Green Beret “Forgot” Explosives In Bag

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A Green Beret demolitions expert who twice had explosives confiscated by the TSA before he tried to board airliners over the holidays has been released to the supervision of his superiors at Fort Bragg on $50,000 bail. As we reported Jan. 1, Sgt. Trey Scott Atwater was arrested and charged with trying to bring explosives onto an aircraft after TSA screeners in Midland, Texas, found military-grade explosives in his carry-on. According to the Los Angeles Times, court documents revealed the explosives to be C-4 and also noted that Atwater had a smoke grenade taken from him before he boarded a Dec. 24 flight from Fayetteville, N.C., for the trip to Texas to visit relatives. In that case, he was given a stern talking to by the TSA and allowed to continue his trip. Other details revealed by the documents raise the question of whether the Fayetteville screeners may have missed the C-4 when they discovered the grenade, however.

The Times says the court documents indicate Atwater told investigators he was surprised to see the C-4, which he said he brought home with him from his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. He reportedly told them the high explosive sat in the bag in his garage until he used the bag to pack children’s items for the Christmas trip. He also said he forgot to mention the grenade incident in Fayetteville when he was interviewed by the FBI in Midland. Atwater has been ordered to undergo a mental examination, not drink alcohol and not possess firearms or explosives while he’s on bail. No further court dates have been set.

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