Man Finds Military Missile Launcher in Garden
A Comal County, Texas resident recently found a military missile launcher in his back garden. Surprisingly, when he called the usual suspects (FBI, DHS, the Sheriffs Department), no one really seemed all that pushed about going to his house to pick it up.
According to mysanantonio.com, Jarrette Schule was cutting down trees on his rural property in Comal County when he noticed the missile launcher in the mud.
"I had never seen it before," Schule, a 34-year-old Web developer, told MySA. "I looked at it, and it kind of looked like a missile launcher."
Sure enough, when Schule looked a little closer, the words "Guided Missile and Launcher, Surface Attack" could be seen on the outside of the green metal tube.
It's weird enough that you'd be doing the gardening and happen upon a missile launcher, but Schule claims he called every agency he could think of and was passed from pillar to post with, "Everyone handing it off to everybody else."
Finally, 19 hours after Schule started ringing around, an Army criminal investigator showed up at his house and waited with him until an ordnance disposal team from Lackland AFB confiscated the weapon.
As for the launcher? Well according to the report, it was built in 1996 for launching Dragon surface-to-surface missiles. Dragons were last used in combat in 1991’s Operation Desert Storm and were replaced by the Javelin missile system.
Check out the full story here.
(Image via MySA)
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He was cutting down trees?
if they don't want it back, just keep it, dude... may come in handy one day..
Another non-tech story. Not complaining coz i'm reading it. So is there a part 2 instore as you left the end hanging as to from where it came from. Ok i see that "full story here" link. Guess i'm supposed to click on it. It's not a remote trigger to the launcher? Here goes...
You'd prefer a Daisycutter for that task.
If I found it, and it looked empty, I'd throw it up on a shelf somewhere.
oh, crap, they took it... before he could have tried to launch some real ordnance, like an iPhone..
When I was about 7 years old, I've found 2 artillery shells leftovers from WW2 on a valley near my grandparents house.
My almost had a heart attack when he found hammering on those shells in his garage.
My uncle ^
Very interesting that it was built in 1996, but last used in 1991
Also, Jane dear, is english the 3rd language for you??? It is for me, and I think I have a better grammar.
You must be very new to this site? There's always at least one weird piece in the news here which is one thing I like. I like these interesting non-tech articles -- I like sharing them with my co-workers because they get a kick out of these.
1991 is when it was last used in combat. We still manufactured and trained with them after that so that we would be ready if we needed them in combat. The same goes for most military tech. Just becasue it is not used in an actual battle does not mean that it is not used.
Um a launcher built in 1996 was last used in 1991?
Lol....imagine a bank robber coming into a bank with a surface to air missile launcher. Now THAT would be hilarious.
That looks like an M47 Dragon anti-tank missile canister to me. That weapon system is already obsolete. The canister is empty and probably dropped out of a truck while on its way to disposal facility. It should not be called as a "launcher," since one can't simply refill the canister with fresh new missile and fire it. The fire control unit of M47 system is the launcher.
zzz_b
"It's very interesting that it was built in 1996, but was last used in 1991. Also, Jane dear, it English your third language? It is for me. I think I have better grammar."
Grammar Police here. I came to correct the above comment for you.
Um a launcher built in 1996 was last used in 1991?
The launcher was built in 1996 and was used to launch Dragon missiles. Dragon missiles were last used in 1991. I'm assuming they continued to manufacture them after 1991 so that they would have them if they needed them.
Um a launcher built in 1996 was last used in 1991?
Yeah it was last used in combat in 1991. Doesn't mean more weren't made after that.
He was cutting down trees?
Never heard of someone cutting down tree's eh? That's how you make firewood.
Sittin' on the porch with the shotgun is so 1975 anyway. Time to get with the times!
Wow that is news? I find missle shells, grenade launchers, iGrenades, patriot missle war heads, and all sorts of weird things in my backyard all the time. Heck that big tall fence my neighbors have, when I peak over it, there's alot tanks there too. Well I suppose, like me, living next to an Army Base has its privellages.
>
Man...with halloween around the corner you'd think he would have just found the ultimate costume prop...
"Its time to make this party EXPLODE!!!!!"
That's an expended AT-6 launcher. The rocket has been fired already, so for all intents and purposes, it's an empty tube. I'd hang onto it for a conversation piece.
Correct, AT-4. But, yeah, it could also be an M-47 Dragon as chaohsiangchen suggested.
Finder = keeper!!!
you might need that to kill zombies one day!
That's an expended AT-6 launcher. The rocket has been fired already, so for all intents and purposes, it's an empty tube. I'd hang onto it for a conversation piece.
Man you need to work on your military equipment identification skill. AT-6 is NATO designation of an old Russian anti-tank missile system (9K114 Shturm). Or, you actually mean AT4 rockets. Google the picture of AT4 launcher and Dragon missile system and you'll find what that is.
I found a better copy of the image. That's definitely an M-47 Dragon. At any rate, it's just an empty tube. I'd definitely keep it.
Man you need to work on your military equipment identification skill. AT-6 is NATO designation of an old Russian anti-tank missile system (9K114 Shturm). Or, you actually mean AT4 rockets. Google the picture of AT4 launcher and Dragon missile system and you'll find what that is.
I wrote AT6 as a typo and corrected myself immediately. Tom's had yet to provide an edit or delete option, so we try to be forgiving of spelling and grammar and such. Also, on my laptop, the image is about the size of a postage stamp (this is my work laptop, not my personal one). When I found a better copy of the image, I could clearly see it was an M-47 Dragon and not an AT-4.
When I was about 7 years old, I've found 2 artillery shells leftovers from WW2 on a valley near my grandparents house. My almost had a heart attack when he found hammering on those shells in his garage.
Darwin Awards contender! lol
Did he preorder Modern Warfare?
Is it registered in the NRA?
Yeah if it was empty I would have just kept it, just not something you see every day
Hell a pawn shop probably would have given him 50$ for it lol
"It's weird enough that you'd be doing the gardening and happen upon a missile launcher"
omg this part made my day. I have a sudden urge of doing some lawn mowing, could find something cool.