This guy is in a mess of trouble with both the Military and Civilians. Kidnapping, theft of government property, AWOL, auto theft, I'm sure the list is longer. All in an effort to get back to New Jersey. I'm thinking he would have got back there quicker if he'd just have finished out his enlistment....

Video at link

Link

A New Jersey man three weeks into his Army basic training hijacked a bus in an attempt to return home from South Carolina on Thursday morning, according to the base's public affairs office.

Pvt. Jovan Collazo, armed with an Army-issued M-4 carbine rifle without ammunition, hijacked the bus in Richland County and ordered the driver at gunpoint to take him to the next town.

The public affairs office said the 23-year-old from Plainfield, New Jersey, left Fort Jackson while his unit was cleaning up after unit physical training before breakfast.

The Richland County Sheriff's Department said they received reports of a man wearing a blue shirt with "Army" written across the front trying to flag down a vehicle to stop and got on board the bus carrying 18 elementary school students.

After the children peppered Collazo with questions, he became frustrated and stopped a few minutes later releasing everyone off the bus, according to Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott. He drove the bus for several more miles before abandoning it. He got off the bus leaving his rifle behind and walked through the neighborhood looking for a change of clothes and a ride, officials said. Deputies spotted Collazo and took him into custody.

Here's a humorous take on it:

Brings new meaning to the term Relaxin' Jackson. He had only been there 3 weeks and it was at Jackson. Couldn't have been that tough.

We had one guy escape Sand Hill and get back to Cleveland, OH somehow. We were scared shitless not because we were concerned for him but for what the DSs were going to do to us... LOL. Don't know whatever happened to him, he wasn't back by the time we graduated. DSs say the quickest way to get out of basic is to just do it. Outprocessing someone from the Army takes months and you can be sure they're not prioritizing someone who couldn't hack it at basic.

As my daughter is fond of saying, “Well, that’s a choice.”

It does seem like more and more folks these days are completely incapable of thinking anything through.

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We had one guy escape Sand Hill and get back to Cleveland, OH somehow.

We had a kid in my last Squadron in San Diego check out the Duty Truck and drive it home.....Home as in Oklahoma City home...... He dropped the keys off at the local recruiting office and we had to send two guys there so they could drive it back to North Island.

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After the children peppered Collazo with questions, he became frustrated and stopped a few minutes later releasing everyone off the bus, according to Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott.

Everyone is safe so I can laugh. I know the feeling I have 3 boys that ride in the back of my Tundra.

18 on a bus peppering one would be rough.

Reminds me of the Willie Myrick kidnapping case out of Atlanta from several years ago, where 9 year old Willie proceeded to sing gospel hymns and ask questions for the next 3 hours until the kidnapper got annoyed and let him go.

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Originally posted by navyshooter:
This guy is in a mess of trouble with both the Military and Civilians. Kidnapping, ...

Nineteen counts, plus eighteen counts of child endangerment. The only way he's likely to ever see New Jersey again is if either there's a federal penitentiary there or he's transported through there on his way to one.

Talk about astoundingly stupid tricks Just how deprived of anything even remotely resembling a proper upbringing and an education must one be to think doing something like that wouldn't lead to a life of incarceration or quickly assuming room temperature?

Well, the Army only recruits the best and brightest

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The only way he's likely to ever see New Jersey again is if either there's a federal penitentiary there or he's transported through there on his way to one.

No there is another way: he decides he is a woman trapped in a man's body, so Bidet/Hairy pardon him.

"After the children peppered Collazo with questions"

Why are you doing this?
Why is your shirt blue?
Why does it say Army?
Why is your gun black?
Why are you crying?

Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh it's like 19 DI's. I can't take this either!!!!!

It just goes to show how soft our teens and young adults have become.

I went through there in 1991 and while I was in shock for the first couple days, I quickly adjusted to reality and did just fine there. I got to go through basic training twice more or less as back then it was regarded as one of the toughest Army training posts and I stayed for AIT which was like a Basic Training level of discipline and strictness but with you also learning your MOS. That Relaxin' Jackson nickname was not evident the entire 4 months I was there, my AIT drill sergeant was a Ranger and one of the toughest SOB's you ever met. We were also male-only in Basic, I can't imagine how soft it has become with it being both males and females together now.

Now this loser gets to spend the next 10-20 years at Fort Leavenworth, if he thought he was "homesick" at Fort Jackson for 2 months, he's REALLY going to be homesick there

What a fool.

Get out of basic training war story:
After about a week of basic, everyone was as miserable as the system planned for them to be. One day the DI called a meeting. He told us that there was no tolerance for homosexuality in the US military and anyone who was could admit it and be discharged. He then said he would be in his office if anyone wanted to see him. He left us alone and as soon as he was gone, several in the squad began to say "I want out of this shit, I will say I am queer". Finally, one brave soul went to the DIs office and knocked. We heard him tell the DI he was queer and the DI shouted loudly for all to hear "then prove it! Suck my my dick"!
Sadistic bastard!
Needless to say the DI never let the dude forget his admission.
I am sure this sort of thing is would never occur in our basic training today.

I'm curious how he got his hands on the rifle.

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Originally posted by Gustofer:
I'm curious how he got his hands on the rifle.

IIRC the US Army changed things a few years back and you are issued your rifle at Basic and it stays with you the entire time. We lined up at the armory and drew weapons when needed but did not have them on us all the time.

The day this story broke the national news reported on this story they reported that this AWOL event was NOT his First AWOL adventure. And one of the persons (Army or Law enforcement) infront of the camera actually made the statement that the public was not in any danger threat because the recruit did not have any LIVE ammunition. Just from personal experiencies that it was possible to gain access and keep live ammunition and magazines that The Drill Sgts as well as the range personal let slip thru the cracks. Saw this happen while in basic training / AIT / as well as time(3 yrs) as Field Artillery Drill Sgt. ............................. drill sgt.

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Originally posted by drill sgt:
The day this story broke the national news reported on this story they reported that this AWOL event was NOT his First AWOL adventure.

A 23-yr old...3-weeks into Basic...and already had gone AWOL once...?

W...T...F

I get that there's always going to be an element that slips through or, their stupid doesn't rise to the surface until later on however, what kind of pre-screening is the Army doing these days? This guy just got there...