen is havin to open a random pelican case out of an isu and that's it. Actually my last two they didn't even open the isu they just banded it.
1stindoor
07-26-2011, 07:38
No nail clippers on your person, but carry that M4 and the M9 right on board.
TR
True story. I was leaving on a contract comair flight from Fayetteville going halfway around the world to Manas prior to an Afghanistan rotation...I was carrying my M4 and M9 in a soft case...complete with loaded magazines...and I got stopped by TSA because of my benchmade and gerber. I took them out of my pocket and off of my belt...put them into the soft case in my hand and walked on the plane without another single comment.