NOAA Requests Ammunition For The Weather Service?

On 9 Aug 2012, the Department of Commerce, for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by way of the National Weather Service, put out a solicitation for a small variety of ammunition.

The solicitation breaks down the requirements:

• 16,000 rounds of ammunition for semiautomatic pistols to be factory-loaded .40 S&W caliber, 180-grain jacketed hollow point (JHP).
• 6,000 rounds of frangible, 125-grain CFRHT .40 caliber.
• 24,000 rounds of ammunition for semiautomatic pistols to be factory-loaded .40 S&W caliber, 180-grain jacketed hollow point (JHP).

In all, 40,000 rounds of ammunition, and only 500 Transtar II blue 24" x 40" targets are being ordered.

All the ammunition and targets are being spread out over the US to three locations, Ellsworth, ME; New Bedford, MA; Wall, NJ; and St. Petersburg, FL. Only the 24,000 rounds are being sent to Florida, no targets will be shipped there.

This all comes after the Department of Homeland Security requested a contract with manufactures for over 63,000,000 rounds rounds over the next 4 years.

And this raises other questions:

• Could not the US Government simply re-allot the ammunition from DHS to DOC?
• What is it about being a weather person that requires the training and use of a firearm?
• What future event is coming that makes the National Weather Service believes it needs to train and arm its employees?

We will report more about this as developments come in.

Story and Sources Here