Will Slain Marines Mean an End to the Department of Defense’s Gun Ban?

Photo: Joe Raedle, Getty Images

Most military personnel, except for those on field maneuvers or MPs, are not allowed to be armed on base.

Mike Glenn writes: On Friday, Defense Secretary Ash Carter approved what the Pentagon referred to as “immediate force protection steps” in the wake of Thursday’s mass shootings in Chattanooga, Tenn. that left four U.S. Marines dead and a Navy Sailor wounded. A press release from the Defense Department did not elaborate on the measures.

One of the shootings was at a local recruiting station. I’ve heard some people say these offices – where young people usually get their first notion of what military life is all about – should have security barriers to prevent such tragedies. Beyond the fact that the accused Chattanooga shooter never went inside the office, I think that’s going to be a non-starter for an obvious reason.

Military recruiters rely on casual walk-in traffic to help make their quota. That’s why the offices can often be found in strip shopping centers or malls. If you start forcing potential Marines, Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen to pass through x-ray machines and take off their shoes like they are going through a TSA line at the airport before they ever step foot in the office, many of them are simply going to take a pass on a hitch in the military

Carter also asked the military services to give him suggestions for ensuring the safety of service members at military installations. But will he allow service members to defend themselves?

Most military personnel, except for those on field maneuvers or MPs, are not allowed to be armed on base. That means in Texas, with its relaxed views on private ownership of firearms, some of the most stringent anti-gun regulations can be found in places like Fort Hood, Fort Bliss, Lackland Air Force Base and the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station…(read more)

Houston Chronicle

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