Bullets. You have to track the shit out of them. If you gave the guards at the War Memorial live ammo, it would be a complete clusterfuck.
If our government finds tracking bullets to be an arduous task, perhaps they are not qualified to have them in the first place.
What if the gun got dropped and discharged?
Then it's a miserable piece of shit. Only shitty guns discharge when dropped. Spend the money to get them a decent fucking gun, especially if they're your honor guard. There's no honor in standing there with a shitty gun. (The gun imparts no particular honor IMO, but it should at least be decent.)
What if you stopped for a picture and someone took your gun
Took your gun? Seriously? TOOK YOUR GUN? What the actual FUCK? You don't put the fucking thing down
or cut themselves on the bayonet?
If their gun doesn't have a sharp bayonet now, why would it magically gain one if you gave them bullets?
What if the magazine fell out and the ammo sprayed all over the ground? Now the person guarding is presenting the image of a drunkard scrambling around for their car keys in the dark.
What if the person you assigned to the honor guard was a total fuckup who should not be allowed to look at a gun, let alone hold one? Well gee, then I guess they shouldn't be in the fucking military. Give them a dishonorable discharge immediately. They failed to take their responsibilities seriously.
Or, you know, again, don't specify a shitty gun. Because again, an honor guard standing there holding a shitty gun is a symbol of impotence, and that's not what we want representing us.
Weird scenarios, but all significantly more likely than a schizophrenic walking up to you and shooting you in the back in cold blood on a boring Hump Day morning.
[citation needed]
If you're giving someone ammo, you're expecting them to get shot at, right? Which really means they should be wearing armour as well, not the ceremonial dress uniform
This is not about expecting them to get shot at. This is about it's fucking stupid to have a gun and no bullets. An unarmed honor guard is like a dick with no balls. How is that honorable?