Eighteen soldiers have been decertified from training future Rangers while the Army investigates allegations that they fired blank rounds at a Florida beach full of civilians with no notice.
Jennifer Gunn, spokesperson for the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia, confirmed the suspensions with Army Times today.
The 18 Ranger instructors are assigned to 6th Ranger Training Battalion at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
The incident prompted at least two emergency calls to police and multiple social media postings, with witnesses and footage showing men wearing Ranger t-shirts and military uniforms firing the rounds at Crab Island near Destin, Florida, on Friday, Task & Purpose first reported.
“The Army is aware of the incident that occurred at Crab Island near Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Friday, May 16,” Gunn told Army Times. “We take this situation seriously and are investigating. The Army will ensure accountability based on the outcome of the investigation.”
A group of Army Ranger training instructors participated that day in a mock “sea battle” with a pirate ship during the Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival, Fort Walton Beach spokesperson Devon Ravine told Task & Purpose.
As part of the “battle,” soldiers with the 6th Ranger Training Battalion fired blanks from their weapons, according to the City of Fort Walton Beach. The training battalion is not part of the 75th Ranger Regiment.
“This was the only approved festival activity that involved the Army Rangers firing their weapons,” Ravine told Task & Purpose. “We do not know what occurred at Crab Island on Friday, and cannot comment, except to say that it was not in any way a part of the Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival.”
Michael Ingram, a charter boat captain, told Task & Purpose his clients and others took cover when the firing began.
“This is unacceptable because there are so many real mass shootings going on in America each year,” Ingram said. “You can’t be joking about it.”
The instructors later mingled with civilians on the beach. Online posts show them in military uniforms with Ranger tabs, “Follow me!” shoulder patches and insignia from the Army infantry school.
Some social media commentators criticized the crowd’s negative reaction, saying many individuals later socialized with the soldiers and took pictures with them.
Todd South has written about crime, courts, government and the military for multiple publications since 2004 and was named a 2014 Pulitzer finalist for a co-written project on witness intimidation. Todd is a Marine veteran of the Iraq War.
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