Here comes the civie: what is a butterbar? I recollected that he kinda miscalculated the entire ordeal. In civilian terms I would call him a miscalculating poor dumb-ass, who died for no reason what so-ever. (It did show the succes of the earlier training though)

Originally Posted by Ted

Here comes the civie: what is a butterbar?

It's margerine in a bar form.. a substitute for butter.

Originally Posted by Team Infidel

2005 Darwin Award Winner
Confirmed True by Darwin

(3 January 2005, St. Maurice, Switzerland) It was the first week of a weapons refresher course, and Swiss Army Grenadier Detachment 20/5 had just finished training with live ammunition. The shooting instructor ordered the soldiers to secure their weapons for a break.
The 24-year-old second lieutenant, in charge of this detachment, decided this would be a good time to demonstrate a knife attack on a soldier. Wielding his bayonet, he leaped toward one of his men, achieving complete surprise.
But earlier that week, the soldiers had been drilled to release the safety catch and ready their guns for firing in the shortest possible time. The surprised soldier, seeing his lieutenant leaping toward him with a knife, snapped off a shot to protect himself from the attack.
The lesson could not have been more successful: the soldier had saved himself and protected the rest of the detachment from a surprise attack. The lieutenant might have wished to commend his soldier on his quick action and accurate marksmanship. Unfortunately, he had been killed with one shot.
And this, kiddies, is why we don't play with knives or guns. Ever. Even if we are trained professionals, and especially if our target is a trained professional.

I wonder what that did to his promotion chances?

Originally Posted by Nachos

It's margerine in a bar form.. a substitute for butter.

That's it???? Just a bloody bar of margerine? Some get's nominated for one of the most senseless deaths ever and you guys say: bar of margerine? I would expect something much more eloquent or foul mouthed.... I could think of a few things...... but bar of margerine isn't the first thing that comes to mind.
Do you guys have more of these understatements?

i believe it is becuase the rank he is is Lt, which is signified by a goldish (buttery coloured) bar

At least it provided a realistic training scenario for the medical first responders.

very interesting.

I thinking this threads is not very nice to call his a butterball because he from the Swiss. Should not doing judging from nation or race and name calling. Beside swiss is mroe famous for cheese or for they army knifes.

if this is true, a dummy is a dummy.....this guy was supposed to be a leader of men, NOT get himself FUBAR in the process....

Anid, soldiers, sailors and airmen, whether serving or former, were and are professionals and warriors, no matter the country....they tend to judge harsh and hard, especially with officers involved....and it's 'butterbar', not 'butterball'....and 'butterball' in the American military means something else...

Man, that sucks, the competition was practically over before it began.

To use a baseball anolgy, it is like the lead off man just hit a grand slam. (You might have to think about that for a minute.)